Ghana coach Otto Addo has addressed his decision to leave out in-form Sweden-based attacking midfielder Michael Baidoo from the Black Stars’ 25-man squad for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan.
Despite Baidoo’s impressive performances in the Swedish Allsvenskan and the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League, he was omitted from the squad. Just before the Black Stars’ squad announcement, Baidoo scored his debut goal, securing a historic victory for IF Elfsborg against AS Roma in the Europa League.
During a press conference, Addo explained the reasoning behind his choice. “He [Michael Baidoo] is on our radar. We are in touch. He is an excellent striker, and we will see what happens in the future,” he stated.
Addo added, “At the moment, this is what we think. Inaki and Semenyo are scoring, and to be honest, I think the Premier League is a bit tougher. He is a good striker, so we will see what happens in the future.”
The four-time AFCON champions are looking to revive their chances of qualifying for the tournament after a slow start in Group F, where they lost to Angola and drew against Niger in their opening games.
The Black Stars will face Sudan at the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday, October 10, before heading to Libya for the return leg at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium on Tuesday, October 15, 2024.
Addo’s side aims to secure one of the top two spots in Group F to qualify for the AFCON tournament, scheduled to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco.
