A knee injury sidelines Antoine Semenyo for up to eight weeks, leaving struggling Ghana short-handed for November's must-win qualifiers.
Ghana's push to reach the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations has taken a heavy hit. Black Stars winger Antoine Semenyo has been ruled out of the November qualifiers against Somalia with a knee injury that could keep him sidelined for up to eight weeks.
The 26-year-old Manchester City attacker was hurt during City's Premier League win over Ipswich Town on Saturday. His absence is a major setback for Ghana ahead of their Group C double-header, scheduled for November 11 to 14.
The timing could hardly be worse. Ghana sit bottom of the group with zero points after defeats to Côte d'Ivoire (2-0) and The Gambia (4-2). Semenyo missed both of those games with an ankle problem, so the Black Stars have now been without one of their most dangerous attackers for the entire campaign.
There is a sliver of good news. Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca said the scan results were encouraging and that the damage is less severe than first feared. Even so, he put the recovery window at around eight weeks, and said the priority now is getting the player healthy.
For Ghana, the message is clear: they need results, and they need them without their in-form winger. With the group slipping away, the Somalia fixtures look like must-win games.
