Semenyo withdraws from Ghana squad with swollen leg ahead of AFCON qualifiers

Antoine Semenyo has withdrawn from the Ghana national squad for their Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Ivory Coast and The Gambia, the Ghana Football Association confirmed, after the Manchester City winger reported a swollen leg following last weekend’s Premier League fixture.

Semenyo, 26, was one of the standout performers in City’s 5-3 victory over Sunderland, assisting the second goal before scoring the third and fourth. He was named Premier League player of the match, but the physical toll of that performance has now ruled him out of international duty for the three-week break.

Ghana FA president Kurt Okraku revealed on Asempa FM that Semenyo and head coach Carlos Queiroz discussed the situation directly. “He told the coach, ‘If you need me, I will come down for the medical team to re-examine me, but the truth is that my leg is swollen, and we need to treat it,’” Okraku said. The president added that the decision came down to whether it was wiser to let Semenyo recover fully and be available for both club and country in the next window, rather than fly him to Ghana for an MRI only to send him back unfit.

Semenyo is one of just five City players to have started every minute of their opening five Premier League matches, alongside Erling Haaland, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marc Guehi, and Ruben Dias. All five were rested for the Carabao Cup third-round tie against Norwich City. Semenyo was also substituted during City’s Champions League group-stage opener away at Porto, which City won 2-0.

His next appearance for City could come against Liverpool at Anfield, should he recover in time.

At international level, Semenyo played every minute for Ghana at this summer’s World Cup, where the Black Stars drew 0-0 with England before losing 1-0 to Colombia in the last 32. The AFCON qualifiers carry added significance for Ghana, who failed to win a single game at last year’s tournament, finishing bottom of their group. The four-time AFCON champions have not progressed beyond the group stage in the last two editions, with their most recent final appearance coming in 2015.