Ghanaian club Asante Kotoko SC has announced that two Sudanese players, Esmat AbdalHamid Mohamed and Obdoelkarem Yoouef Yagoub, have gone missing from the team’s camp in the United States. According to an official statement, the players, who joined the team in July, left their hotel without permission on Friday, October 11, 2024, and have not been heard from since.
The club has reported the situation to U.S. law enforcement and is cooperating with authorities to ensure the players’ safe return. The statement reads, “Asante Kotoko SC regrets to inform our supporters and the public that two players, Esmat AbdalHamid Mohamed and Obdoelkarem Yoouef Yagoub, are currently missing from the camp. All efforts to contact or locate them have been unsuccessful. We are working closely with U.S. authorities and urge our supporters to remain calm.”
The players were part of Asante Kotoko’s squad visiting the U.S. to play Major League Soccer team D.C. United on October 12, 2024, during the Ghana Week DC 2024 event, which aims to promote Ghanaian culture, tourism, and sports.
However, due to visa complications, only seven Kotoko players, including the missing ones, were able to travel, resulting in the club’s withdrawal from the match. The remaining players are expected to return to Ghana on October 13. Despite Kotoko’s withdrawal, the match will proceed with a “Ghana Week DC Select Side,” featuring the remaining Kotoko players, two from Attram De Visser FC, and other Ghanaian players based in the U.S.