Black Stars open camp in Kenya ahead of crucial Sudan clash

Ghana will begin camping in Kenya on Monday ahead of their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations against Sudan on Saturday.

The Black Stars players based in Europe will start arriving on Monday afternoon with light training scheduled for the evening.

But most players are expected in the country latest by Monday night while a few others will arrive in Tuesday.

The Ukraine-based duo of Samuel Inkoom and Derek Boateng travelled with the team from Accra. Both travelled to Ghana after playing in their league on Friday night.

Striker Prince Tagoe, who was chasing his UK visa in Accra for the Nigeria friendly, was also expected to travel the Ghanaian capital.

But the rest of the Europe-based players including the Udinese duo of Kwadwo Asamaoah and Emmanuel Agyemang Badu as well as captain John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah are expected on Monday.

The Norway-based duo of Adam Kwarasey and midfielder Abu Mohammed are expected to join on Monday night as they were in action on Sunday night.

The four-time African champions will pitch camp in Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi for the crucial encounter against the Desert Hawks fixed for October 8 in Khartoum.

Head coach Goran Stevanovic has handed debut call-up to defender Masswudu Alhassah of Italian side, Genoa in his squad for the Group I decider.

The surprise omission from the Ghana squad is midfielder Andre Ayew, who has been left out for unobvious reasons.

The team will train in Kenya for three days before leaving for Khartoum 48-hours prior to the match.

Naivasha has served a perfect training ground for the Black Stars, as they beat Sudan 2-0 in Omdurman in 2009 during the joint 2010 World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, after camping there.

Ghana is tied on 13 points with Sudan and must avoid defeat to qualify automatically as winners of Group I.

Ghana squad

Goalkeepers: Adam Larsen Kwarasey (Stromgodest), Ernest Sowah (Berekum Chelsea) Daniel Agyei (Liberty Professionals)

Defenders: Massawudu Alhassan (FC Genoa) John Paintsil (Leicester City), Isaac Vorsah (TSG Hoffenheim), John Mensah (Olympique Lyon), Lee Addy (Red Star Belgrade), Daniel Opare (Standard Liege)

Midfielders: Samuel Inkoom (FC Dnipro), Kwadwo Asamoah, Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu (Udinese), Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan) Anthony Annan (Vitesse Arnhem), Albert Adomah (Bristol City), Abu Mohammed (Stromgodest), Derek Boateng (FC Dnipro) Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (Panathinaikos FC)

Strikers: Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain), Prince Tagoe (Bursaspor) Dominic Adiyiah (Karsiyaka).