Freiburg midfielder Daniel Kofi Kyere is facing a race against time to be fully fit for Ghana at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, GHANAsoccernet.com Headquarters can report.
Kyere, 26, missed his side’s Bundesliga win over Cologne at the weekend to heighten fears about his potential unavailability.
The Ghanaian superstar appears unfit and widespread rumuors claim he may as well be playing on medication just in time to make the final 26-man squad expected to be announced by the Ghana FA on Monday November 14.
This is a crucial week for Ghana coach Otto Addo as he prepares to name his final squad for the global showpiece.
But the squad could be threatened or derailed by their “big difficulty” with injuries ahead of the World Cup.
Doubts surround Brighton wingback Tariq Lamptey, Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana and Bristol City striker Antoine Semenyo.
Daniel Kofi Kyere – who has been a mainstay of this current Black Stars squad must pass a late fitness test to be considered for the tournament.
The Ghana FA is under immense pressure to ensure only fit players are named in the finals squad to represent the over 30 million population in Qatar.
The unfit players are believed to be concealing injuries rather than pull themselves out of the World Cup due to the setback.
With just 13 days left for the start of the World Cup, players are determined to make the cut for the mundial in a bid to increase their market value and for financial gains both to the players and their respective clubs.
With huge financial windfall for players and clubs, it stand to reason why both parties will be ‘hiding’ injuries ahead of the global tournament.
The world governing body will distribute more than $200million to clubs whose players participate in the World Cup in Qatar this winter.
The game’s global governing body confirmed details of its club benefits programme, announcing $209million had been set aside.
Fifa anticipates that the scheme will mean a payment of $10,000 per player for each day he remains with his national team at the World Cup.
The four-time African champions will battle old foes Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea in Group H.
Ghana head to Qatar for the World Cup desperately hoping to avoid a repeat of their last major tournament.
At the Africa Cup of Nations in January, Ghana, four-time winners of the continental competition, failed to make the knockout round for the first time in 2006 following a shock defeat to minnows and debutants Comoros.
Their humiliating exit saw them fail to win a match in 22 appearances at the finals and finish bottom of their group.
But Ghana have struggled for form since edging out Nigeria for a place in Qatar in a tie marred by crowd violence in the second leg.
Such is the level of concern over their recent travails that some are even calling for Addo to be replaced before the World Cup, while the country itself has sought divine intervention by having two national days of prayer and fasting in a bid to reverse their fortunes ahead of the tournament.
Ghana have won just two of their 12 matches this year. They were held to a 1-1 draw by the Central African Republic, ranked 132 in the world by FIFA, in their first AFCON qualifier in June, before being thrashed 4-1 by Japan and drawing 0-0 with Chile.
source: Ghana Soccernet
