How Semenyo, Kudus, Other Black Stars Players Fared Ahead of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
- Players of the Black Stars are set to gather for this month’s round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
- Wins against Chad and Mali would put Ghana on the brink of securing a spot at football’s most prestigious tournament
- YEN.com.gh takes a closer look at the performances of the players called up for these crucial qualifiers
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As Ghana prepares for the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers, all eyes are on the Black Stars and their readiness to secure a place on football’s biggest stage.
Antoine Semenyo grabbed the spotlight with a brilliant display in his Premier League showdown against Mohammed Kudus.
Source: Getty Images
How Black Stars players performed ahead of 2026 World Cup qualifiers
With matches against Chad and Mali looming, fans and pundits are eager to see which players will carry their club form into international duty.
Here’s a closer look at how the 24-man squad called by Otto Addo performed in the last round of club action.
Goalkeepers
Lawrence Ati-Zigi was in top form for St. Gallen, helping his side to a 2-1 victory over Lausanne in the Swiss Super League. He pulled off three crucial saves, as noted by Flashscore.
Joseph Anang featured for St. Patrick’s in their 2-2 draw with Derry City in the Irish Premier League.
Benjamin Asare kept a clean sheet for Hearts of Oak, helping them defeat Asante Kotoko 2-0 in the GHALCA Top Four Tournament.
In a post on X, Otto Addo confirms Asare as the number one.
Defenders
Gideon Mensah played 84 minutes for Auxerre in their 1-0 loss to Nantes in Ligue 1, and Derrick Arthur Kohn, who earned his first Black Stars call-up, featured for 21 minutes for Union Berlin in their 3-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Mohammed Salisu was an unused substitute for AS Monaco in their 3-2 loss to Strasbourg.
In contrast, Jerome Opoku played the full 90 minutes for Basaksehir in their draw against Eyüpspor in the Turkish Super Lig, earning a 7.6 rating from Sofascore.
Meanwhile, Alexander Djiku stayed on the bench for Fenerbahçe in their 3-1 victory over Gençlerbirliği, and Jonas Adjetey did not feature for FC Basel in their 1-0 win against Sion.
Tariq Lamptey was absent from Brighton’s matchday squad as he completed a transfer to Fiorentina - a post on X above confirms his medical tests, while Caleb Yirenkyi continued his impressive start to the season, scoring in FC Nordsjaelland’s 2-1 win over Odense.
Source: Twitter
Midfielders
Elisha Owusu played 88 minutes for Auxerre in the 1-0 defeat to Nantes.
Mohammed Kudus experienced Tottenham’s first loss of the 2025/26 Premier League season, while Ibrahim Osman could not continue his streak of assists as Auxerre fell again to Nantes.
Ibrahim Sulemana was an unused substitute in Atalanta’s 1-1 draw with Parma, having not featured for the club this season.
Thomas Partey, the deputy Black Stars captain, came on for 22 minutes in Villarreal’s 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo.
See a video of his performance below:
Back in France, Salis Abdul Samed played 60 minutes for OGC Nice in their 3-1 defeat to Le Havre.
Forwards
Antoine Semenyo was the standout performer, playing the full 90 minutes as Bournemouth secured a 1-0 win over Tottenham. His relentless pace and attacking threat earned him plaudits once again.
See how he performed against Tottenham on matchday 2 below:
Kamaldeen Sulemana featured for 26 minutes in Atalanta’s 1-1 draw with Parma.
Joseph Paintsil scored the winning goal for LA Galaxy in their 2-1 victory over Orlando City.
Jerry Afriyie played 90 minutes for RAA La Louvière in a 3-2 triumph over KV Mechelen, while Captain Jordan Ayew was influential in Leicester City’s 2-0 win against Birmingham.
Christopher Bonsu Baah missed Al Qadisiya’s clash with Al Najma due to a red card suspension from the Saudi Super Cup.
Finally, Inaki Williams played 75 minutes for Athletic Bilbao in their 2-1 victory over Real Betis, keeping the Basque side perfect in La Liga this season.
Semenyo lands in Ghana ahead of FIFA WCQ
YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Antoine Semenyo has landed in Ghana ahead of the Black Stars’ decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures.
The in-form forward arrived at Kotoka International Airport on Sunday night, barely 24 hours after featuring in his much-talked-about Premier League showdown with Mohammed Kudus.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
