GHANAIANS will have an idea of the nation’s contingent for next month’s Total African Cup of Nations competition as Coach Kwesi Appiah is expected to release his tentative 30-man squad tomorrow.
Close sources within the Football Association told the Times Sports yesterday that Coach Appiah is due to meet the Black Stars’ Management Team and the Normalisation Committee boss, Dr Kofi Amoah today specifically to defend his list.
“When everything is done in time, then the coach would announce his provisional squad, hopefully on Tuesday (tomorrow),” one source disclosed.
It is said that the squad would be gorged with surprises, and many Cup-thirsty fans are already bracing for that ‘pleasant’ bump.
Intuitively, Appiah’s list is expected to spark an amperage of criticism and a googol of praise from Ghanaians – depending on which side they stand.
Ghana’s Black Stars have been drawn in Group F alongside defending champions Cameroon, Benin and Guinea Bissau.
After two high-profile friendlies – one against South Africa, Appiah will settle on his final 23-man squad for the nerve-jangling-month-long tournament which roars off on June 21, in Egypt.
The four-time African champions will open up their campaign in the all West Africa group with a cagey game against Benin on Tuesday, June 25, then face Cameroon on June 29, before slotting it out with Guinea-Bissau, four days later.
The Stars are expected to pitch a non-residential training camp in Accra and later fly to Dubai, UAE for their final tune-up.
The last time that the Stars lifted the trophy was in 1982, 37 years ago.
Stirring attempts at clinching the Holy Grail have only landed the Ghanaians silver medals (Senegal ‘1992, Angola ‘2010 and Equatorial Guinea ‘2015) instead.
The players have sworn to break the disturbing hoodoo, in Egypt, this term.
BY JOHN VIGAH
