AFCON 2023: Mohammed Kudus only injury doubt in Black Stars squad ahead of Cape Verde clash

Ghana's national football team, the Black Stars, face an uncertain situation regarding the fitness of West Ham United's star Mohammed Kudus, ahead of their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) encounter against Cape Verde tonight at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

Kudus, who has been showcasing remarkable performances since joining West Ham and has scored 10 goals in various competitions this season, arrived for international duty with a hamstring injury. 

The former Ajax forward's participation in the upcoming Group B match against Cape Verde remains uncertain as he has been limited in training sessions.

Acknowledging the potential absence of Kudus in this weekend's clash, Ghana's coach, Chris Hughton, expressed concerns about the player's fitness. 

“Mohammed Kudus was the only player who joined us a little bit later because of an injury he sustained, but he is with us now,” Hughton told a press conference on January 13, 2023.

“We will assess him. We know we have the game tomorrow and we will assess him. With regards to tomorrow, everyone else is fit and well.

“I would have to say most of our preparation has been about how we want to play.

“We have to be aware of Cape Verde’s quality and the threats they have because they are a good team, with very good players but the higher percentage of the work we’ve done is about our style of play and how we want to go about our way of playing.”

The Black Stars, four-time winners of the AFCON, have not claimed the title since 1982 and faced an early exit in the 2021 group stage.