Satellites gear up for tourney

The national U-20 team, ahead of the next Africa Youth Championship, Monday resume camping at their Madina base to begin preparation for the tournament.

About 25 players, including 18 locals, have been invited by Coach Sellas Tetteh for the final screening towards the selection of the final list for the tournament.

Already, the Confederation of African Football has given a January 8 deadline for the submission of the final list for the tournament which starts on January 15 in Rwanda.

Mr Jordan Anagbla, Chairman of the Black Satellites Management Committee, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the list comprised all the players who took part in the qualifiers and those who participated in the last West Africa Football Union (WAFU) competition held in Abuja.

They are goalkeepers Daniel Adjei and Joseph Addo, Phillip Boampong, Godfred Rockson Asiamah, Gladson Awako, Latif Salifu, Dominic Adiya and Evans Quao. The rest are Isaac Donkor, Abdul Ganiyu, Daniel Addo, Kassenu Ghandi, Jafaru Abdul, Ekow Benson, Paul Addo and Agyemang Badu. The foreign-based players, according to him, are Saddick Adams (Spain), Abeiku Quansah, Adu Kofi and Andre Dede Ayew (all of France), Ismael Yartey (Portugal), David Arday (Denmark) and Ransford Osei (Israel).

He disclosed that Real Madrid youth player, Daniel Opare, would not be available, because he was nursing an injury, while another foreign-based player, Rabiu Mohammed, who was based in Spain, would join the team in Kenya, after having difficulty in securing a visa to Ghana. The team is expected to leave Ghana with the final 18 on January 7 for Kenya for a final preparation for the tournament.