Black Stars of Ghana coach, Otto Addo, on Thursday, August 29, 2024, announced a 23-man squad list for the next month's 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) against Angola and Nigeria.
Ghana will begin their qualification campaign for the next AFCON scheduled to take place in Morocco with a cliffhanger against Angola in Kumasi on September 5 before traveling to face Niger on September 9.
However, IF Elfsborg attacking midfielder Michael Baidoo, who has been a standout performer for the Swedish Allsvenskan outfit in the ongoing season's campaign, was excluded from the squad list for two games.
The 25-year-old has scored 10 goals and provided seven assists in 26 appearances for the club this season across all competitions.
Otto Addo named West Ham United's Mohammed Kudus, Francis Abu, Thomas Partey, Elisha Owusu, and Majeed Ashimeru as his midfielders for the two games scheduled for September.
Per the itinerary of the Black Stars, the team will begin preparations for the two crucial games—Angola and Niger—in Accra on Monday, September 2, 2024.
Michael Baidoo is phenomenal and a top asset for the Black Stars team
Baidoo is regarded as one of the highly-rated midfielders in the Swedish Allsvenskan with his creative ability to take on players, providing assists, scoring important goals, and has been delivering impressive performances for IF Elfsborg since last season.
His efforts helped IF Elfsborg secure a UEFA Europa League qualification playoff spot, and the team is on the verge of booking themselves a ticket to the league stage with their game against Molde BK on Thursday.
IF Elfsborg won 1-0 away to Molde last week, and an aggregate victory would send them into the League phase, which would involve them playing eight games from September through until January. They are also currently fourth in the Allsvenskan, the top division in Sweden.
Since his arrival at IF Elfsborg in 2022 from Norwegian side Sandnes Ulf, Baidoo has managed to notch up 24 goals and provide 16 assists in 83 game outings for the Yellow and Black lads.
English Championship side Plymouth Argyle and Austrian Bundesliga outfit LASK Linz have reportedly expressed keen interest in securing the signature of Michael Baidoo from Swedish Allsvenskan side IF Elfsborg this summer.
The former Ghana U20 star has been on the radar of several clubs, including Leicester City and Southampton, following his exploits in the Swedish Allsvenskan since last season.
