Indian Club signs three Ghana players

Indian club, Viva Kerala, which will be making its National Football League debut this September, has signed three players from Ghana, all newcomers to India.

The three recruits are strikers Alfred Nii Larbi Darku and Wisdom Abbey. The third, defender Yaw Amankwa Mireku(pictured), had played World Cup qualifying matches for Ghana. All three were members of champion league club 'Hearts of Oak'.

The Kochi-based professional team may have lost its biggest star, Nigerian Baba Tunde, but the team management appeared confident on Monday while unveiling its new line-up for the season.

"Baba Tunde's absence will not hurt us, we have signed three stars who have played for Ghana's champion club, Hearts of Oak. Two of them have played for the country," said the Viva secretary V.M. Liaquat Ali.

"We are confident of finishing among the top four in our first NFL year."

Of the three, midfielder Yaw Amankwa Mireku played for Ghana in the World Cup qualifiers while striker Wisdom Abbey played in the Under-17 and Under-19 World Cup.

Darku has been a member of the Ghana team for the Confederation Cup a couple of years ago.