Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has played down the impact of Ghana’s lengthy injury list ahead of Thursday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying opener against Côte d’Ivoire.

Ghana will be without captain Jordan Ayew, vice-captain Thomas Partey and key forwards Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo for the clash in Bouaké.

Despite the notable absences, Queiroz insists he has complete confidence in the players available and believes they have enough quality to deliver a strong performance against the 2023 AFCON champions.

“We don’t like to see players injured. We love to see the best players on the pitch all the time. But sometimes it’s not possible,” Queiroz said.

“So the most important players in our team are the ones who are here today. We are a strong team. We have a lot of potential. We have full confidence that the players we have called are ready to perform.

“What is possible, and what we need, is to be sure that we brought talented players, full of enthusiasm and great talents of Ghana.”