Accra (Ghana): Ghana, quarter-finalists in 2010 FIFA World Cup, have replaced injured forward Albert Adomah with Solomon Asante in the 30-member squad for next month`s 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zambia.
Black Stars coach James Akwasi Appiah Friday dropped Adomah, a Bristol City striker, as the player is still recuperating from a knee injury.
Asante plays for local premiership league side Berekum Chelsea have been called up for the first time in the national team. Asante will join the team made up of nine home-based players and 21 international stars when they start a non-residential camp in Accra May 21.
The team would be pruned down before it leaves for Kumasi, the match venue, 270 km north-west of Accra, on May 27.
The Black Stars will host the "Likuena" (Crocodiles) of Lesotho, June 1, in the country`s Garden City, after which the team will fly to Ndorla to play African Champions, the Chipolopolo (the Copper Bullets) of Zambia, June 9.
Ghana made their maiden World Cup appearance in 2006 and in the last edition in South Africa in 2010 reached the quarterfinals before being knocked out by Uruguay. The West African nation finished fourth in the 2012 African Nations Cup co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
The Squad:
Goalkeepers: Adam Kwarasey (Stromsgodset, Norway), Robert Dabuo (Wa All Stars), Daniel Adjei (Liberty Professionals), Ernest Sowah (Berekum Chelsea).
Defenders: Samuel Inkoom (Dnipro, Ukraine), Daniel Opare (Standard Liege, Belgium), Harrison Afful (Esperance, Tunisia), Richard Kissi Boateng (Berekum Chelsea), Masawudu Alhassan (Genoa, Italy), John Boye (Rennes, France), Lee Addy (Dalian Aerbin, China), Daniel Addo (Zorya Luhansk, Ukraine) Rashid Sumaila (Dwarfs), Jerry Akaminko (Manisaspor, Turkey), Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim, Germany).
Midfielders: Anthony Annan (Vitesse Arnhem, Netherlands), Derek Boateng (Dnipro, Ukraine), Emmanuel Agyemang Badu (Udinese, Italy), Rabiu Mohammed (Evian, France) Richard Mpong (Medema) Solomon Asante (Berekum Chelsea), Christian Atsu (Rio Ave, Portugal), Ishmael Yartey, (Servette, Switzerland), Sulley Muntari (AC Milan, Italy), Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy).
Forwards: Jordan Ayew (Marseille, France), Dominic Adiyiah (Arsenal Kyiv, Ukraine), Ben Acheampong (Kotoko), Emmanuel Baffour (New Edubiase), Emmanuel Clottey (Berekum Chelsea).
IANS
First Published: Saturday, May 19, 2012, 17:08