Twenty-five players of the Ghana Black Stars team have reported to Ghana’s camp in Abu Dhabi to officially begin preparations ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Coach Otto Addo and his team will be in Abu Dhabi for four days and will play a friendly game against Switzerland at the Baniyas club stadium come Thursday, November 17, 2022.
According to the Ghana Football Association(GFA), only Joseph Aidoo is absent from the team’s camp in the United Arab Emirates but is expected to report today, Tuesday, November 15, 2022.
Otto Addo announced his final 26-member team for the World Cup on Monday, November 14, in Accra during a press conference.
Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Danlad Ibrahim, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Nurudeen Abdul Manaf, Mohammed Salisu, Daniel Amartey, Denis Odoi, Baba Abdul Rahman, Gideon Mensah, Alidu Seidu, Elisha Owusu, Antoine Semenyo, Tariq Lamptey, Osman Bukari, Thomas Partey, Inaki Williams, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Daniel Barnieh Afriyie, Mohammed Kudus, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh. , Alexander Djiku and Kamaldeen Sulemana are the players who have arrived safely at the camp.
New players such as Salis Abdul Samed and Kamal Sowah have also joined the team to start preparations for the World Cup.
The Black Stars of Ghana are in Group H and will play against Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay. Ghana’s first group game is against Portugal on November 24, 2022.
A Dream Come True
Meanwhile, Accra Hearts of Oak’s Daniel Afriyie Barnieh has expressed joy following his inclusion in the Black Stars squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The 21 year old player reacted to the news stating, “getting a call up to represent Ghana at a World Cup is a dream come true”.
He said this in an interview in the wake of the much anticipated announcement delivered earlier by Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo. According to him, he is very happy because it is a big platform and the biggest stage for every player who plays football.
“It is a dream come true because like four year’s ago, I watched it on the television and this time, it is my turn. So it’s a dream come true.”
Daniel Afriyie
Barnieh has scored important goals for Ghana’s Black Satellites and Black Galaxies. For Hearts of Oak, he has played an instrumental role in the club’s triumph in the betPawa Ghana Premier League and MTN FA Cup in the past two seasons.
Barnieh and Kumasi Asante Kotoko goalkeeper Ibrahim Danlad are the only Ghana based players named in the 26 man squad.
