Stars To Play Lions in Reading

Ghana has opted to play Senegal?s Teranga Lions in the English town of Reading on August 16 in an international friendly.

The Black Stars initially were considering three match venues for the game with Fulham's Craven Cottage the most likely venue but have now confirmed Reading FC?s Madejski Stadium as the match venue.

The Teranga Lions are choice replacement for the Ivory Coast who pulled out of the planned game a few weeks ago.

The match will serve as a good preparatory exercise for the Black Stars ahead of September?s world cup qualifier with Uganda.

Ghana?s prearranged international friendly against the Elephants of Ivory Coast hit a snag after the host nation - France confirmed that they would be playing the Ivory Coast on August 17 instead of Senegal.

The French Football Federation had agreed that the Black Stars could play the Elephants in France on the same day.

Ghana-Senegal Match Confirmed

Graphic -- Black Stars Coach,Ratomir Dujkovic,will feature Sampodoria midfielder,Mark Edusei,and Armenia Bielefeld striker, Isaac Boakye,in next Wednesday?s international friendly against the Teranga Lions of Senegal in London.

The match was finally confirmed by the organisers yesterday,but will be honoured by the Black Stars on condition that the agents are able to acquire British visas for the foreign-based players invited for the match.

In an interview with the Graphic yesterday,Coach Dujkovic stated categorically that the match will not be honoured if he does not get the full compliment of his team.

?The match is a trial for the Uganda match,therefore we will not honour it when the organisers fail to secure British visas for the players,? he explained.

According to him, using a side which is different from his regular team against Senegal will not serve the purpose for which the match is being played.

In his proactivity,Dujkovic hinted that he was already engaged in talks with Togo who would be a possible replacement for Senegal on the same FIFA match day in Accra.

He said it was in view of preparation for the crucial September 4 World Cup qualifier against Uganda that he had invited Edusei and Boakye,who had been out of action for the Stars for sometime now,for assessment.

With the exception of Sule Muntari who is ruled of the Uganda game due to two cautions,Dujkovic plans to use the same foreign-based squad he assembled for the last match against South Africa,except Edusei Boakye and Emmanuel Pappoe who missed the last game through suspension.

He said all the foreign-based players have responded to his invitation except Michael Essien who cannot be reached obviously due to his transfer row with his French Club Lyon.

The local players he had earmarked for the team are George Owu,Sannie Mohammed,Issah Ahmed,Aminu Dramani,Hamza Mohammed,Daniel Coleman and possibly Aziz Ansah.

Another foreign-based player likely to feature for the Stars in case the Senegal match materialises, is England-based Patrick Agyemang.