Schlupp to start against Uganda

Jeffrey Schlupp will make his first competitive Ghana start while Kwadwo Asamoah has been moved to be the player-maker as Black Stars coach Kwesi Appiah has named a strong starting line-up to play Uganda in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Kumasi.

The impressive speedy Leicester City defender will play at the left-back position which paves the way for talented Juventus midfielder to move into the midfield to provide the needed creativity upfront.

In what is virtually Ghana’s strongest line-up which held World Cup winners Germany to a 2-2 draw in July, coach Appiah named mostly the players who gallantly held the Europeans with only Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng absent in the team.

This means the Black Stars are basically presenting the team that played at the World Cup with Fatau Dauda starting in the post to be protected by the central defensive partnership between Jonathan Mensah and John Boye.

Highly-rated Harrison Afful will play at right-back while Schlupp will take the left-back position.

The midfielder will be held by Rabiu Mohammed and he will partner Kwadwo Asamoah with support from silky Christian Atsu on the right wing with the hard-working Andre Ayew playing on the left.

The attack will be led by Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan with support from Trabzonspor striker Abdul Majeed Waris as the Black Stars seek to hit the ground running in their qualifying campaign for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

With this starting line-up it shows, Ghana has a strong bench with Mubarak Wakaso, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, Jordan Ayew, Baba Abdul Rahman, Mohammed Awal, Edwin Gyimah and Afriyie Acquah who can be called upon later in the game.

Ghana will be kicking off a tough qualifying opener against Uganda at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi at 16:00GMT [4:00pm local time].

Kwesi Appiah’s side enter the Group E opener on the back of two defeats and one draw from their World Cup campaign.

Amid the expectancy amongst fans, Uganda come in with no pressure but with their own targets as they bid to return to the Cup of Nations final for the first time since 1978.

Ghana starting line-up against Uganda: Fatau Dauda, Harrison Afful, Jeffery Schlupp, John Boye, Jonathan Mensah, Rabiu Mohammed, Christian Atsu, Kwadwo Asamoah, Asamoah Gyan, Abdul Majeed Waris, Andre Ayew.