Black Stars players celebrating a goal at the World Cup last year. | image source: maspormas.com
Ghana coach Avram Grant announced his final 23-man squad on Wednesday by retaining rookie Kwesi Appiah but dropped experienced defender Samuel Inkoom.
Appiah is owned by English Premier League side Crystal Palace but spent the first half of the season on loan at fourth-tier side Cambridge United.
The 27-year-old looks to have profited from the good form he has shown since joining the Black Stars in the pre-tournament camping which saw him scoring in his debut game for Ghana.
Also gatecrashing the squad is Norway-based striker Mahatma Otoo, who was not named in the provisional 31-man squad but trained with the team in Accra for four days.
Injury to Trabzonspor forward Abdul Majeed Waris meant Otoo, who played last season at relegated Sogndal, got an emergency call-up.
England-based defender Jeffrey Schlupp was also excluded from the squad because of an injury that will rule him out of action for about three weeks with a knee problem.
Grant also axed South Africa-based defender Kwabena Adusei and midfielder Ibrahim Moro from the squad for the tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
The squad, which is dominated by foreign-based players, sees several players named for their maiden appearances in African football’s flagship event.
Youngsters Baba Rahman, Daniel Amartey, Frank Acheampong David Accam and Kwesi Appiah will all be making their first appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Goalkeeper Fatau Dauda is the only home-based player in the squad which will be fighting the for title.
The Black Stars will be led at the tournament by captain Asamoah Gyan who joins Andre Ayew, Jonathan Mensah, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and Mubarak Wakaso will provide the needed experience for the tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
Ghana's final 23-man squad
Goalkeepers: Razak Braimah (Mirandes, Spain), Fatau Dauda (AshGold) and Ernest Sowah (Don Bosco, DR Congo)
Defenders: Harrison Afful (Esperance, Tunisia), John Boye (Erciyesspor, Turkey), Jonathan Mensah (Evian, France), Awal Mohammed (Maritzburg, South Africa), Baba Rahman (Augsburg, Germany), Edwin Gyimah (Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa), Daniel Amartey, (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)
Midfielders: Mohammed Rabiu (Krasnodar, Russia), Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese, Italy), Afriyie Acquah (Parma, Italy), Solomon Asante (T.P. Mazembe, DR Congo), Christian Atsu (Everton, England), Mubarak Wakaso (Celtic, Scotland), Andre Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France), Frank Acheampong (Anderlecht, Belgium), David Accam (Chicago Fire, USA)
Strikers: Jordan Ayew (Lorient, France), Mahatma Otoo (Songdal, Norway) Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain, UAE), Kwesi Appiah (Cambridge United, England).
- africanfootball.com
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