Soccer News of Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

GFA to review friendlies against Costa Rica, Honduras

Ghana’s 2014 World Cup program is set to experience major changes with one of the announced friendly matches against Costa Rica and Honduras to be cancelled.

The change has been necessitated after coach Kwesi Appiah disclosed his preference to have more training sessions with his Black Stars team rather than playing fierce friendly matches ahead of the tournament to be staged in Brazil.

Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi had announced that the Black Stars were to play Costa Rica and Honduras as part of their final preparations towards the World Cup during their camping in Los Angeles.

The Ghana team will travel to the USA to complete its preparations for the World Cup after commencing camping in Rotterdam where they are scheduled to play the Netherlands in an international friendly on May 31.

This initial plan has however been amended as coach Kwesi Appiah chooses to spend more time to train with his players before the World Cup kicks off on June 12.

“Let me pass on this information, the coach [Kwesi Appiah] has indicated in his final World Cup programme that he wants more training sessions before the tournament itself,” Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi told Power FM.

“This means we are to make changes in our schedule; we now have to drop one of the two games scheduled for Los Angeles against Costa Rica and Honduras.”

Ghana will be making a third consecutive appearance at this year’s World Cup following progressive stints in 2006 and 2010 in Germany and South Africa respectively.