Black Stars get preparations underway

The build up to upcoming double-header in June that would see Ghana take on Mali and Sudan in the World Cup qualification would be tested on Sunday when the Black Stars play Uganda in an international friendly.

Milovan Rajevac last week named his 32-man list to the Ghana squad for the double-header as the team started preparations in Accra on Monday.

Players who had arrived in the country underwent a light jogging session with the team swinging in full scale training beginning Tuesday.

According to FA Vice President Fred Pappoe, the Black Stars would remain in Accra throughout the week before departing to Tamale, the match venue for the international friendly against Uganda’s Cranes on Saturday.

The friendly against Uganda on May 31st 2009 would prepare the Black Stars for the two away World Cup qualifying games against Mali and Sudan.

The match against the Malians would be the second on the fixture calendar for Ghana and it would come up in Bamako on June 7 before the Black Stars fly out for the third qualifying match with Sudan on June 20 in Omdurman.

Ghana top the Group D standings in the 2010 World Cup qualification with 3 points after securing an opening day win at home over Benin.

Ghana's squad called up:

Goalkeepers: Richard Kingston (Wigan Athletic, England), William Amamoo (Vaasaland, Sweden) and George Owu (Al Masry, Egypt)

Defenders : John Paintsil (Fulham, England), Samuel Inkoom (Asante Kotoko, Ghana), Harrison Afful (Asante Kotoko, Ghana), John Mensah (Lyon, France) Jonathan Mensah (Free State Stars, South Africa), Jonathan Quartey (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa), Eric Addo (Roda JC, Holland)

Midfielders : Daniel Yeboah (Heart of Lions, Ghana), Rahim Ayew (Eleven Wise, Ghana), Isaac Vorsah (Hoffeinham, Germany),Moussa Narry (Auxerre, France), Stephen Appiah (Unattached), Michael Essien (Chelsea, England), Anthony Annan (Rosenborg, Norway), Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan, Italy) Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy), Bernard Kumordzi (Panionios FC, Greece) Samuel Kyere (Ittihad Alexandria, Egypt) Prince Buabeng (Dundee United, Scotland) Yusif Chibsah (Gefle, Sweden) Dereck Boateng (FC Koln, Germany) Opoku Agyemang (Al Sadd, Qatar) Haminu Draman (FC Locomotiv Moskva, Russia)

Strikers: Asamoah Gyan (Rennes, France), Matthew Amoah (NAC Breda, Holland), Samuel Yeboah (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel), Prince Tagoe (Al-Ittifaq, Saudi Arabia) Joe Tex Frimpong (BSC Young Boys, Switzerland) Papa Arko (El Geish, Egypt)