BY Nadia Ntiamoah
Head coach of the Ghana national football team, Otto Addo, has named a 26-man squad for the upcoming international friendlies, with four new players earning their maiden call-ups as preparations intensify ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The squad, announced ahead of matches against the Austria and Germany national football teams later this month, reflects a blend of fresh talent and experienced internationals as the technical team continues to assess options for the global tournament.
Among the headline inclusions are first-time call-ups for Derrick Luckassen, Patrick Pfeiffer, Marvin Senaya, and Daniel Agyei, all of whom will be hoping to impress in what could be their first appearances for the senior national team.
Luckassen, a centre-back currently with Pafos FC in Cyprus, brings a wealth of European experience, having featured for clubs including PSV Eindhoven, Hertha Berlin, Anderlecht, and Maccabi Tel Aviv. He recently helped Pafos secure the Cypriot league title and made headlines by scoring the club’s first-ever goal in European competition.
Senaya, a right-back, is on the books of French Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre and has previously played for Strasbourg, Sochaux, and Lausanne-Sport since making his professional debut in 2021.
Forward Daniel Agyei, who plays for Turkish club Kocaelispor, was born in England and developed his career across several English clubs including Burnley, Oxford United, Crewe Alexandra, and Leyton Orient before moving to Turkey.
Defender Patrick Pfeiffer, who plays for SV Darmstadt 98 in Germany, completes the list of debutants, adding further defensive options to the squad.
The squad also sees the return of key players including Iñaki Williams, Ibrahim Sulemana, Thomas Partey, and Alexander Djiku, all of whom bring valuable experience to the team as Ghana builds towards the World Cup.
In goal, Addo has selected Lawrence Ati-Zigi of St. Gallen, Benjamin Asare of Accra Hearts of Oak, and Joseph Anang of St. Patrick’s Athletic.
The defensive unit includes options such as Derrick Kohn, Jerome Opoku, Caleb Yirenkyi, Jonas Adjetey, Gideon Mensah, alongside the newly invited players, forming a competitive backline pool.
In midfield, experienced campaigners like Thomas Partey and Elisha Owusu are joined by Kwasi Sibo and Ibrahim Sulemana, offering a mix of control, physicality, and creativity.
The attacking department remains one of Ghana’s strongest areas, featuring players such as Jordan Ayew, Antoine Semenyo, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Christopher Bonsu Baah, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Prince Adu and Iñaki Williams.
Ghana will first face Austria in Vienna on March 27 before travelling to Stuttgart to take on Germany on March 30, in matches expected to provide crucial insights into the team’s readiness ahead of the World Cup.
