Grant names squad for Comoros' job

Ghana coach Avram Grant has handed home-based youngster Samuel Tetteh his official debut in a strong 23-man squad that includes Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew for this month’s back-to-back 2018 World Cup qualifier against Comoros.

The WAFA youngster, who was part of Ghana U20 World Cup squad, is among the three-based players named by the Israeli manager for the two matches to be played within five days.

But the presence of all the top players in the squad shows that the Black Stars are keen on demolishing their opponents from Southern Africa.

All the key players including captain Gyan and his assistant Andre Ayew as well as in-form attacker Jordan Ayew are all in the Ghana squad.

Skipper Asamoah Gyan who has been out of the team due to injury will return to the side for the two-legged tie with Andre Ayew also making the squad after missing the Canada game.

Eintracht Braunschweig right-back Phil Ofosu-Ayeh has received a call-up after an impressive debut in the friendly game against Canada last month.

Grant has also been boosted by the return of central defender Jonathan Mensah who fully served the four-month ban placed on FIFA.

English Premier League stars Baba Rahman and Jeffery Schlupp are also in the squad as well reliable centre-backs John Boye and Daniel Amartey.

In-form Udinese midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang Badu is also in the squad as well as Mubarak Wakaso and Afriyie Acquah.

The only notable exclusion is Christian Atsu who is struggling to recover from injury he suffered while playing for the Black Stars in their match against Rwanda in Kigali.

Tetteh, who is a right winger, looks to have taken the place of Atsu as Grant wants to give him the chance after a rush call-up for the friendly against Congo in September.

Goalkeeper Fatau Dauda of champions AshantiGold and Wa All Stars shot stopper are the two other home-based players in the squad for the two matches with the first-leg in Moroni next week Friday.

This is the first time the former Chelsea coach has named an outfield player from the local league since taking over as the Black Stars trainer.

Ghana will play Comoros on the 13 November in Moroni before playing the return leg four days later in Kumasi.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Razak Braimah (Cordoba, Spain), Fatau Dauda (AshGold), Richard Ofori (Wa All Stars)

Defenders: Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew, USA), Phil Ofosu-Ayeh, (Eintracht Braunschweig, Germany), Jeffery Schlupp (Leicester City, England), Baba Rahman (Chelsea, England), John Boye (Sivasspor, Turkey), Jonathan Mensah (Evian, France), Gyimah Edwin (Orlando Pirates, South Africa), Daniel Amartey, (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)

Midfielders: Rabiu Mohammed (Krasnodar, Russia), Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese, Italy), Afriyie Acquah (Torino, Italy), Solomon Asante (T.P. Mazembe, DR Congo), Samuel Tetteh (WAFA), Andre Ayew (Swansea City, UK), Mubarak Wakaso (Las Palmas, Spain)

Strikers: Asamoah Gyan (SIPG Shanghai, China), Jordan Ayew (Aston Villa, England), Abdul-Majeed Waris (Lorient, France) Ebenezer Assifuah (Sion, Switzerland), David Accam (Chicago Fire, USA)