Ghana will hold their pre-tournament camp in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ahead of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Black Stars will be based in Abu Dhabi to prepare for January's tournament in South Africa.

Ghana will hold the training camp from 7-16 January, 2013.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) was considering Kenya and Ethiopia as venues for the training camp but opted for Abu Dhabi.

"We settled on the UAE because of the excellent facilities comparable to what is in South Africa for the Cup of Nations," GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi said. "The camping in the UAE will give our players the necessary concentration to prepare for the tournament.

"The UAE camping venue is also a good place for us to host friendly matches before the competition which is also key for our preparation." Meanwhile, the Black Stars will start preparation with a non-residential camp in Accra before flying out to the UAE.

The team will hold training sessions in from 2-6 January. Ghana were drawn in Group B of the Africa Cup of Nations where they will face DR Congo, Mali and Niger.