Southampton forward Kamaldeen Sulemana has been officially ruled out of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after failing to recover from a hamstring injury.

Despite initially being included in the 55-man provisional squad for the tournament in Ivory Coast, Southampton manager Russel Martin confirmed that the player will not be fit for AFCON 2023.

Sulemana has faced challenges with injuries during the ongoing campaign, making only 13 appearances for Southampton as they strive for promotion.

Manager Russel Martin stated, "Kamaldeen won't be in the squad. I'm sure I'll chat to Chris (Hughton) about where he is in his fitness. He is going to be nowhere near ready for that. He won't go."

The Southampton forward, who was part of the Black Stars team at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, will now focus on recovering and is expected to be fit towards the end of January or the start of February.

Sulemana joins Brighton's Tariq Lamptey as players who have been ruled out of the upcoming AFCON tournament.