Ghana defender Jerome Opoku has been ruled out of the game against Niger in Morocco on Monday following an injury he picked up ahead of the 1-0 defeat to Angola in Kumasi on Thursday.
The defender reported a muscle injury to the medical team of the Black Stars and it is believed that the injury was caused by the terrible pitch at the Baba Yara Stadium.
Opoku is expected to depart to Europe for further assessment before the restart of the Turkish Super Lig next weekend.
“Turkey based defender Jerome Opoku has been ruled out of the Black Stars’ upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger due to injury,” a Ghana FA statement read.
“The player reported to the medical team a deep seated pain within his left gluteal muscles and further examination confirmed that the pain got aggravated by the poor pitch on which he trained in Kumasi.
“Jerome will therefore travel to Turkey to receive injections under ultrasound guidance following discussions with his club as he races against time to be fully fit for their next assignment in the Turkish Super Lig.
“This leaves Otto Addo with 22 players ahead of the game against Niger on Monday. Jerome Opoku was an unused substitute in last Thursday’s game against Angola at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi,” the statement concluded.
In the other group game, Angola will host Sudan in the top of the table clash as both countries have three points each.