Too early to name AFCON squad - Sannie Daara

Ghana Football Association (GFA) Communications Director Ibrahim Sannie Daara has justified why Black Stars coach Avram Grant is yet to name his squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, set to take place in Gabon.

Mr Daara said there’s the possibility of a player named for the tournament at this point to get hurt while playing at club level, hence the reason for the wait.

“If you name your squad by now, what benefit will it have if players pick up injuries at club level? If you notice, even top European sides wait till very late to name their squads for big tournaments, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

"You also want to avoid the situation where, if a player is dropped because of injury, another player who is called up will not feel a dent on their confidence,” he told Class Sports.

According to him, player selection is entirely in the hands of Coach Avram Grant.

“That decision must be made by the coach because he is the one who will engage the players and have a better sense of judgment of their mindset, so it is his call. A lot of factors will go into it.”

The Black Stars are also yet to start camping ahead of the competition, which kicks off on 14 January 2017.