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Black Stars head coach Milovan Rajevac has urged his players to be proud they are playing for Ghana. The Serbian tactician has begun his second spell with the four-time Afcon champions.

He has been tasked to win the delayed continental showpiece in Cameroon next year and qualify Ghana to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The 67-year-old and his two assistants, Otto Addo and Maxwell Konadu, led his invited players to the Cape Coast field on Tuesday evening for their first training session ahead of Saturday’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifier against Zimbabwe.

“Be proud to be part of the setup”, Rajevac charged the players. “Be proud because you are representing your country”, he said.

“The only way we can do this is to do this together”, he added. Twenty-five players were at Milo’s first training session to prepare for the match.

Columbus Crew captain Jonathan Mensah, who missed out, will join the team on Wednesday, as the GFA continues to assess Andrew Yiadom’s situation at Reading FC. Yiadom picked up a knock on Saturday during a Championship game against Cardiff City.

The Black Stars will hit the gym on Wednesday morning, followed by a test match against Central Region Division two champions Soccer Intellectuals at 4 pm at the Cape Coast Stadium.

The senior national team is expected to hold their penultimate training on Thursday, 7 October at 9 am while their final training will be on Friday at 5:20 pm.

Ghana’s double-header against the Warriors of Zimbabwe is on Saturday, 9 October 2021 from 4 pm at the Cape Coast Stadium.

The reverse leg will be on Tuesday, 12 October 2021.

Ghana are 2nd in Group G with 3 points following a win over Ethiopia and a 1-0 loss to South Africa in the first two matches in the World Cup campaign.

Ghana’s 27-man squad invited by Coach Milovan:

Goalkeepers: Lawrence Ati- Zigi (FC St. Gallen), Richard Atta (Hearts of Oak), Ibrahim Danlad, (Asante Kotoko), Jojo Wallocott (Swindon Town)

Defenders:  Philemon Baffuor (Dreams FC), Andrew Yiadom (Reading FC), Gideon Mensah (Bordeaux), Baba Abdul Rahman (Reading FC), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Jonathan Mensah (Columbus Crew), Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg). 

Midfielders: Thomas Partey (Arsenal FC), Baba Idrissu (Real Mallorca), Emmanuel Lomotey (Amiens), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax Amsterdam), Majeed Ashimeru (RSC Anderlecht), Kofi Kyere (St. Pauli), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Steadfast FC).

Forwards: Andre Ayew (Al Sadd SC), Kamaldeen Suleymana (Rennes), Joel Fameyeh (Orenburg), Yaw Yeboah (Wisła Kraków), Samuel Owusu (Al-Fayha FC), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Caleb Ekuban (Genoa), Benjamin Tetteh (Yeni Malatyaspor).

Five players including, Kumasi Asante Kotoko defender, Ismail Abdul Ganiyu, Tariqe Fosu of Brentford, Fiorentina's Alfred Duncan, Mubarak Wakaso of Shenzhen and Spezia's Emmanuel Gyasi were dropped by the Black Stars Technical Team.