World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Djiku and Paintsil ruled out for Ghana against Chad | OneFootball

Two major absences for the crucial match against Chad.

Alexander Djiku

Alexander Djiku and Joseph Paintsil are not included in Ghana’s squad for the match against Chad, scheduled for Thursday, September 4, 2025, in N'Djamena. The defender and the winger failed to join the team in time due to an ongoing transfer and a flight delay.

The Black Stars of Ghana will face the Sao of Chad this afternoon at 1:00 PM GMT at the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Deby Itno MIDI, as part of matchday 7 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Head coach Otto Odo is forced to do without key players Djiku and Paintsil for a variety of reasons.

Alexander Djiku was unable to reach Accra before the Ghanaian squad’s departure for Chad. The central defender is currently finalizing his move to Russian club Spartak Moscow, which delayed his arrival. He is expected to rejoin the group for the eighth round of qualifiers against Mali on September 8.

Meanwhile, Joseph Paintsil, who plays for LA Galaxy, missed his connecting flight between New York and Accra due to a late departure from Los Angeles. Arriving too late in the Ghanaian capital, the winger was unable to travel with his teammates to N'Djamena. He is expected to rejoin the squad for the next home match.