Black Stars coach, Otto Addo has revealed that Jerome Opoku’s back injury was worsened by the poor pitch conditions at Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
The central defender was an unused substitute in Ghana’s 1-0 defeat against Angola in their opener of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers last week Thursday.
The team departed for Morocco for their second Group F game against Niger but Joseph Paintsil has been dropped from the squad due to passport issues whiles Jerome Opoku has been ruled out of the game after sustaining a back injury in training, was unable to recover in time.
Speaking ahead of the game against the Super Eagles, Addo explained Opoku’s injury situation.
“We had some issues with minor injuries, but most players are okay except for Jerome, who had serious back problems. His body couldn’t adapt to the training ground in Kumasi.
“It was tough for him, and the injury became so severe that he couldn’t continue training. He had to return to his club for specialized treatment. It’s unfortunate—he didn’t play, but still got injured,” he added.
The Black Stars are set to face Niger at the Stade Municipal Berkane in Morocco with kick-off scheduled at 16:00GMT.
