Black Stars
The Black Stars opened their training camp in Kenya yesterday in preparation for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Uganda in Kampala.
Coach Kwesi Appiah has pruned down the Black Stars squad to 24 players ahead of the start of training to be held in Nairobi.
Coach Appiah named a provisional 26-man squad last week for the match against the Cranes of Uganda.
Captain Asamoah Gyan and midfielder Thomas Agyepong have now been left out of the final squad for the training camp in Kenya because of injury concerns.
Defenders Harrison Afful and Jonathan Mensah underwent further tests in the United States yesterday to determine the extent of injuries they suffered while playing for their club over the weekend.
Coach Appiah’s final 24-man squad includes debutants Kingsley Sarfo of Swedish side Malmo, USA-based Abass Mohammed, Kasim Nuhu of Swiss club Young Boys, Hearts of Oak defender Vincent Atinga and Inter Allies ace Isaac Twum.
Germany-based defender Daniel Opare returns to the side for the first time since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil following good showing for Augsburg.
Other top players like Thomas Partey, Daniel Amartey, Christian Atsu and Raphael Dwamena have all been named in the squad.
The three goalkeepers who were called for last month’s World Cup qualifier have all been retained.
The senior national team will travel to face the Cranes at the Mandela National Stadium on Saturday in the penultimate qualifier.
The team is expected to leave Nairobi on Thursday to continue preparations in Kampala.
GOALKEEPERS: Richard Ofori (Martizburg United, South Africa), Lawrence Ati (Sochaux, France), Joseph Addo (Aduana Stars)
DEFENDERS: Harrison Afful (Columbus, USA), Daniel Opare (Augsburg, Germany) Agbenyenu Lumor (Portimonese, Portugal), Abass Mohammed (Harrisburg City, USA), Kasim Nuhu (Young Boys, Switzerland), Daniel Amartey (Leicester,England), Jonathan Mensah (Columbus Crew,USA), Nicholas Opoku (Club Africain, Tunisia), Vincent Atinga (Hearts of Oak)
MIDFIELDERS: Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid, Spain), Joseph Attamah (Bakaksehir, Turkey), Christian Atsu (Newcastle United, England), Kingsley Sarfo (Malmo, Sweden), Alfred Duncan (Sassuolo FC, Italy), Ebenezer Ofori (Stuttgart, Germany), Frank Acheampong (Tianjin TEDA, China), Isaac Twum (Inter Allies), Patrick Twumasi (Astana FC, Kazakhtan)
FORWARDS: Raphael Dwamena (FC Zurich, Switzerland), John Antwi (Misr Lel-Makkasa, Egypt), Richmond Boakye Yiadom (Crvena Zvezda, Serbia)