Hector Cuper and his charges have been drawn in Group A of the World Cup alongside host nation Russia, Saudi Arabia and South American powerhouse, Uruguay.

The Pharoah’s have in recent times become heavily dependent on the goals of pacy winger Mohammed Salah and this manifested in the qualifying series where he scored 5 of the 8 goals during the campaign.

Appiah feels this dependence will make Egypt easy to figure out.

“We played Egypt but as I said all the time all their attacking machinery is dependent on one player.

“This is not the best because once he is closed down then this becomes a problem.

“If they can work on some stuff and get two or three players that are playing at the highest level then automatically team’s won’t plan only against Salah but for others as well,” he told Kwese Sports in an interview.

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By: Benjamin Nketsia/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Appiah was in Ashaiman as part of familiarization work by his charity foundation which he launched earlier this year. The 57-year feels the football talent pool in Ashaiman justifies the construction of an astro turf in the area.

“There are so many areas here [in Ashaiman] where we can get an artificial turf  where all the sporting activities can take place so the people can go out there and play.

“Most people in Ashaiman are really good at sports and we need to create these centers to help them and it will help the nation as well,” he said.

Appiah has also partnered German firm JVG-Thorma to construct a solar plant in the same area, valued at $14.5m.

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By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Gyan has captained the Black Stars since 2012 when he was given the role by Kwesi Appiah during his first stint with the national team.

Gyan has since gone on to captain the team at four AFCON tournaments and one World Cup, as well as becoming the country’s all time leading goal scorer during that period.

Many questions have been raised over the 31-year old’s ability to continue to carry out the task as team leader as his fitness has been a huge problem in recent times, but Kwesi Appiah, said he is still keeping faith with the former Udinese man.

“Asamoah is the captain now, and until I say he is not he will remain so. Everybody plays a captain’s role in my team.”

“Defenders talk and control the midfielders, and midfielders control the attackers. So everybody is a captain in my team, and the players are aware of this,” he told Accra based Metro TV.

Gyan earlier this week revealed that he plans to retire after the 2019 AFCON tournament.

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Head coach of the team Kwesi Appiah is set to hand opportunities to a number of new invitees when the Black Stars take on the Green Falcons of Saudi Arabia in an international friendly to be played on the outskirts of Jeddah.

The Green Falcons are set to return to the World Cup themselves after an eleven-year absence.

Striker John Antwi is expected to make his cameo along with the likes of Accra Hearts of Oak’s Vincent Atingah.

“Despite missing the global competition coach Appiah will now focus on getting a strong squad together for the Afcon.

“A number of the new faces like Kassim Nuhu and Lawrence Ati-Zigi could all get the chance to impress,”GFA spokesperson Ibrahim Saani Daara revealed ahead of the big game.

The Saudi Arabians are expected to parade a strong squad for the match which will kick off at 5:15 pm Ghanaian time.

By: Benjamin Nketsia/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The pair excelled in the just ended Wafu 2017 tournament and have been named among the initial 26 man squad for Ghana’s world cup qualifier against the Cranes of Uganda.

Twum who plays his football for Inter Allies was named the Wafu tournament most valuable player, while Atingah of Hearts of Oak put together a series of impressive displays at the heart of defense.

Damba feels that Appiah has made the additions based on sections of the team that require improvement.

“I must also commend him for recognizing the quality that the Wafu tournament produced.

“Vincent Atingah in my estimation was a revelation at the competition and so was Twum.

“Their inclusion is also based on the challenges the team faces as far as the composition of our line players are concerned.

“Based on that these two gentlemen have been added and its a step in the right direction,” he told Citi Sports.

Ghana play the Cranes of Uganda on October 7, in Kampala with a chance to take second place in Group E.

By:Benjamin Nketsia/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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With captain Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew ruled out of the game with injury and Jordan Ayew suffering a stomach ache, Appiah has handed starts to Thomas Agyepong, Afriyie Acquah and Richmond Boakye Yiadom.

Joseph Attamah Larweh who endured a testing match for the Black Stars last week makes do with a place on the bench with Harrison Afful returning to right back.

Lumor Agbenyenu starts at left back, replacing Jeffery Schlupp who played 90 minutes in the game.

Richard Ofori retains his place in goal behind the center-back pairing of Jonathan Mensah and Daniel Amartey.

Black Stars XI

Richard Ofori, Harrison Afful, Lumor Agbenyenu, Daniel Amartey, Jonathan Mensah, Afriyie Acquah, Ebenezer Ofori, Richmond Boakye Yiadom, Thomas Agyepong, Thomas Partey, Christian Atsu

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The senior national team will host the Red Devils at the Baba Yara Stadium on September 1 before travelling to Brazzaville for the return encounter on September 5.

Coach Appiah’s 24-man list includes debutants  Edwin Gyasi of Norwegian side Aalesund and Gideon Waja of WAFA.

