Veteran coach J.E.A Sarpong insists 80 percent of the players invited for the AFCON 2019 qualifier against Kenya next week won't make the squad for the Cup of Nations in Egypt in June.

Coach Kwesi Appiah named a 24-man squad for the game on March 23rd with many new faces in the team.

Caleb Ekuban, Ernest Asante and Kwame Bonsu are all earning debut call ups at the senior national team with the likes of Kwesi Appiah and Jeffrey Schlupp returning after long term absence.

Captain Asamoah Gyan was not included in the list for the game. However, coach Sarpong is not carried away by the newest inclusions in the team and believes most of them will not make the cut for AFCON 2019 in Egypt.

"This Black Stars squad is just a dress rehearsal for the AFCON. I believe 80% of the team will be going to AFCON so let’s just support him," coach Sarpong told Happy FM.

Ghana has not won the continent's most prestigious competition in over three decades with the last of their four titles coming in 1982.