Mohammed Kudus’ withdrawal from Ghana’s squad for the recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and a friendly against Morocco has been defeMohammed Kudus’ withdrawal from Ghana’s squad for the recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and a friendly against Morocco has been defended by someone close to the national team setup, who pushed back on the criticism the decision drew back home.
The Tottenham winger had been named by coach Carlos Queiroz for matches against Ivory Coast, Gambia and Morocco, but asked to sit out so he could keep working on his fitness at Hotspur Way. Kudus is still building his way back after eight months out with a quad problem, and while he hasn’t started a Premier League match yet this season under Roberto De Zerbi, he did feature for 75 minutes in Tottenham’s Carabao Cup exit at Liverpool and has made four league appearances off the bench.
His decision, along with similar withdrawals from Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew and others, triggered plenty of speculation in Ghana about the players’ commitment. But the source dismissed those theories, framing Kudus’ choice as a compassionate one given how long he’d been sidelined, and argued the situation should instead be seen as a chance for other squad members to step up and make the shirt their own.
Queiroz himself later explained his thinking, saying the picture around Kudus’ recovery shifted after he saw how the player came through his 70-plus minutes for Tottenham. What looked initially like steady progress didn’t hold up under closer observation, and in his final conversation with the player, both sides agreed the priority had to be protecting his recovery rather than risking another setback. Queiroz stressed that releasing him wasn’t a decision made lightly, but one based on the medical picture and conversations he’d had in the days before the squad was finalized — ultimately, Kudus simply wasn’t ready.nded by someone close to the national team setup, who pushed back on the criticism the decision drew back home.
The Tottenham winger had been named by coach Carlos Queiroz for matches against Ivory Coast, Gambia and Morocco, but asked to sit out so he could keep working on his fitness at Hotspur Way. Kudus is still building his way back after eight months out with a quad problem, and while he hasn’t started a Premier League match yet this season under Roberto De Zerbi, he did feature for 75 minutes in Tottenham’s Carabao Cup exit at Liverpool and has made four league appearances off the bench.
His decision, along with similar withdrawals from Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew and others, triggered plenty of speculation in Ghana about the players’ commitment. But the source dismissed those theories, framing Kudus’ choice as a compassionate one given how long he’d been sidelined, and argued the situation should instead be seen as a chance for other squad members to step up and make the shirt their own.
Queiroz himself later explained his thinking, saying the picture around Kudus’ recovery shifted after he saw how the player came through his 70-plus minutes for Tottenham. What looked initially like steady progress didn’t hold up under closer observation, and in his final conversation with the player, both sides agreed the priority had to be protecting his recovery rather than risking another setback. Queiroz stressed that releasing him wasn’t a decision made lightly, but one based on the medical picture and conversations he’d had in the days before the squad was finalized — ultimately, Kudus simply wasn’t ready.
