15 March 2011
Black Stars coach Goran Stevanovic has handed the top scorer in the Ghana Premier League, Nathaniel Asamoah, a maiden call-up to the squad for this month’s matches against Congo and England.
The Serbian trainer has also recalled in-form Belgium-based defender Daniel Opare after a three-year absence in the 24-man squad.
And impressive Qatar-based speedster Opoku Agyemang returns to the Black Stars fold for the two matches.
All the key Ghana players who are available were named excluding, Michael Essien, who is on a self-imposed international exile.
Top performers like John Mensah, Isaac Vorsah, Sulley Muntari, Kevin Prince Boateng, Andre Ayew, Kwadwo Asamoah, Prince Tagoe and Dominic Adiyiah are part of the squad.
Even Asamoah Gyan, who is suspended for the clash against Congo on March 27, is part of the group as he is expected to play in the England friendly two days later.
But Nathaniel Asamoah’s call-up is the biggest shock in the squad as the Kotoko attacker has been rewarded for scoring nine goals so far in the Ghana league.
The invite is even more surprising given that the 21-year-old was snubbed for the just ended CHAN tournament in Sudan.
Agyemang, on loan at Qatari side Al Ahli, makes a return to the Black Stars after recovering from a long injury lay-off. He was a handful for defenders at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola last year as the Black Stars reached the final.
The winger’s pace and skill caused several problems for top players like Arsenal’s Ivorian defender Emmanuel Eboue, who was sent-off for his tackle on the Ghanaian at the tournament.
But an ankle injury ruled him out of the World Cup and he has now recovered, scoring a few goals for his club in Qatar.
Standard Liege defender Opare has rewarded for his hard work in the Belgian Jupiler League.
The former Real Madrid youth player was touted as one of the country’s biggest talents in 2007 when the Spanish giants signed him, but the presence of world-class players at the club stunted his growth.
A knee problem also slowed his progress, but has been transformed since moving last summer after years of frustration at the Bernabeu.
The right-back, who has also also played on the left in many matches for Standard this season, gets his second senior team call-up after being named in Ghana’s 2008 pre-Africa Cup of Nations squad.
GHANA SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Richard Kingson (Blackpool, England), Sammy Adjei (Hearts of Oak, Ghana) Ernest Sowah (Berekum Chelsea, Ghana)
Defenders: John Paintsil (Fulham, England) Samuel Inkoom (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine) Daniel Opare (Standard Liege, Belgium) David Addy (Academica Coimbra, Portugal) Jonathan Mensah (Granada, Spain) Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim, Germany) John Mensah (Sunderland, England) Lee Addy (Red Star Belgrade, Serbia)
Midfielders: Anthony Annan (Schalke 04, Germany), Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese, Italy), Bernard Kumordzi (Panionios, Greece) Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy) Sulley Muntari (Sunderland, England) Derek Boateng (Getafe, Spain) Kevin-Prince Boateng (AC Milan, Italy) Andre Ayew (Marseille, France) Opoku Agyemang (Al-Ahli, Saudi Arabia)
Attackers: Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland, England) Prince Tagoe (Partizan Belgrade, Serbia) Dominic Adiyiah (Partizan Belgrade, Serbia) Nathaniel Asamoah (Asante Kotoko, Ghana)
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