Kudus’ Ghana Loss Has Big Repercussions

With West Ham’s ‘Starboy’ Mohammed Kudus currently experiencing poor international form, widespread criticism and even the ‘cursed shirt’ challenge of the Ghanaian Number 10 weighing heavily on his shoulders, the last thing his Ghana national team needed was a loss in their return match in the AFCON qualifier. A 2-0 defeat on Tuesday afternoon has left them virtually unable to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations which will be held in Morocco in December 2025 and January 2026.

For the proud country of Ghana to fail to qualify will be an enormous blow to the football-loving nation, its coach and Kudus as captain too.

For his Premier League club – whoever that may be – it would be a distinct bonus: Of course, we all hope it will still be West Ham.

It would mean the Ghanaian will be available for his domestic club’s full Christmas and New Year programme next season. Something between seven and nine games, usually, which had Ghana qualified would have made him ‘absent’ for a huge chunk of the season: And whilst that would not have deterred any potential buyers it might have made one or two reflect before bidding up to battle it out for his signature.

This can only make Kudus more ‘valuable’ to any club considering bidding for him in next Summer’s transfer window when his £85 million release clause- kept under wraps pretty effectively last summer by West Ham – will become active again.