5 Professionals invited to join Satellites in Camp

Credit Joyonline

Mr E K Afranie, Head coach of the National Under 20 team, Black Satellite, has invited five foreign based players for the first leg Africa under 20 cup qualifier against Algeria at the Accra Sport Stadium on October 21.

The four, Razak Pimpong (Denmark), Ibrahim Razak (Italy), Frank Weitner (Germany), Adu Gyamfi (Spain) and Michael Essien (France), are expected to join their 24 other colleagues in camp by Tuesday October 17.

Coach Afriane said, Ibrahim Rasak arrived last Friday and been training with the team at Winneba while the only problem is with Germany based Weitner who the Germans do not want to release since they have once fielded him in a friendly match and would like him to play for Germany. He said with the invited players from Accra Hearts of Oak joining them after their CAF cup match he is sure the full strength of the team can beat any opposition in a march. " I do not know much of the Algerians and I am yet to see them in action, but I have been fortunate to receive some vital information on them from Ghanaians living in Algeria which I think would be beneficial to the team".

Coach Afaine said even though they would be a good side, " my team has a national character, because it comprises the best under-20 players from the seven regions that we toured. It also has some players of the 1999 World under 17 bronze medal winning team. He said his only problem is the away encounter, where the Algerians are likely to pull all strings to ensure that they carry the day. " We would make sure that we know the venue and all other necessary things we have to know before leaving for the second leg," he added.

Meanwhile, the team has moved camp from their base at Winneba to Accra, in the final phase of preparation for their qualifying match against Algeria in Accra on the 22nd october. Coach Afranie also said that his team will be playing their last trial match on Thursday at the Accra sports stadium against any of the two newly promoted teams from division one, Maxbees or Berekum Arsenals. The team’s last trial match was a 3-1 victory over Division Two club, F.C. Nania, which is owned by former Ghanaian International Abedi Pele.