Kirin Cup: Salisu and Semenyo withdraw from Black Stars camp ahead of South Korea friendly
17th November 2025
Ghana’s preparations for Tuesday’s international friendly against South Korea have been dealt a fresh blow, with defender Mohammed Salisu and forward Antoine Semenyo both departing the Black Stars camp in Seoul due to injuries.
The duo’s exit follows the earlier loss of midfielder Francis Abu, reducing head coach Otto Addo’s squad to 19 players ahead of the clash at the World Cup Stadium on November 18.
Injury Updates
- Mohammed Salisu: Diagnosed with a bilateral medial collateral ligament sprain, confirmed by AS Monaco and the Black Stars medical team.
- Antoine Semenyo: Suffered a left anterior talo-fibula ligament sprain, aggravated during the match against Japan. He was substituted in the 55th minute for Prince Kwabena Adu.
While initial reports cited personal reasons for Semenyo’s departure, medical assessments have since clarified the nature of his injury. The Bournemouth striker, who captained Ghana in the 2-0 defeat to Japan, has been a key figure in recent campaigns, with three goals in 32 appearances for the national team.
His absence, alongside other senior players like Jordan Ayew, Thomas Partey, Mohammed Kudus, and Alexander Djiku, leaves Otto Addo with a youthful and reshuffled squad. The coach will need to adjust both his attacking setup and leadership structure as Ghana continues its build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
Semenyo is expected to return to club duties, with transfer speculation linking him to top European sides including Liverpool and Manchester City.