Satellites For Bulgaria Tomorrow

From Switzerland to Bulgaria, the African youth champions, Black Satellites, still have a training stint in Europe next week to sharpen up for the FIFA U-20 World Cup slated for Egypt from September 24 to October 16.

With a proposed two-match date with the United Arab Emirates in Switzerland on August 9 and 12 off due to visa refusal on account of late application, the Ghanaians are now seeking solace in another invitation from Bulgaria which was initially pushed to the Tema ‘B’.

According to the new arrangement, a contingent of eight local players and some officials of the team are sheduled to travel to Bulgaria tomorrow to engage their European counterparts in a much-needed international friendly in the capital Sofia on Wednesday, August 12.

The home-based squad, depleted by the withdrawal of two Liberty Professionals players, goalkeeper Daniel Adjei and striker Latif Salif, includes goalkeepers Joseph Addo and Robert Dabuo of Heart of Lions and Wa All Stars respectively.

The Chairman of the Satellites Management Committee, Mr Jordan Anagbla, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that Liberty Professionals wrote to request for the services of their duo in Sunday’s WAFU Cup return leg against Nigeria’s Sunshine Stars at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra.

Other local players still in the Satellites’ Adenta camp are Daniel Addo, Bright Addei, Philip Boampong, Kassenu Ghandi, James Bissue, Gafaru Nasiru, Tawrick Jibril and Ebo Andoh.

Mr Anagbla revealed that the team would be led by the out-of-favour Marseille midfielder, Andre Dede Ayew, while his deputy, Ransford Osei, has been given permission to concentrate on his transfer from Maccabi Haifa to Dutch side, FC Twente.

He, however, noted that Udinese’s influential midfielder, Rabiu Mohammed, would miss the Bulgaria game due to injury.

The team is expected to be joined in Bulgaria by 10 foreign-based players invited by Coach Sellas Tetteh for a thorough assessment ahead of the World Cup.

The players include Daniel Opare (Real Madrid), Samuel Inkoom (FC Basel), David Addy (Randers FC), Jonathan Mensah (Free State Stars), Ishmael Yartey (SC Beira-Mar), Abeiku Quansah (Nice), Dominic Adiyah (Fredrikstad) and Sadick Adams (Atletico Madrid).

Qatar-based striker, Opoku Agyemang, who was handed a call-up by Sellas Tetteh, has also been included in Milovan Rajevac’s squad for an international friendly against Zambia, also on August 12.

The Bulgaria outing will precede a two-week training tour of Qatar from September 1 to 15 before the Satellites take on Uzbekistan in the opening U-20 World Cup match on September 26.

Ghana is paired in Group D of ‘Egypt 2009’ alongside Uzbekistan, England and Uruguay.

Story : Samuel Ebo Kwaitoo