Black Stars assistant coach Didi Dramani has addressed the absence of key players Thomas Partey and Tariq Lamptey from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad, emphasising the importance of supporting the available players.
Ghana are set to compete in Ivory Coast for the AFCON title, but they will be without several key players who were excluded from the final 27-man squad due to injuries.
Dramani stressed the need to focus on the players currently available for the tournament.
“We are focusing on players available now. As coaches and as football people, we need to support our players in their transitional cases and that’s their welfare," he stated in an audio aired on Wontumi FM.
Dramani provided examples of situations where players' personal commitments, such as Alexander Djiku's marriage, were respected, indicating that providing players with such flexibility fosters commitment.
Regarding Partey's situation, Dramani acknowledged the uncertainty of the player's full fitness, noting that waiting until he is fully fit might be towards the end of the tournament, which would not benefit the team.
While acknowledging the significance of Partey and Lamptey as category A players, Dramani expressed that their availability close to the tournament or missing the first match would be advantageous, but unfortunately, the circumstances do not align with the team's needs.
The AFCON 2023 tournament is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, January 13, running through to February 11, 2024. Ghana will begin its campaign against Cape Verde on January 14, followed by matches against Egypt and Mozambique in Group B.