The Ghana Football Association has announced a comprehensive training programme to adequately prepare the senior national soccer team, the Black Star for the rest of their World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifying matches.
The programme announced by the GFA chairman, Nana Sam Brew- Butler at a press conference yesterday , begins today with some selected local players being invited to begin camping at the liberty Court Hotel and includes a four- nation tournament in South Korea from June 10.
The team will then move to Germany where they will then move to Germany where they will be joined by 17 foreign – based players to begin a two week intensive programme, being sponsored by Bilfinger and Berger , a construction firm. From Germany, the team will move to Morocco on June 5, to play the second leg World Cup qualifier against the Desert Warriors in Casablanca on June 7.
The list of invited players to report to camp today are goalkeepers Simon Addo, Adubakar Tanko and Constant Mantey. The others are Jacob Nettey , Emanuel Kuffour, Sammy Adjei , Eben Dadzie , Robert Boateng , Kwabena Boateng and Princeton Owusu- Ansah.
The foreign players , who will join the team after their respective leagues have ended between May 25 and June 1 are skipper Abedi Pele , C.K. Akunnor, Osei Kuffour, Mohammed Gargo, Frank Amankwaa, Patrick Allotey , Christian Saba and Kwame Ayew.
Others called to the team are Sam Johnson, Felix Aboagye , Foster Bastios , Arthur Moses, Ibrahim Tanko, and Richard Kingston.
Three players have also been recalled to join the team. Tere are Charles Whittle, Alex Nyarko and Augustine Arhinful, all based in Switzerland.
Coach Sam Arday , who realeased the list, explained that winger Yaw Preko has been dropped due to his injury while he declined to say whether striker Tony Yeboah’s absence was due to his suspension or his form.
According to the programme , the Black Star’s will leave for South Korea after the Morocco match, to take part in a four nation tournament, being organised by the Korean Football Association. Nana Butler said , the Stars participation in the Korean tournament, which will also feature the hosts , Egypt and Yuglosavia , is at the invitation of the hosts who are bearing the cost of flight, accomodation and feeding.
The winners of the four nation tournament will take $100,000 while the runners- up will receive $50,000 with the third placed team’s prize $30,000.
After the South Korean trip, the team will then take day’s rest on their return to Ghana on June 18, before moving to Angolans in the second leg of the African Cup of Nations qualifying match against Zimbabwe in Ghana will be played without most of the foreign – based players who, according to Nana Butler, will be rested after the hectic three-week programme.
