Nathaniel Adjei ruled out of Ghana’s AFCON qualifiers with hamstring injury

Ghana's Nathaniel Adjei has been ruled out of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers due to a hamstring injury sustained during a club match. The 23-year-old defender suffered the injury during Lorient's 2-1 loss to Le Mans in the French top flight on Saturday. Adjei played 75 minutes before being forced to leave the pitch, and following an assessment from Lorient's medical team, he is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks.

This setback comes just months after Adjei's return to international football after a year-long absence. He made his senior international debut in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Niger on November 18, 2024, but his first appearance was cut short by an ankle injury that required surgery in December 2024. Upon his recovery, Adjei had been performing well for Lorient, earning him a recall to the Black Stars for the September-October international window.

His recent injury means Adjei will miss Ghana's opening qualifier against Côte d'Ivoire on September 24, as well as subsequent matches against The Gambia and Morocco. The loss of Adjei leaves head coach Carlos Queiroz with the task of finding suitable replacements for the critical qualifiers.