Ghana full squad for England and Congo Games (No Michael Essien)
By Own Correspondent – According to the official website of the Ghana Football Association coach Goran Stevanovic has named his squad for the double header against Congo in the qualifying for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and England in an international friendly later this month.
The Black Stars coach today released a 24-man squad to represent the nation for the upcoming fixtures.
Conspicuously missing in the team again is Chelsea’s midfield dynamo Micheal Essien,the reason surrounding is absence from the team ,is not known for now ,Shout-Africa.com will bring you up and close to the team and exclusive interviews from the appropriate authories. Stay with us .
Ghana plays the Congolese away in Brazzaville on March 27 in a crucial qualifier before turning their attentions to the friendly at the Wembley two days later.
Stevanovic hands Standard Liege’s Daniel Opare a recall as Asante Kotoko striker Nathaniel Asamoah gets his first senior call up.Asamoah Gyan, who is suspended for the game in Congo is also named in the squad as Ghana welcomes Opoku Agyemang back into the team after a long spell through injury.
Ghana are top Group I with a better goal difference though level on four points apiece with Sudan from their opening two games in the qualifying campaign. Congo has three and Swaziland are yet to pick a point after with the qualifiers set to continue next year.
Ghana Squad
Goalkeepers: Richard Kingson (Blackpool, England), Sammy Adjei (Hearts of Oak, Ghana) Ernest Sowah (Berekum Chelsea, Ghana)
Defenders: John Paintsil (Fulham, England) Samuel Inkoom (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine) Daniel Opare (Standard Liege, Belgium) David Addy (Academica Coimbra, Portugal) Jonathan Mensah (Granada, Spain) Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim, Germany) John Mensah (Sunderland, England) Lee Addy (Red Star Belgrade, Serbia)
Midfielders: Anthony Annan (Schalke 04, Germany), Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese, Italy), Bernard Kumordzi (Panionios, Greece) Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy) Sulley Muntari (Sunderland, England) Derek Boateng (Getafe, Spain) Kevin-Prince Boateng (AC Milan, Italy) Andre Ayew (Marseille, France) Opoku Agyemang (Al-Ahli, Saudi Arabia)
Attackers: Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland, England) Prince Tagoe (Partizan Belgrade, Serbia) Dominic Adiyiah (Partizan Belgrade, Serbia) Nathaniel Asamoah (Asante Kotoko, Ghana) .
In a related development John Terry may end his ‘captaincy punishment’ and have the armband restored for England’s forthcoming 2012 European Championship qualifying tie against Wales.
Rio Ferdinand is virtually certain to miss the encounter at the Millennium Stadium on March 26 as he is only just ready to return to training after the calf injury that has kept the Manchester United defender out for six weeks.Ferdinand’s deputy, Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard, is already sidelined after undergoing a groin operation.
The armband merry-go-round during the friendly in Denmark last month suggested the captaincy could shuffle on down to Terry’s Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard, with Wayne Rooney or Gareth Barry as vice-captain for not only the Wales tie but the friendly against Ghana at Wembley on March 29.
However, media reports in London are suggesting Capello is considering whether to re-appoint Terry more than a year after stripping him of the honour in the wake of a well-publicised personal scandal.
The FA has continued to insist that the matter is one for manager Fabio Capello to determine. In Terry’s favour is his more consistent fitness.
He has featured in eight of the 13 games England have played since he lost the captaincy, compared with immediate replacement Ferdinand, who has only managed four appearances and missed the entire World Cup finals after eve-of-event injury.
Capello not due to name his squad until March 20.
