Ghana coach Otto Addo has described the absence of Athletic Bilbao forward Iñaki Williams a loss after he was ruled out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against the Central African Republic and Comoros due to injury.

“It’s always a loss when we have to replace players,” Addo said during his pre-match press conference.

“But we’re in a lucky situation — we have a lot of good players. Brandon [Thomas] has been excellent in recent weeks, with many assists and goals, and he deserves to be here.”

Addo revealed that long-term injuries have also sidelined centre-back Mumin and winger Ernest Nuamah, but expressed optimism about their eventual return.

“I’m praying for them to get back. Surely, it will make my work difficult deciding who comes into the squad — but that’s what we want: competition for places.”

The coach emphasised that the team’s strength lies in its depth and readiness to adapt.

“We can replace an experienced top player like Iñaki with a good player in form like Brandon Thomas. This is what we want — the current situation is pushing each player.”