Returnee Black Stars coach Otto Addo on Tuesday expressed his excitement to be back at the helm of the senior national team as he announced a 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic.

"I'm really really excited, happy to be back. It was not easy but the FA had a lot of talk with Dortmund and even though I still have one more year contract, we managed to get out and I'm happy to be home and I'm back home now. I'm really really excited, I'm looking forward to the first match, (it) will be difficult, very, very difficult especially as we are some points behind the first placed, and as you know only the first-placed will qualify, tough situation but yea, I'm looking forward for the game and I think we will manage it," said Otto Addo shortly before he announced his squad.

Otto Addo's squad begins camping on Thursday, May 30.

The players are:

Goalkeepers: Lawrence Ati Zigi, Wollacott, Frederick Asare.

Defenders: Gideon Mensah, Ebenezer Annan, Mohammed Salisu, Jerome Opoku, Abdul Mumin, Alexander Djiku and Alidu Seidu, Tariq Lamptey

Midfielders: Mohammed Kudus, Ernest Nuamah, Abdul Salis Samed, Ibrahim Sulemana, Thomas Partey, Edmund Addo, Elisha Owusu and Abu Francis.

Forwards: Osman Bukari, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew, Ibrahim Osman Kamaldeen Sumenana and Brandon Thomas-Asante.

Ghana will face Mali on June 6 before facing the Central African Republic on June 10.

Otto Addo resigned as Black Stars coach in December 2022 after the team's elimination from the 2022 World Cup following a 2-0 loss to Uruguay in their final Group H match. He however insisted his resignation was in keeping with his then existing contractual terms with German football side, Dortmund, rather than the result of the match.

He had taken over the Black Stars coaching job back in February following the dismissmal of Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac.