Inaki Williams, a striker for Athletic Bilbao, won’t be able to play for Ghana against Madagascar in the upcoming 2023 AFCON qualifier.
On June 18, the Black Stars will depart for Madagascar in an effort to maintain their lead in Group E of the qualifying competition.
Inaki Williams, who was originally scheduled to play but has since withdrawn, was a member of the Ghana coach Chris Hughton‘s squad that was revealed last week.
The 28-year-old said he had to withdraw due to a knee injury in a statement posted on his Twitter page.
— IÑAKI WILLIAMS (@Williaaams45) June 5, 2023
He claims that despite playing through the pain for Athletic Bilbao, his medical staff has now advised him to “solve the problem to be 100% for the preseason.”
“Since a few weeks I’ve been playing with pain in my right knee. I decided to play until the end of the season, but after having spoken to the medical services, we’ve decided to stop and solve the problem to be 100% for the preseason,” the forward wrote.
“This wasn’t an easy decision to make because I won’t be able to be with my national team, Ghana the next meeting. Want to say that I am fully committed and I will come back with the Blackstars if the coach deems it appropriate next calls. Thank you for your support.”
🚨 @Williaaams45 withdraws from #BlackStars squad due to injury#PulseSports pic.twitter.com/EaZzRvHc1R
— Pulse Ghana (@PulseGhana) June 5, 2023
Inaki Williams experienced some difficulty after the Qatar 2022 World Cup, but he helped the team finish the season strongly by scoring some crucial goals.
The Ghanaian striker finished the 2022–23 season for his club with 11 goals and five assists across all competitions.
With 8 points, the Black Stars lead Group E in the AFCON qualifying matches.
In the first four qualifier games, the team drew with Central African Republic and Angola while defeating Madagascar and Angola twice each.
