By Kwame Bediako
Ghana head coach Otto Addo has named his Black Stars squad for crucial international friendlies against Austria and Germany this month, ramping up preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The matches, set for Vienna on March 27 and Stuttgart on March 30, blend familiar faces from qualifiers with fresh talent to sharpen the team’s edge.
Addo handed debut call-ups to four promising players: defender Patrick Pfeiffer (SV Darmstadt), Derrick Luckassen (Pafos FC), wing-back Marvin Senaya (Auxerre), and forward Daniel Agyei (Kocalispor).
These inclusions signal Addo’s intent to build depth ahead of the global showpiece, injecting competition into key positions.
In goal, Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen) leads alongside Benjamin Asare (Accra Hearts of Oak) and Joseph Anang (St. Patrick’s Athletic).
The defense features a robust mix, including Derrick Kohn (Union Berlin), Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir), Caleb Yirenkyi (FC Nordsjaelland), Kojo Oppong Pepprah (OGC Nice), Jonas Adjetey (VFL Wolfsburg), Alexander Djiku (Spartak Moscow), and Gideon Mensah (Auxerre).
Midfield anchors Thomas Partey (Villarreal) with Elisha Owusu (Auxerre), Ibrahim Sulemana (Cagliari), and Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo), providing steel and creativity.
Up top, the attack bristles with firepower: Brandon Thomas Asante (Coventry City), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City), Prince Adu (Viktoria Plzen), Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al Qadsiah), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Leicester City), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), and Kamal Deen Sulemana (Atalanta).
Fans eagerly await how Addo integrates the newcomers against top European opposition, a vital test for World Cup ambitions. The Black Stars aim to build momentum and fine-tune tactics in these high-stakes encounters.
