The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has confirmed that Black Stars duo Alexander Djiku and Joseph Paintsil will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Chad but will be available for the clash with Mali.

Both players were initially named in Otto Addo’s 24-man squad but could not join the team in Accra before their departure for N'Djamena.

Paintsil, who was expected to arrive earlier, missed his connecting flight from New York to Accra due to a delayed departure from Los Angeles and only touched down in Ghana on Wednesday morning.

Djiku, on the other hand, is currently in Moscow finalizing a new contract and is scheduled to arrive in Accra on Friday.

This means the technical team will rely on 22 players for the Chad encounter, set for Thursday, September 4, 2025, at the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Déby Itno.

The Black Stars departed Accra on Tuesday and will be looking to maintain their strong run in Group I, where they currently top the standings with 15 points from six matches.

Victory against Chad would strengthen Ghana’s push for a record fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup.