Greece & Turkey to host black stars

Coach Millan Zivadinovic is expected in Accra by this weekend after an apparently successful completion of a three-nation camping arrangement for the Black Stars in Europe.

Zivadinovic, who hopes to kill two birds with one stone, will be holding training camps in Turkey, Greece and his home country Yugoslavia for members of both the Black Stars and the national U-23, Black Meteors, to be drawn entirely from the local league.

The convocation camp which will cost Ghana nothing except the per diem allowances of the players is part of coach Zivadinovic's major preparation for the two teams ahead of the African group qualifying matches which begin next September and October.

The Black Stars open their Can 2004 qualifiers against Uganda in Kampala on September 8 while the Meteors play their first match of the All-Africa Games soccer qualifiers on October 6.

But before the local constituents of the two teams embark on the European convocation programme, the Yugoslav coach will kick-start with a domestic camping that is scheduled to begin next Monday.

GFA boss Ben Koufie, who confirmed this to Graphic Sports yesterday, said the local programme is expected to last for 10 days after which all will be set for coach Zivadinovic and his selected players to undertake the European training camp.

He said during the period of the convocation, the domestic league will continue as the coach is not expected to pick more than four players from one particular club.

Asked about the financial commitments in respect of the three-nation camp, Ben Koufie said Zivadinovic got the three host nations to agree to shoulder the cost of camping facilities and even to pay for the airfare of Ghana's team.

At the respective training camps, Ghana's team will be privileged to engage in matches against some local sides as well as the national teams of Turkey, Greece and Yugoslavia who have also begun preparations for the European Nations Cup qualifiers.

Before his departure to Europe a few weeks ago to begin the arrangements for the convocation programme, coach Zivadinovic had already selected 27 players from the domestic league after a short camping stint with them.

The coach may be expected to pick his team for the European training programme exclusively from the selected 27, but going outside this list to include others based on new developments cannot be ruled out, said Mr Ben Koufie.

It is believed Zivadinovic may even pardon some four players he cut off from that list for reporting late to camp, in the hope that they might have repented and would come back to the team and sin no more.