Exclusive: Kwesi Appiah’s provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup

By Daniel Oduro

Finder Sports can authoritatively confirm that Black Stars Coach James Kwesi Appiah has finalized his provisional 30 man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil later this year. It is from this provisional squad that Appiah will select his final 23 man squad for the tournament.

There are no major surprises in the squad except for the inclusion of former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong who now plays for Championship side Barnsley. The inclusion of defender Jeff Schlupp may come as a surprise to many but his recent performances for club side Leicester City has earned him a place in the provisional list. Schlupp who is a natural striker has been converted into a defensive player and seems comfortable at right-back for Leicester. Appiah is poised to try him as right-back for the Black Stars.

There were however no places for veteran goalkeeper Richard ‘Olele’ Kingson and defender John Mensah in the squad. Recent media reports suggested that the duo could force their way into the provisional list before Appiah takes a final decision on whether or not to take them to the tournament in Brazil. There were also no places for Afreyie Acquah and Richmond Boakye- Yiadom both of whom have been impressive for Italian side Parma and Spanish side Elche respectively.  Anthony Anna makes a return to the team same as Isaac Vorsah. Only one local player in the person of goalkeeper Stephen Adams managed to make the cut for the provisional squad list.

Ghana will begin preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on May 25. They will play a series of friendly games before departing for Brazil where they have to find a way out of a difficult Group G comprising Germany, USA and Portugal.

 Full Squad below

Goalkeepers: Stephen Adams, Adam Kwarasey, Daniel Agyei, Fatua Duada

Defenders

Samuel Inkoom, Daniel Opare, Jonathan Mensah, Baba Rahman, Harrison Afful , John Boye, Isaac Vorsah, Jerry Akaminko, Jeff Schlupp

Midfielders

 Sulley Muntari, Mubarak Wakaso, Rabui Mohammed, Michael Essien, Agyemang Badu, Anthony Annan, Chipsah, Andre Ayew , Kojo Asamoah, Christian Astu, Emmanuel Frimpong, Albert Adoma,

Strikers: Jordan Ayew, Majeed Warris, Asamoah Gyan, Kevin- Prince Boateng,

‘Name Tamale Stadium after Aliu Mahama’

Dethroned chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has called on government to honour the memory of the former Vice-President in the Kufuor administration, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, by naming the Tamale Sports Stadium after him.

He explained that the late former Vice-President served his nation diligently and deserved to be honoured; therefore naming the stadium after him was in the right direction.

The former NPP Chairman made this call when he addressed delegates at the Tamale Sports Stadium, venue for the party’s conference to elect their national executives.

He suggested that the stadium should be referred to as the Alhaji Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium.

Giving background info on the late Vice-President, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said it was the NPP which selected Aliu Mahama as running mate to John Agyekum Kufuor in the 2000 elections, which produced the first and only Muslim to rise to the position of Vice-President in the country’s history.

He said Alhaji Aliu Mahama partnered President Kufuor throughout their eight years in office and served with dedication, humility and forthrightness.

“The late Aliu Mahama will remain an inspiration and a leading light for the NPP,” he said.

Ashgold facing 2-year ba

By Daniel Oduro

Premier League side AshantiGold is facing a potential 2-year ban from the Ghana Football Association following their refusal to honour an MTN FA Cup quarterfinal clash with Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports stadium on Sunday, April 13, 2014.

The game, which was originally scheduled for the Baba Yara Stadium, had to be moved to Accra due to the temporal closure of the venue to Kotoko. But the Miners refused to honour the game, citing budgetary constraints as the reason for their action.

The Executive Committee of the Ghana Football Association last Thursday announced the temporal closure of the stadium in Kumasi following incidents of supporters throwing missiles onto the field of play after the final whistle of Kotoko's First Capital Plus Premier League match with Heart of Lions on March 26, 2014.

Finder Sports’ investigations have however revealed that Ashgold refused to play the game because they see the change of venue from Kumasi to Accra as a punishment on them rather than Kotoko. Ashgold, who reside in Obuasi, believe that if Kotoko’s violent conduct has led to the closure of the Kumasi stadium, then the rational thing to do was to move the game to Obuasi or a venue closer, and not to Accra. For Ashgold, moving the game to Accra seems like a punishment to them rather than Kotoko.

The top brass of the MTN FA Cup committee and the Ghana Football Association, as well as cable television station SuperSport is deeply upset. The FA Cup committee say the excuse given by the Obuasi-based club cannot hold because the FA Cup Committee agreed to provide extra funds to cover Ashgold’s cost for the game originally fixed to be played at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

Ashgold were promised a staggering GH₵6000 (the biggest ever received by any club in the competition) and 25% of the total gate proceeds, simply to massage their egos to honour the match which was moved to Accra as the result of the ban.

The Miners, however, refused to make the trip south to honour the match despite the pledges and interventions made by high-ranking officials of the Ghana FA.

A member of the FA Cup committee who spoke to Finder Sports on condition of anonymity said Ashgold would definitely be banned from the competition for their failure to turn up for the quarterfinal with Kotoko.