2021 AFCON: 18 first-timers named in Black Stars final squad

Eighteen (18) players listed in Ghana's final squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations have never played in the tournament.

This includes all four goalkeepers selected by head coach Milovan Rajevac at the team's camping base in Qatar.

Defender Philemon Baffour, who plays for Dreams FC in the Ghana Premier League, had his place in the 28-man squad confirmed on Monday, 3 January 2022.

He is on the roster alongside other newcomers- Bordeaux's Gideon Mensah, Alexander Djiku of Strasbourg FC and Vitoria Guimaraes' Abdul Mumin.

Five out of the seven midfielders- Baba Iddrissu, Edmund Addo, Mohammed Kudus, Daniel Kofi Kyere and local boy David Abagna of RTU are new to the tournament.

In attack, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Kamal Deen Suleymana, Joseph Paintsil, Maxwell Abbey, Benjamin Tetteh will be chasing their debuts.

This will be Ghana's most inexperienced squad for the tournament since 2010 in Angola which was Rajavac's first Africa Cup of Nations competition he coached in.

The Serbian managed to finish second at the tournament losing 1-0 to Egypt in the final.

Ghana's 2021 AFCON debutants:

GOALKEEPERS: Joseph Wolacott (Swindon Town, England), Abdul Manaf Nurudeen (Eupen, Belgium), Richard Attah (Hearts of Oak), Lawrence Ati Zigi (St. Gallen, Switzerland)

DEFENDERS:  Philemon Baffuor (Dreams FC), Gideon Mensah (Girondins de Bordeaux, France), Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg FC, France), Khalid Abdul Mumin (Vitoria de Guimaraes, Portugal)

MIDFIELDERS: Baba Iddrissu (Real Mallorca, Spain), Edmund Addo (Sherif Tiraspol, Moldova), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Daniel Kofi Kyere (St. Pauli, Germany), David Abagna (Real Tamale United),

FORWARDS: Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Dreams FC), Kamal Deen Suleymana (Rennes, France), Joseph Paintsil (Genk, Belgium), Maxwell Abbey Quaye (Great Olympics),  Benjamin Tetteh (Malatyaspor, Turkey).