President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi is optimistic that the Black Stars of Ghana are fully psyched up to win the AFCON 2012 tournament which is scheduled to come off later this month in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

³The players have been physically and mentally psyched up for this tournament and they are ready to deliver the converted cup back home², Kwesi Kyantakyi said confidently on an Accra based radio, Joy fm.

According to him, ³an extensive training programme has been scheduled for the players to get them physically fit for the tournament². During this programme the black stars will play two friendly matches before leaving on the 20th of January for the games.

He noted that the medical team has also been beefed up to avert any injuries which the players might suffer.

The Black Stars have come close to winning the trophy- which has eluded the country for the past 30 years- in the last two editions.

On home soil in 2008, the team placed third and went a step further to second position two years later in Angola.

The FA boss, however, is confident this is the time for Ghana.

³This time around everyone believes it is time for the Black Stars to win the trophy, judging from the 2010 FIFA World Cup performances and the caliber of players at our disposal², he said.

Story by Dennis Lawson/ Xfm 95.1/ Accra/ Ghana