Soccer News of Tuesday, 6 November 2007

Source: GFA

Jones calls up nine foreign-based players

Nana Akwasi Asare and Emmanuel Boakye(pictured) have both won call-ups again into the Olympic team, the Black Meteors ahead of their final qualifier in Accra against Nigeria.

The duo, both defenders make up Cecil Jones Attquayefo?s nine-member foreign-based players invited for the last group clash at the Ohene Djan stadium on November 16.

Asare, who plays for KV Mechelen in the Belgian league and Boakye, a player of Almelo Heracles in the Dutch Eredivisie were both part of the team during the preliminary rounds.

Cecil Jones Attuquayefio has placed faith in the entire foreign-based players called up for the team?s penultimate game against South Africa last month as the experienced manager invites Asamoah Gyan, Prince Tagoe, Anthony Annan, Nafiu Iddrisu, Isaac Vorsah, Bernard Yao Kumordzi and Michael Helegbe.

Already, a 21-man local component are in camp preparing for the final round of qualifier against Nigeria for next year?s Olympic games.

On Sunday, the Black Meteors beat premiership side, Sekondi Hasaacas 1-0 in a test game.

Ghana needs a win over the Nigerians to pick the sole Group A ticket and join two other countries on the continent to make up the list of three African representatives for the Beijing Games, next year.

Though the group initially had four teams, Ethiopia pulled out citing their millennium celebrations thus leaving the three countries to slug it out for the sole price of qualifying for the 2008 games.

The Black Meteors, who lost their first game away to Nigeria, would now play the same opponents in the reverse fixture at home.

Ghana sit at the top of standings with six points with their opponents for the November 16 clash, Nigeria, perched at second with four points though they have a game to spare while South Africa are bottom with a point on the table of the three-team group dubbed at the ?Group of Death?.