Seven players reported to training on Monday evening as the Black Stars commenced preparations for their World Cup play-off showdown with Nigeria.
Arsenal star Thomas Partey was among the seven players spotted at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Young winger Fatawu Issahaku, who is now based in Portugal, Edmund Addo, goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott, right-back Andy Yiadom and Abdul Manaf Nurudeen were also present.
The training was supervised by the technical team led by head coach Otto Addo with support from his technical advisor Chris Hughton, assistant coaches Mas-Ud Didi Dramani and George Boateng as well goalkeepers’ trainer Richard Kingston.
Ghanasoccernet.com understands that players who arrived in the country on Monday evening were exempted from the training.
Some players are yet to arrive, but the technical team are confident of having a full house on Tuesday morning before travelling to Kumasi to continue preparations.
The team will train on three occasions in Kumasi. Their first training is on Tuesday evening, another session on Wednesday before their final training on Thursday.
After the final training, coach Otto Addo and some players will interact with the media at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium media centre ahead of the first leg clash on Friday, March 25, 2022.
Meanwhile, Nigeria will arrive in Kumasi on Wednesday and will train at least twice for the first meeting. The Super Eagles have opted to lodge at 3-star Noda Hotel in Kumasi.
Aisha Falode, a member of the Nigeria Football Federation Executive Committee, who led a federation inspection team to Kumasi on Friday, said Ghana Football Association recommended the hotel as other major hotels in the city had been booked.
“The Kumasi venue was a last-minute decision after the Cape Coast Stadium was not approved by CAF to host the game,” Falode told PUNCH Sports Extra,
“There were so many government and corporate activities already lined up during the week of the match in Kumasi. I’m told the president of the country (Ghana) is also hosting some kind of political events there. So, all the hotels are booked and filled.”
The return leg will be played four days later in Abuja at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
The winner of the tie will be in Qatar for the World Cup later this year.
Ghana are aiming for a fourth appearance after missing the 2018 edition in Russia, while Nigeria are hoping to qualify for a seventh.
SOURCE:ghanasoccernet.com