Black Stars midfielder Francis Abu could still force his way into Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad despite suffering a horrific leg injury that initially sparked fears he could be sidelined for almost a year.
The Toulouse star was making his seventh appearance for Ghana in last Thursday’s Kirin Cup clash with Japan when he blocked a shot from Ao Tanaka, a moment that left his right foot twisted backwards and sparked distress among teammates.
Successful surgery
Abu underwent successful surgery last Saturday at the Toyota Memorial Hospital, where doctors repaired a double fracture above his ankle. He is expected to return to France shortly to continue treatment.
Toulouse had earlier confirmed he would be out for “an extended period”, but yesterday, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) revealed that the operation had gone smoothly thanks to the coordinated efforts of Dr Prince Pambo, the Black Stars’ head of medical, Toulouse FC’s medical staff and Japanese surgeons.
The GFA further confirmed that a physiotherapist would stay with Abu throughout the acute phase of his rehabilitation, while a senior member of Ghana’s technical team will accompany him back to France once he is discharged.
Despite concerns that the midfielder could miss the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA, a sports injury expert told Graphic Sports that Abu cannot be ruled out entirely.
“Such fractures typically take between four to six months to heal if no complications arise,” the expert explained. “After that comes physiotherapy until he regains match fitness. So, in effect, Abu cannot be ruled out of the World Cup altogether.”
The injury brought back painful memories of Jerry Akaminko, whose own broken ankle—sustained in a friendly just a week before Ghana named its 2014 World Cup squad—ruled him out of Brazil.
Abu joined Toulouse in the summer from Cercle Brugge in Belgium and had been growing rapidly in stature, featuring in eight of their 12 matches, including seven starts.
Tanaka, who was an innocent party in the incident, later apologised to the Ghanaian bench and earned praise from head coach Otto Addo.
“I really appreciate that the player not only comes to our players to say sorry, but also to me as a coach,” Addo said post-match. “We don’t take this kind of behaviour for granted. It’s a very good education here in Japan.”
More injury woes
As Otto Addo prepares the Black Stars for tomorrow’s friendly against South Korea in Seoul, his squad has been hit by further setbacks.
Centre-back Mohammed Salisu has been ruled out with a bilateral medial collateral ligament sprain, confirmed jointly by Monaco and the Black Stars’ medical team.
Forward Antoine Semenyo, who captained Ghana against Japan, is also unavailable after a left anterior talo-fibula ligament sprain aggravated during the same match. He was replaced by Prince Kwabena Adu in the 55th minute.
With Abu, Salisu and Semenyo sidelined, the Ghana gaffer is left with just 19 players for the clash at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul as preparations for the 2026 World Cup continue under increasingly testing circumstances.
