.... Most Foreign Based Players Absent
.... Ghana To Play Kenya on Friday
The senior national team, Black Stars and the Under-23 team, Black Meteors started preparations towards their impending international assignments at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday but with most of the invited foreign based players absent.
The training started with 23 of the 44 players invited present. Ishmael Addo who plays his football in Israeli for Meccabi Netenya could not train with his colleagues due to injury.
Notable absentees among the local contingent are Kumasi Asanti Kotoko's quartet of Joseph Hendricks, Michael Asante, Michael Osei and Isaac Boakye
Those on parade made up of eight foreign-based players and 16 locals went through drills for about two hours under the direction of Coach Burkard Ziese and his assistant Isaac Paha whiles veteran goalkeeper Edward Ansah took charge of the goalkeepers.
Some of the foreign-based players present were, skipper Stephen Appiah (Brescia, Italy), John Painstil, Lukeman Imoro (Meccabi Tel Aviv, Israel) Derek Boateng (OFI Crete Greece), Baffour Gyan (Sloban Liberec, Czech) Godfred Aduobe (Hansa Rostock, Germany) and Samuel Johnson (Fenerbache, Turkey).
Among the local contingent present were Emmanuel Frimpong, Addoquaye Pappoe and Asamoah Gyan - Liberty; Bernard Don Bortey and Daniel Coleman - Hearts, Patrick Antwi - Mine Stars, Patrick Antwi - Stay Cool and Abukari Kenkeni among others.
The Stars who are in third in Group One and a point behind Rwanda and Uganda who have both bagged four points would on Sunday June 22 play the Cranes of Uganda at the Kumasi Sports Stadium in a crucial match that the Ghanaians need to win at all cost to brighten their chances of qualifications to the next African Cup of Nations scheduled for Tunisia.
The Stars would have to win against Uganda and at least force a draw in Kigali to ensure qualification.
The Black Meteors who are also scheduled to play their Liberian counterparts in Monrovia not sure of their fate as the Ghana Football Association has written to World governing body FIFA for a change of venue in view of the civil war going on in Liberia.
As part of their preparation against the Ugandans, the Stars would play three friendly matches - - two against their Kenyan counterparts in Accra and Kumasi and against Kotoko.