Roma teenager Felix Afena-Gyan will not join Ghana for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament while no agreement has as yet been reached for his release for the 2022 World Cup qualifying play-offs as widely reported, GOAL can reveal.

It will be the second straight time the 18-year-old is having to turn down a Ghana call-up.

Afena-Gyan was a surprising presence in Milovan Rajevac’s 30-man provisional squad for the January 9 – February 6 Afcon in Cameroon.

The shock was underlined in his rejections of a first call-up in November for a World Cup qualifying double-header against Ethiopia and South Africa, shortly after making his professional debut for Roma.

“Afena will not be part of the team because it’s an affair between the [Ghana] FA, player and Roma, the agency will not want to speak on the issue,” a source exclusively told GOAL.

There has been media speculation the Ghana Football Association and Roma have reached a resolution for Afena-Gyan’s exclusion from the Black Stars final roster for the upcoming tournament on grounds that the player will make himself available for national duty in March when Ghana return to action after Afcon for the World Cup qualifying play-offs.

“That [potential Ghana involvement in March] has not been discussed. March is too far away. Anything can happen,” the source added on the subject.

Having signed for Roma in January this year after being scouted while playing school football in Ghana, Afena-Gyan spent his initial days with the club’s youth team until October when he made his senior debut as a second-half substitute in a Serie A encounter with Cagliari.

In November, he made headlines with a pair of fine goals to ensure a 2-0 victory over Genoa.

Ghana are in Group C for Afcon where they have been drawn against Morocco, Gabon and Comoros.

The Black Stars, four-time champions, are searching for their first title since winning the 1982 gathering in Libya, beating the hosts in the final.