Soccer News of Monday, 24 August 2015

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

2017 AFCON: Ghana Coach Avram Grant to name squad

Ghana coach Avram Grant Ghana coach Avram Grant

Ghana national football team head coach Avram Grant is expected to announce the Black Stars squad by Wednesday for the AFCON 2017 Group H qualifier against Rwanda slated for September 5 in Kigali.

Grant’s team will play an international friendly match against Congo in Brazzaville days before the Rwanda game.

The squad, which is expected to be dominated by foreign-based players, will also include home-based professionals such as goalkeeper Fatau Dauda.

The other key players in the team Asamoah Gyan and his deputy Andre Ayew as well as Baba Rahman, Jeff Schlupp, Harrison Afful and the reliable centre-back pair of John Boye and Jonathan Mensah are some of the key players expected to be called.

Coach Avram Grant arrived in the country on Sunday night and he is expected to to complete his squad before naming it by Wednesday.

The September 5 clash will be the first between Rwanda and Ghana since 2003 when both teams were in the same group for the AFCON 2004 qualifiers.

At the time, the Black Stars won the first leg in Accra 4-1 but Amavubi, under Serbian coach Ratomir Dujkovic, stunned their more illustrious opponents 1-0, earning a historic berth at the AFCON finals in Tunisia.

After the first round of qualifiers for AFCON 2017, Ghana lead Group H with three points, level with Rwanda but the former have a better goal difference.

The Black Stars walloped Mauritius 7-1 in Accra while Amavubi defeated Mozambique 1-0 in Maputo.