Ghana will open its 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign against Lesotho at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on June 1, the Ghana FA has confirmed.

The match was expected to be played in Accra as the team will leave to Lusaka to play reigning African champions Zambia in the second Group D match.

But Ghana’s hosting of this year’s ECOWAS Games forced authorities to reschedule the tie to the country's second biggest city-which has played host to previous World Cup qualifiers.

“We realized the ECOWAS games will start on the Saturday in Accra and because we wanted full support for the Black Stars we decided to shift it to Friday,” Ghana FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi told Kumasi-based Angel FM.

“The match is being played in Kumasi and we want to start it in grand style and we all know Kumasi has been a Black Stars stronghold in terms of support so that is the rationale behind the move to Kumasi.”

The venue will also be perfect for new coach Kwesi Appiah who played for Asante Kotoko.

In September last year, the ex-Black Stars captain took temporary charge of the team and played out an unimpressive 0-0 draw with Sudan in a 2012 Nations Cup eliminator.