Kingston To Skip CAN'08 Camp?

LARYEA KINGSTON on Thursday insisted he is willing to incur the wrath of Ghana to keep his club, Hearts, in the Scottish Premier League title race.

The Black Stars playmaker is set to miss seven weeks of the campaign when he jets out for the African Nations Cup finals in January.

Ghana are hosting the month-long event and coach Claude Le Roy wants players such as Kingston and Chelsea's Michael Essien back three weeks in advance for a training camp.

The tournament means everything to Ghana but the player says he is willing to disrupt Le Roy's preparations by staying at Tynecastle until the eve of the competition.

Kingston said: "That's the problem for me now because I want to play in every game between now and the end of the season for Hearts.

"The really unfortunate thing is that the African Cup of Nations is right in the middle of our campaign.

"I'm still talking to my national manager to see if he will let me stay here for longer and play more games for Hearts.

"The tournament starts on January 20 and I would hope to join the Ghana squad maybe just four days before. I promise him I would be fit and ready.

"I would think there are other players in the same position. Those who are not regulars for their clubs might be okay but me, Michael, John Mensah and Sulley Muntari are all in the same boat.

"If all of the manager's best players were away then he would find it difficult but I want to stay here for longer."
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