Sports News of Monday, 5 June 2017

Source: herosportsgh.com

Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah prunes squad ahead of Kumasi trip

3 players dropped from Stars squad 3 players dropped from Stars squad

Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah has excluded three players from his squad ahead of the trip to Kumasi for Sunday’s 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia.

The Black Stars have spent the past four days in non-residential training in Accra and will travel to Kumasi on Monday to continue with preparations for the game.

Coach Appiah named a 30-man squad for the qualifier against Ethiopia and the friendlies with Mexico and the United States.

With the match against the Ethiopians looming, Appiah must prune his squad ahead of Sunday’s match which kicks off at 3:30pm.

Denmark-based goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey has been granted the permission to stay because of a family emergency in Norway.

Another Denmark-based player Godsway Donyoh has also been left out as he has not recovered from a recent injury he sustained.

Columbus Crew midfielder Mohammed Abu will join the team for the friendlies in the United States.

David Accam – who was not part of the original squad – has been handed a lae call-up to join the team for the friendlies in the United States.

Seven foreign-based players who could not join the Black Stars non-residential training in Accra because of club commitments are expected in the country from Monday night.

The home-based players who were released to join their various club for the weekend’s league matches will return to the team on Monday.

The AFCON qualifier against Ethiopia has been scheduled for Sunday June 11 at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

The team will travel to the United States two weeks later as the Black Stars will face Mexico in Houston, Texas on June 28 and the USA in Connecticut on July 1.

Below is the squad Kumasi trip:

Goalkeepers: Richard Ofori (Wa Allstars), Felix Annan (Kotoko), Joseph Addo (Aduana Stars)

Defenders: Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew, USA), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City, England), Lumor Agbenyenu (Munich 1860, Germany), Daniel Darkwah (Aduana Stars, Ghana), John Boye (Sivasspor, Turkey), Rashid Sumalia (Al Gharafa, Qatar), Nicholas Opoku (B.Chelsea, Ghana), Jonathan Mensah (Columbus Crew, USA), Jerry Akaminko ( Eskiserhispor, Turkey), Samuel Sarfo (Liberty, Ghana)

Midfielders: Afriyie Acquah (Torino, Italy), Isaac Sackey (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid, Spain), Ebenezer Ofori (Stuttgart, Germany), Winful Cobbinah (Hearts of Oak), Yaw Yeboah (FC Twente, Holland), Andre Ayew (West Ham, England), Frank Acheampong (Anderlecht, Belgium), Thomas Agyepong (NAC Breda, Holland), Kingsley Sarfo, (Sirius, Sweden)

Attackers: Asamoah Gyan (Al Alhi, UAE), Jordan Ayew (Swansea City, England), Majeed Waris (Lorient FC, France), Raphael Dwamena (FC Zurich, Switzerland)