Stars-Cranes: 19 locals to begin camping

Accra, Aug 22, GNA - Ghana's senior national team, the Black Stars will on Thursday begin camping at Obuasi with 19 locally based players in preparations towards their crucial World Cup qualifier against Uganda on September 4. Coach Ratomir Dujkovic who revealed this to the GNA Sports on Monday, said the 19 players will be invited to camp for assessment after which some will be selected to form the final squad for the game against Uganda. Though the coach was not specific on the total list of players for camping, he mentioned the likes of Aziz Ansah, Sammy Adjei, Dan Quaye Issa Ahmed, Yusif Chibsah(picture), George Owu, Eric Gawu and Abubakari Yahuza as the possible players to be included in the squad. He said a final decision would be taken on the rest of the players after the Premier League matches on Wednesday, August 24. On the foreign-based players, coach Dujkovic said he would extend invitation to 13 players but again refused to name the players who will be making it into the squad. He however indicated that RTU's Hamza Mohammed who had just signed a contract with a Polish side as well as Hearts of Oak's Dan Coleman who is reported to have secured a deal with a team in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would be part of the 13 foreign-based players to be invited. Coach Dujkovic however said most of the regular players like Steven Appiah, Micheal Essien, Dan Edusei, Laryea Kingston, Addoquaye Pappoe, John Painstil, John Mensah and Mathew Amoah among others will be part of the legion of foreign-based stars to be among the lucky 13. As to the return of Asamoah and Baffour Gyan to the team, the coach indicated that he would soon hold discussions with the technical team and if they agree to their invitation, the duo would be given an invitation for the match. He said both players refused to honour the invitation for the match against South Africa with the excuse that they were injured but failed to support their claims with medical reports from their respective clubs. Coach Dujkovic reiterated his intention to take action against Michael Essien and his new-found club, Chelsea, if the player refuses to honour invitation for the game against the Ugandans. "If it is his personal decision not to honour the match, we would write to FIFA and suspend him and the same action will be taken against his club", he added. The coach lamented on the absence of Sulley Muntari for the Ugandan game, saying the player would have played a key role in his plans for the match on September 4, but added that there would be equally good replacements for him.