Italy-based Ghanaian striker, Felix Afena-Gyan has turned down a call-up to the Black Meteors in their final 2023 Africa U23 Cup of Nations qualifiers double-header against Algeria.

The 20-year-old was among the initial ten foreign-based players who were invited by the  Ghana Football Association(GFA) for the all-important clash.

Afena-Gyan's Italian club US Cremonese was sent an e-mail inviting the player while all the necessary traveling arrangements were made but the player for reasons best known to him decide not to honour the call.

The striker played in Ghana's two-legged playoff clash against fierce rivals Nigeria making his debut in the first leg at the Baba Yara Stadium which ended 0-0.

But he was snubbed for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as he failed to make the cut under then head coach Otto Addo.

The U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, which serves as qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games, will take place in Morocco in June of this year.

The top three teams from the tournament will qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics men’s football tournament in Paris.

Afena-Gyan has struggled to justify his big-money move to US Cremonese after departing AS Roma last summer as he has been consigned to the bench for most games and has only two goals all coming in the Coppa Italia notable among them being the one he scored against Napoli.

He has seven caps for Ghana and a goal.