Stars leave for London on Monday

Accra, Aug. 14, GNA - A contingent of nine players including seven locally-based and some officials of the senior national team, the Black Stars, leave on Monday evening for London to engage the Teranga Lions of Senegal in an international friendly match.

The match, fixed for Wednesday, August 17, at Brentford, Central London, is part of preparations by both countries for their respective impending World Cup qualifiers.

The local players making the trip are Sammy Adjei of Accra Hearts of Oak, Ashgold's George Owu, Yussif Chibsah, Issah Ahmed and Aziz Ansah from Kumasi Asante Kotoko.

The rest are Abubakari Yahuza and Hamza Mohamed of King Faisal and Real Tamale United (RTU) respectively.

The two foreign-based who are currently holidaying in the country are Russia-based Laryea Kingston and Godwin Attram of Saudi Arabia. The players would be joined at their Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel by skipper Steven Appiah, important goal-scorer Mathew Amoah, Emmanuel Addoquaye Pappoe, John Paintsil, Isaac Boakye, Daniel Edusei, Mark Edusei and Dan Coleman who is on trials in the United Arab Emirates as well as other foreign legions.

Though, "troubled" midfielder Michael Essien's name has been included in the squad, it is uncertain whether the player would be able to make the trip following his protracted transfer from Lyon to Chelsea. Deputy Skipper Samuel Osei Kuffour remains absent from the team, despite recently stage-managed public apology to head coach Ratomir Dujkovic.

However, the departure of the team is contingent on the granting of visas by the British High Commission in Accra.

According information pieced together from the camp of the team by the GNA Sports, the GFA might be compelled to cancel the match if they fail to secure visas for the locally based players to enable them travel to the England for the friendly match.

The Stars are scheduled to meet Uganda on September 4, at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi in a must-win penultimate game of the 2006 World Cup qualifiers.