Ghana’s squad for the 2022 World Cup promises to be exciting with new faces set to arrive for the tournament which is scheduled for November this year.
As much as the arrival of these players is good news for the country, coach Otto Addo will have the headache of selecting and dropping players for the World Cup.
As part of GhanaWeb’s preview of the 26-man squad, we zoom our lenses on the goalkeeping options available to coach Otto Addo.
Jojo Wolacott
Since making his debut in 2021, Wollacott has cemented his place as the first-choice goalie for the Black Stars and is set to continue in that role.
His performance in the games against Nigeria cemented his place in the team and a move to Charlton Athletic in the third tier of English football is expected to bolster his chances.
He ended the season as the best goalkeeper in the fourth tier of English football.
Richard Ofori
The Orlando Pirates goalkeeper lost his position to Jojo Wollacott after he sustained an injury in Ghana’s game against South Africa.
After a long lay-off, Ofori has returned to the team and gunning for the first-choice goalie role.
He was excellent for Orlando Pirates and was instrumental in their second-place finish in the CAF Confederations Cup.
Manaf Nurudeen
Nurudeen Manaf worked his way into the discussions with his incredible performance in the four-nation tournament played in May.
The young goalie performed magic in the third place play-off against Chile, saving two penalties to help Ghana finish third.
His ball distribution skills have also placed him in good contention with the FC Eupen goalie being touted as one Ghana could rely on in penalty situations.
Lawrence Ati-Zigi
Ati-Zigi made his Ghana debut in 2018 against Iceland and has been part of the Black Stars since.
His performance in the national team has not been encouraging but for some reason, he has kept his role as a third-choice goalie.
Razak Abalora
The former Kotoko goalie was at some point a starter in the Black Stars. Under coach CK Akonnor, Abalora enjoyed some games but was dropped after a series of errors.
Since his move to FC Sherrif Tiraspol, Abalora has cemented a place and won two trophies with the club.
Abalora’s form will surely catch the interest of coach Otto Addo.
Abdulai Iddrisu
The Bechem United goalie ended the Ghana Premier League as one of the best if not the best goalie in the competition.
In the recently-held Ghana Football Awards, Iddrisu was adjudged the best goalie in the league.
His performance helped his side finish second in both the Premier League and MTN FA Cup.
Danlad Ibrahim
The former Under-20 goalie was handed a late call-up for the four-nation tournament but was not allowed to honor the invite.
Since taking over from Abalora, Ibrahim Danlad has exceeded expectations and done well for Kotoko.
He is currently in camp with the Black Galaxies.
Richard Attah
The Hearts of Oak goalie was one of the three goalies Ghana sent to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Attah’s reflexes and distribution are admired at the Black Stars but he has fallen down the pecking order at Hearts.
If he recovers his form and starting spot, he could be in contention for the World Cup.