Black Stars arrive in Congo for World Cup qualifier today

Ghana arrived in Congo on Monday night for the second leg of their 2018 World Cup qualifier to be played in Brazzaville on Tuesday.

Coach Kwesi Appiah travelled with 21 players for the match to be played at the New Kintele Stadium, Brazzaville in the capital of the Central African country.

The high-powered delegation was led by Ghana FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi, his deputy George Afriyie and Black Stars management committee member Wilfred Osei Kwaku.

Captain Asamoah Gyan is leading the players for the match even though he has been ruled out of the game because of a thigh injury.

He was joined by other experienced players Jonathan Mensah, Christian Atsu, Afriyie Acquah and Thomas Partey.

Defender Harrison Afful who is battling illness also managed to travel with the team as they seek to get their first win the qualifiers for the tournament in Russia.

The Black Stars had some frustrations on arrival at the Maya Maya Airport as it took two hours for the team to be cleared to go through immigration despite assistance from the Ghana consulate in Congo.

Management encouraged the players not to be dejected by the treatment meted out to the team on arrival, urging them to focus on the game to be played on Tuesday.

The Black Stars were taken to their team hotel after being cleared through customs.

The team had earlier in the day trained at the Accra Sports Stadium before the departure to the Congolese capital for the game.

Ghana are seeking to grab their first win of Group E of the qualifiers as a victory in Brazzaville and a draw in the group’s other between Egypt and Uganda could spark some life into the Black Stars qualification chances.

Ghana trail Group E leaders Uganda by five points and Egypt by four points after picking up just two points from their first three games of the qualifiers.

Squad

GOALKEEPERS: Richard Ofori (Martizburg,South Africa), Lawrence Ati (Sochaux, France), Joseph Addo (Aduana FC,Ghana)

DEFENDERS: Harrison Afful (Columbus,USA) Agbenyenu Lumor (Portimonese, Portugal) Jeffery Schlupp (Crystal Palace, England) Daniel Amartey (Leicester,England) Jonathan Mensah (Columbus Crew,USA) Nicholas Opoku (Club Africaine, Tunisia), Joseph Attamah (Bakaksehir, Turkey)

MIDFIELDERS: Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid, Spain), Christian Atsu (Newcastle United, England), Edwin Gyasi (Aalesund FC, Norway), Gideon Waja (WAFA, Ghana), Alfred Duncan (Sassuolo FC, Italy), Afriyie Acquah (Torino, Italy), Ebenezer Ofori (Stuttgart, Germany), Thomas Agyepong (NAC Breda, Holland)

FORWARDS: Asamoah Gyan (Kayerispor, Turkey), Richmond Boakye Yiadom (Red Star Belgrade, Serbia), Kwadwo Poku (Miami FC, USA)

Source: gfa.org