Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic has named Jordan Ayew and the local league’s leading scorer Emmanuel Baffour in a 25-man squad for the 2012 African Cup of Nations, MTNFootball.com can exclusively reveal.
Turkey-based striker Dominic Adiyiah and Quincy Owusu as well as goalkeeper Richard Kingson were axed from the squad.
Bristol City’s in-form winger Albert Adomah will be disappointed that he could not make the team for the tournament in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. {jcomments on}
Former Germany youth international Charles Takyi gets his place in the squad as he joins the number of players hoping to make their debut in Africa’s flagship tournament.
South Korea based striker Derek Asamoah and Stromgodset duo of goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey and Mohammed Abu will be fighting to make their first appearance in Africa’s showpiece event.
Home-based goalkeepers Daniel Agyei and Ernest Sowah will swell the number of home-based players in the squad to three as they take Kingson’s place.
Kingson pays the price for being without a club for more than six months.
New Edubiase striker Emmanuel Baffour, who has scored 11 goals in 11 matches, is part of the 25-man squad to be unveiled on Thursday.
Jordan Ayew, the son of legend Abedi Pele, will also be included in the squad following his excellent showing for French side Marseille.
The squad is good mix of experienced and young players with John Mensah leading out his colleagues for their camping in South Africa early next month.
The Black Stars will be relying on trheir top players like Isaac Vorsah, Kwarasey, Derek Boateng, Andre Ayew, Sulley Muntari Kwadwo Asamoah and lead striker Asamoah Gyan to help them get their fifth title.
The 25 selected players will head to the South African city of Rustenburg for camping ahead of the competition which starts on 21 January.
The coach wanted to take 23 players to camp in South Africa but he was convinced to add two more which might have paved the way for Baffour to join the team.
The Black Stars have been drawn in Group D where they will lay Guinea, Mali and Botswana.
Ghana squad:
Goalkeepers: Adam Kwarasey, Daniel Agyei, Ernest Sowah
Defenders: John Painstil, Samuel Inkoom, Daniel Opare, Massawudu Alhassan, Lee Addy, Isaac Vorsah, Jonathan Mensah, John Mensah, John Boye
Midfielders: Derek Boateng, Anthony Annan, Jordan Ayew, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, Abu Mohammed, Dede Ayew, Sulley Muntari, Charles Takyi, Kwadwo Asamoah
Strikers: Asamoah Gyan, Prince Tagoe, Derek Asamoah, Emmanuel Baffourr.
Source: MTNFootball.com
