Black stars are NOT ready!

COACH Millan Zivadinovic is walking a difficult tightrope in his quest to parade a formidable Black Stars squad for next weekend's African Nations Cup qualifier against the Cranes of Uganda in Kampala.

Barely a week to this crucial away assignment fixed for Saturday September 7, the Yugoslav is in a dilemma as he still has no idea about his first team against the Ugandans; neither is he too certain about the team's preparations. The frustrations of Coach Zivadinovic began last week when a supposed convocation camp for the Stars in Turkey fell through at the last minute due to visa problems.

That programme designed by the Stars coach to ostensibly provide him with a fair assessment of some selected local and Europe-based players would have seen the Ghanaian side testing their strength against Turkish division one sides, Kocaelispor and Besiktas.

In his desperation the Stars helmsman, who cannot but impress in this his maiden assignment, succeeded in arranging another international friendly in his native Yugoslavia against division one side Obilic, but that also appears to be a cliff-hanger now.

Originally, six local players were scheduled to fly to Belgrade on Sunday to join their 14 foreign-based colleagues for the trial match slated for next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Coach Zivadinovic who returned from Turkey last Tuesday after that abortive trip was expected to use this final exercise to test the readiness of the players before the Stars’ expected arrival in Kampala next Friday.

However, there seemed to be some friction between the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Stars coach as at the time of going to press yesterday as they struggled to reach a firm conclusion.

While the GFA insisted that the coach brought down with him the 14 Europe-based players to Accra so that they arrange a local friendly for them on Wednesday and depart for Uganda later in the evening, Zivadinovic preferred the match against Obilic in Belgrade.The basis of the FA's stance is as a result of the tight nature of the foreign programme vis-a-vis the match date.

But from the foregoing, it looks likely that the FA programme would prevail. The home-based stars to enjoy their inaugural cap for the Stars under the Yugoslav trainer are goalkeeper Sammy Adjei (Hearts) and George Owu (Kotoko), Joe Hendricks (Kotoko), Charles Taylor, Edmund Copson (Hearts) and Daniel Yeboah (Liberty Professionals).

Among the Europe-based players expected to feature include Otto Addo, Stephen Appiah, Derrick Boateng, Michael Essien, Baffour Gyan, Abdul Razak, John Mensah, Kofi Amponsah, George Blay, Emmanuel Duah, Christian Gyan, Sulley Muntari and Eben Hagan.