Head coach of the Black Stars, Milovan Rajevac, has named a 28-man squad for this month’s decisive World Cup Qatar 2022 Group G qualifiers against Ethiopia and South Africa.
Included in the squad is the young teenage sensation, Felix Afena Gyan, who plies his trade in the Italian Serie A. The 18-year old who made his senior debut for AS Roma against Cagliari last month has been handed his maiden call up by the Serbian trainer. He is joined by Sheriff Tiraspol midfielder Edmund Addo, who has been impressive in the on-going UEFA Champions League and the Moldovan League.
Milovan Rajevac has also invited striker Richmond Boakye Yiadom for the two matches whilst the captain of the Porcupine Warriors Ismail Abdul Ganiyu also made a return to the squad.
Ghana will take on Ethiopia on Thursday, November 11, before facing current Group G leaders, South Africa, on Sunday, November 14, 2021 at the Cape Coast stadium. The Black Stars are second in Group G with 9 points – one point behind leaders South Africa and must win both matches to make it to the next stage of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Officials for the Ghana, Ethiopia game
Cameroonian referee Ngwa Blaise Yuven has been appointed to officiate the crucial game between Ethiopia and Ghana. He will be assisted by compatriots Noupue Nguegoue Elvis Guy (Assistant I), Menye Mpele Rodrigue (Assistant II) and Bito Jeannot Franck (Fourth referee). Abdi Soud from Tanzania will serve as the Referee Assessor while Guish Ghebremedine Tuccu from Eritrea works as the Match Commissioner.
Hoebeb Joshua Andreas from Namibia is the Security Officer for the game with South Africa’s Ngwenya Thulani Khangelani operating as COVID-19 Officer. Ethiopia will host Ghana at the Orlando stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 15H00hrs.
There were concerns from most Ghanaians as to why FIFA approved the Orlando stadium in South Africa as the match venue since Ghana and South Africa are in contention for the only slot in Group G to progress to the next stage of the qualifiers. FIFA earlier banned the Ethiopians from using their stadium because it does not meet international standards.
Orlando stadium to favour Ghana
Contrary to the views of Ghanaians, the Head Coach of Bafana Bafana, Hugo Broos, believes playing the match in south Africa will give Ghana an unfair advantage, saying “we worked hard to get the three points and I expect Ghana to do the same”. Bafana Bafana beat Ethiopia 3-1 in Bahir Dar in October on a pitch Broos described as a “bad” surface. “But now, it will be easy for them [Ghana] at the Orlando Stadium because it is a world-class facility; it is not fair play”, Broos lamented.
Both Ghana and South Africa are poised to book qualification to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The last time Bafana Bafana qualified for the competition was in 2010 when they hosted the tournament, the first African country to do so. For Ghana, it missed the 2018 qualifiers after making three successive appearances in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
Should Ghana and South Africa win their respective games against Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, pressure will mount on the West Africans to win the final game at the Cape Coast sports stadium at all cost to progress to the next stage. Under this same scenario, a point will be enough for South Africa to ensure a smooth passage to the next round.
Here is the Full Squad:
Goalkeepers: Joseph Wollacott (Swindon Town), Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St.Gallen), Manaf Nurudeen (Eupen), Richard Attah (Hearts of Oak)
Defenders: Andy Yiadom (Reading FC), Philemon Baffour (Dreams FC), Baba Abdul Rahman (Reading FC), Gideon Mensah (Girondins Bordeaux), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg), Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Jonathan Mensah (Columbus Crew), Ismail Abdul Ganiyu (Asante Kotoko)
Midfielders: Baba Idrissu (Real Mallorca), Thomas Partey (Arsenal FC), Mubarak Wakaso (Shenzhen F.C), Edmund Addo (Sheriff Tiraspol), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax Amsterdam), Daniel Kofi Kyere (FC St. Pauli)
Wingers: Andre Ayew (Al Sadd), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Dreams FC), Kamal Deen Sulemana (Rennes), Samuel Owusu (Al Fayha)
Strikers: Richmond Boakye-Yiadom (Beitar Jerusalem), Benjamin Tetteh (Yeni Malatyaspor), Felix Afena Gyan (AS Roma), Caleb Ekuban (Genoa).
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