Ghana have suffered a major setback ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defender Alexander Djiku was ruled out of the tournament due to injury.
Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz confirmed the development after the Spartak Moscow centre-back failed to regain full fitness in time for Ghana’s preparations.
Djiku had been named in Ghana’s 28-man provisional squad and joined the team’s training camp in Cardiff carrying an injury sustained during Spartak Moscow’s Russian Cup final against FC Krasnodar.
Although Spartak Moscow went on to win the final on penalties, the defender has since struggled to recover fully and has been unable to participate fully in training sessions with the national team.
Following further medical assessments, the Ghana Football Association, together with the technical team, decided to withdraw the experienced defender from the squad to avoid aggravating the injury before the start of the tournament.
In response, Cyprus-based defender Derrick Luckassen of Pafos FC has been called up as Djiku’s replacement as the Black Stars look to reorganise their defence ahead of the competition.
Ghana have been drawn in Group L of the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside England, Croatia and Panama.
The Black Stars will open their campaign against Panama on June 17 at BMO Field before facing England on June 23 at Gillette Stadium. Ghana will conclude their group stage matches against Croatia on June 27.
