Jones calls up five foreign-based players

Five foreign-based players would join the Olympic team, the Black Meteors, for the penultimate game of the African Men’s Olympic qualifying campaign against South Africa.

Olympic team coach, Cecil Jones Attuquayefio has called up Isaac Vorsah, Bernard Yao Kumordzi, Michael Helegbe, Nafiu Iddrissu (picture) and Prince Tagoe.

The Black Meteors stepped up preparations for the game coming up on Sunday against the Amaglug-glug at the El-Wak stadium in Accra with an impressive 2-1 win over premiership new boys, Kessben FC over the weekend in a test match.

With three slots available for Africa, Ghana appears closer to sealing one of the slots.

The Black Meteors are second on the table with just a point separating Ghana and table toppers, Nigeria, as the national Olympic team keeps hope alive of qualifying for next year’s Beijing Olympic Games from the three-team group dubbed at the “Group of Death”.

Though the group initially had four teams, Ethiopia pulled out citing their millennium celebrations thus leaving the three countries to slug it out for the sole price of qualifying for the 2008 games.

The Black Meteors, who lost their first game away to Nigeria, would now play their remaining two games at home as they welcome South Africa first and then the final match with Nigeria.

Though with two home ties, Black Meteors coach, Jones Attuquayefio remains calm as he tries to keep his teams focus on Sunday’s match against the Amaglug-glug.

“We have been doing well and I am happy with the level right now. We need to maintain our focus for the game and improve the psychology of the team.

"The opposition would be tough, make no mistake about their intent but I believe my boys would have to remain calm and play well,” he said.

A 3-1 away win by the Black Meteors over the Amaglug-glug in August kept Ghana in contention and upped their chances of picking the single ticket available in Group A of the men’s Olympic qualifying campaign.