Nathaniel Adjei has sent his best wishes to the Black Stars of Ghana ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying opener against Côte d’Ivoire, despite being ruled out through injury.
Ghana will begin their Group C campaign on Thursday, September 24, 2026, against the Elephants at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké.
Adjei earned a recall to the Black Stars after an impressive run of form with French Ligue 1 side Lorient. The 24-year-old had spent almost a year away from the national team after suffering a serious ankle injury on his senior Ghana debut against Niger in November 2024.
After undergoing surgery and completing a lengthy rehabilitation, Adjei returned to full fitness and established himself at Lorient, earning another opportunity with the national team.
However, his comeback has been delayed after he suffered a hamstring injury during Lorient’s 2-1 defeat to Le Mans last weekend. Adjei played 75 minutes before being substituted and is expected to spend two to three weeks on the sidelines, ruling him out of the clash with Côte d’Ivoire.
Despite missing the important fixture, the Lorient defender has thrown his support behind Carlos Queiroz’s side as they begin their qualification campaign.
“Wishing my brothers all the best against Côte d’Ivoire. I’m disappointed that I can’t be there with the team, but I believe in the boys and I know they will fight for Ghana,” Adjei stated.
“Unfortunately, the injury came at a difficult time, especially after working hard to get back into the national team. But these things happen in football, and my focus now is on recovering and coming back stronger.”
He added: “I will be supporting the team from here and praying for a positive result. We have a long qualification campaign ahead of us, so hopefully we can start on the right foot.”
Ghana will also be without several key players, including captain Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Alidu Seidu.
The Black Stars will face The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 29 before travelling to Morocco for an international friendly against the Atlas Lions on October 4.
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are joined by The Gambia and Somalia in Group C, with the Black Stars aiming to make a positive start to their bid to qualify for the 2027 AFCON, which will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
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