Black Stars coach Mariano Barreto has left out Sule Muntari from the squad that will face Cape Verde in a 2006 world cup qualifier on September 5.

The Udinese of Italy midfielder who featured in earlier qualifiers against Burkina Faso and South Africa was the main absentee from a list of thirteen foreign-based players and nine home based players released by Barreto for the match in Kumasi.

The local squad is dominated by players from Kumasi Asante Kotoko have five men in the squad.

Muntari was left out of Ghana?s squad for the Olympic games at the last minute in mysterious circumstances.

While a GFA statement said he had been dropped for indiscipline and subsequently resigned from all national team assignments, Barreto insisted he had only dropped the player on fitness grounds. As Muntari misses out on a call up, another midfielder Mark Edusei returns to the Stars after almost two years out.

The Genoa player who was a regular feature under Guissepe Dossena is one of four Italy based players in the thirteen-man squad. The others are captain Stephen Appiah, striker Asamoah Gyan who plays for Udinese and defender John Mensah.

Other notable names in the squad are Bayern Munich defender Samuel Osei Kufuor, Olympique Lyon midfielder Michael Essien and Sammy Adjei who will represent Ghana for the first time as a foreign based player after his transfer from Hearts of Oak to Tunisia.

The rest of the squad includes Bulgaria based Moses Sakyi, Baffour Gyan, Emmanuel Pappoe, Kofi Amponsah, Ibrahim Tanko and striker Kojo Poku.

The local component of the team is dominated by players of Kumasi Asante Kotoko are contributing five men to the squad. They are goalkeepers George Owu, Mohammed Alhassan, Charles Taylor, Yussif Chibsah, William Tiero. Hearts of Oak have contributed Dan Quaye, Dan Coleman and Amankwah Mireku while Hamza Mohammed is the only player called up from King Faisal.

The Stars will begin camping in Kumasi on Monday August 28 2004.

13 foreign-based players for camping

The head Coach of the Black Stars, Mariano Barreto has invited 13 foreign based players to begin camping in Kumasi on 30th August, 2004 towards the qualifying duel match between Ghana and their Cape Verde counterparts scheduled for the Kumasi Sports stadium.

A release issued by Kofi Nsiah, General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association copied to the GNA Sports said the players include the skipper, Stephen Appiah Milan Italy, Mark Edusei, Genoa, Italy, Moses Sekyi, Sofia, Bulgaria, John Mensah, Milan, Italy, Kwadwo Poku, FC Midtjylland, Denmark and Samuel Osei-Kuffuor from Munich, Germany.

The rest are Michael Essien, Lyon, France, Emmanuel Pappoe, Tel Aviv, Israel, Tanko Ibrahim Frankfurt Germany, Kofi Amponsah, Athens, Greece, Asamoah Gyan Milan, Italy, Baffour Gyan, Moscow, Russia and Sammy Adjei from Tunis Tunisia.