Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu has declined an invitation to the Black Stars squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
According to Ghana FA sources, the former Real Valladolid defender was invited to the team’s training camp in Doha, Qatar, but turned it down.
The Southampton defender declined his first call-up to the Black Stars in 2019, citing injury concerns.
Last year, former Black Stars coach Charles Akonnor revealed that the Ghana Football Association had approached Salisu about playing for Ghana.
However, the association’s efforts were rendered ineffective because the 22-year-old declined the opportunity.
The Southampton defender has stated unequivocally that he is not ready to play for his country.
The Black Stars’ coach, Milovan Rajevac, is expected to announce his preliminary squad for the tournament in the coming days.
The Serbian trainer has submitted the names to the Ghana FA, and the invited players are expected to travel to Doha to begin preparations for the tournament.
The Ghana Black Stars will report to camp in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday, December 22, 2021.
The team will spend three weeks in Doha preparing for the Tournament, which will take place in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6, 2022.
The Black Stars will play three international friendlies in Qatar to allow Coach Milovan Rajevac to assess his squad for the World Cup.
Ghana is set to play an unnamed club side on Tuesday, December 28, before facing one of the Africa Cup of Nations qualified teams in a friendly on Friday, January 1, 2022.
The team’s test matches against African Champions Algeria will conclude on Wednesday, January 5, 2022.
The Black Stars will fly from Doha to Yaoundé on Friday, January 7, 2022, to face the rest of Africa at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
