Ghana shuffle cards for Sierra Leone

Injuries and club duties could force some Ghanaian stars out of the World Cup qualifier against Sierra Leone on Saturday, 5 May.

Five foreign-based players have been invited but some of them are unlikely to make it.

Coach Fred Osam-Duodu is awaiting confirmation from Germany about the availability of skipper Charles Akonnor, who had suffered a broken finger, while Austria-based Charles Amoah will also be treating an injury for the next two weeks.

Defender Samuel Osei Kuffour of top German club Bayern Munich has been ruled out due to his club's European Champions League campaign against Real Madrid.

Another Germany-based player, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Otto Addo, will return to the Black Stars after he was dropped by former coach, Jones Attuquayefio following the 3-1 defeat to Liberia in Accra in January.

Veteran defender Samuel Johnson is also injured with knee ligament trouble at Turkish side Fenerbah?e, who are also in the running for the league title.

Coach Osam-Duodu is, however, assured of the services of strikers Yaw Preko and Kwame Ayew, who have both been in good scoring form recently for their Turkish clubs.

Portugal-based striker Emmanuel Duah of Leiria, who scored against Liberia, and Stephen Appiah of Parma are the other foreign-based players with the Black Stars.

Depending on the fitness of the foreign-based players, three home-based players will be dropped from the current 21-man squad.

Already, Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Samuel Adjei will be missing due to malaria and his team mate Adjin Tetteh has been dropped.

Saturday's clash against Sierra Leone will be a tie of the bottom two sides in Group B where Ghana have only four points and Sierra Leone three.

Liberia lead the group with 12 points and play the Super Eagles of Nigeria in a decisive clash in Port Harcourt on the same day of Saturday, 5 May.

Nigeria must win this game to breathe life into their dying World Cup hopes whilst even a draw will be a massive boost to Liberia's hopes.