Former Ghana U-20 goalkeeper Lawrence Ati and Turkey-based duo Joseph Attamah Larweh and Isaac Sackey have also been named in the squad.

Captain Asamoah Gyan and his deputy Andre Ayew have all made the squad for next month’s matches.

The invited players are expected to start arriving in Accra from Monday August 28 to commence preparations for the two matches against their Congolese counterparts.

Below are the players who have been invited:

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

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

MIDFIELDERS: Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid, Spain), Andre Ayew (West Ham Utd, England), Kwadwo Poku (Miami FC, USA), Christian Atsu (Newcastle United, England),  Edwin Gyasi (Aalesund FC, Norway), Gideon Waja (WAFA, Ghana), Alfred Duncan (Sassuolo FC, Italy), Isaac Sackey (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Ebenezer Ofori (Stuttgart, Germany), Thomas Agyepong (NAC Breda, Holland)

FORWARDS: Asamoah Gyan (Kayerispor, Turkey), Jordan Ayew (Swansea, UK), Raphael Dwamena (FC Zurich, Switzerland)

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By: Citi Sports

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The change was made last week at a CAF symposium in Morocco and will take effect from June 2019 as Cameroon host the tournament.

“It is a good decision because many Clubs in Europe do not like African players because they lose them during the Competition in January.”

“I don’t think any player will fake an injury to remain with their clubs because most leagues will be over before June,” he spoke in an interview played on Asempa FM.

CAF has also increased the number of teams to participate in the tourney from 16 to 24.

Caf president Ahmad has overseen sweeping changes in African football this week

That move has however been met with mixed reactions as some think it will be a huge burden for host Nations while others feel it will evoke some form of competition.

There has always been a great confusion as Clubs in Europe have over the years complained bitterly about the timing of the AFCON and this will come as a great a news for them.

Coach Kwesi Appiah has been in the USA monitoring the performance of Ghanaian players in the Major League Soccer and expressed satisfaction with the level of their output.

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By Rahman Osman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Gyan missed a spot kick in the 45th minute after Frank Acheampong was fouled in the penalty area.

Speaking after the match, Appiah said that the player needed the backing of Ghanaians since he would be called on to take more penalties for the nation in future.

“Every player in the world can miss a penalty. The good thing is that Gyan used to take our penalties and for one reason or another, he decided not to take any more for us. Now, he has the right to change his mind and he did so to help our nation and I do not believe he went there to miss the kick. It takes guts to take a penalty so Gyan needs to be encouraged so he can take more penalties for us the future.”

It was Gyan’s first penalty for Ghana since missing one in the semi-final of the 2012 AFCON tournament against Zambia.

He decided not to take one after 2012 and he revealed that it was to honour an instruction given to him by his late mother.

Below is a video of the penalty:

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By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The game will be the first of two friendlies the Black Stars will play with the second being against USA on Saturday. Kwesi Appiah will be without key players for both games including the Ayew brothers and Daniel Amartey who have been summoned for club duty.

The Black Stars’ 22-man squad includes 5 locally-based players who are all likely to feature on Wednesday. Kwesi Appiah says he plans to use the game to assess the strength in depth of his side as the two friendly games will serve as preparation for the Black Stars’ next World Cup qualifier in August. “My ambition has been to build a team for the nation, and we’re still in the building process.

We are using these games to look at the new players we have in the team and see what they can offer the team,” he said to Michael Oti Adjei of the BBC and TV3 in Houston.

“This is the only game we have until our next qualifier so we will use the games to assess out new players. “About four key players are missing from the team and it will give the opportunity to others to show not only me but Ghanaians what they can do.”

The full squad is as follows: Goalkeepers: Addo Joseph (Aduana Stars) and Richard Ofori (Wa All Stars) Defenders: Lumor Agbenyenu (Munich 1860, Germany),Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew), Nicholas Opoku (Berekum Chelsea), Jerry Akaminko ( Eskiserhispor, Turkey), John Boye (Sivasspor, Turkey), Rashid Sumalia (Al Gharafa, Qatar), Jonathan Mensah (Columbus Crew, USA), Samuel Sarfo (Liberty, Ghana)

Midfielders: Mohammed Abu (Columbus Crew, USA), Isaac Sackey (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Ofori Ebenezer (Stuttgart, Germany), Kwadwo Poku (FC Miami), Winful Kwaku Cobbinah (Hearts of Oak), Frank Acheampong (Anderlecht, Belgium), Thomas Agyepong (NAC Breda, Holland), Gershon Koffie (New England Revolution) Strikers: Asamoah Gyan (Al Alhi, UAE), Raphael Dwamena (FC Zurich, Switzerland), Majeed Abdul Waris (Lorient FC, France) and David Accam (Chicago Fire).

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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