2023 AFCON: Black Stars open camp today in Kumasi ahead of tournament

The senior national team, the Black Stars of Ghana have officially opened camping in Kumasi ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast later this month.

Having initially announced a 55-man provisional squad, Chris Hughton, who is the head coach of the team on Monday, January 1 announced his final 27-man squad for the tournament.

The invited are expected to fly to Kumasi to prepare for the tournament which gets underway from January 13 to February 11.

The team will hold their training sessions at the Baba Yara Stadium behind closed doors.

However, Thomas Partey, who is the deputy captain of the team together with Tariq Lamptey and Kamaldeen Sulemana of Brighton and Southampton have been left out of the squad due to various degrees of injuries.

As part of the team's preparations, the Black Stars will take on Namibia who are in Ghana for pre-AFCON camping on January 8 at the Baba Yara Stadium in a friendly game.

After the game, the Black Stars will hold their final training session the following before leaving the shores of the country on January 10 for Ivory Coast.

Ghana, who are four-time African champions are aiming to win the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations to end their 41-year trophy drought.

Ghana is in Group B for the tournament and will face Cape Verde, Egypt and Mozambique in the tournament which will be hosted in Ivory Coast next year.

The Black Stars of Ghana will first come up against Cape Verde at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on January 14, 2024, then face Egypt at the same venue four days later and then Mozambique at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium on January 22, 2024.