Thirteen players of the Ghana national team are expected to leave for South Africa on Sunday night to begin their pre-Africa Cup of Nations training camp.

The squad excludes the six Black Satellites players who are set for a trip to Ivory Coast on Monday for their reward package from President Laurent Gbagbo for winning the Fifa Under-20 World Cup two months ago.

They will join their teammates on Monday when the training starts ahead of the tournament which runs from 10-31 January.

Also expected to arrive late at the team's camping base in Nelspruit are England-based quartet John Painstil, Richard Kingson, John Mensah and injured Michael Essien.

The Black Stars are scheduled to play Malawi in an international friendly on 3 January in Nelspruit.