Inaki Out of Black Stars’ AFCON Qualifiers

Athletic Club Bilbao forward, Inaki Williams will miss the Black Stars’ final Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola and Niger due to a hamstring injury.

The 30-year-old was ruled out of Athletic’s La Liga match against Real Valladolid on Sunday after the Spanish club confirmed he could not recover in time.

“Athletic Club forward Iñaki Williams will miss Sunday’s La Liga clash with Real Valladolid after straining his left hamstring,” the club stated. Williams is expected to undergo a scan on Monday to assess the full extent of the injury.

The Black Stars’ head coach, Otto Addo, had included Williams in the squad for these crucial qualifiers, as Ghana aims to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, despite failing to win any of their first four matches.

Ghana is set to begin camp in Accra on Sunday, with several training sessions planned at the Accra Sports Stadium before traveling to Angola for their Matchday Five clash on November 15 at Estádio 11 de Novembro. They will then conclude their qualifiers against Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later.

With no wins from the first four matches, Coach Otto Addo faces a must-win situation in the remaining games as Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2025 AFCON now rest on victories in these final two matches, along with favorable outcomes from Sudan’s games against the same opponents.