Gideon Mensah ruled out of Ghana vs Madagascar AFCON qualifier

Ghanaian defender Gideon Mensah will not be able to participate in the upcoming match between the Black Stars and Madagascar due to an injury. Mensah, who plays for AJ Auxerre, arrived at the team’s camp on Monday but did not take part in the training session held at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The medical team assessed Mensah’s knee injury, which he had sustained during the season. As a result, he has been ruled out of the game, as confirmed by the team doctor.

“Gideon suffered a knee injury during the season, and his club managed it conservatively until the end of the season. After evaluating him in camp on Monday, we decided it would be best to excuse him from this game to prevent further aggravation of the injury,” stated Dr. Prince Pambo, the head of the team’s medical staff, as reported on ghanafa.org.

“We expect him to rest adequately during the break and recover in time for the next season,” he added.

In the meantime, the team will continue their preparations at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.

Mensah, who made his debut for Ghana in 2019 against South Africa, has already represented the country in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. His absence will be felt by the team, as he has been a valuable asset on the defensive end.

The Black Stars are scheduled to depart the country on Friday, June 16, heading to Mahamasina Municipal Stadium in Antananarivo, where the game against Madagascar will take place on Sunday, June 18.