Ghana U20 Star Named to Replace Jordan Ayew with Others for Niger Clash
- Black Satellites forward Jerry Afriyie has been invited for the game against Niger in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
- The WAFU Zone B U20 best player is joined by Ghana Premier League stars Kamaradini Mamudu and Ebenezer Abban
- The Black Stars will face Niger on Monday in the final Group F encounter at the Accra Sports Stadium
Jerry Afriyie, the best player at the WAFU U20 Championship, has been handed an invite to the national team alongside two other home-based players ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger.
The Ghana U20 star, Afriyie, Ebenezer Abban and Kamaradini Mamudu were called up following the withdrawal of four players from the team that faced Angola last Friday.
Captain Jordan Ayew, Stade Rennnais' Alidu Seidu, Leicester City's Fatawu Issahaku and Gideon Mensah have all been ruled out of the Niger game due to injuries.
Source: Twitter
The Ghana FA confirmed the invitation of the players through its official website, with the trio expected to join the rest of the team for training at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Afriyie was Ghana's star at the WAFU U20 championship, with the best player and the golden boot at the tournament in Togo last month.
Meanwhile, Ebenezer Abban has been a standout performer in the Ghana Premier League for Hearts of Lions with Medeama SC right-back Kamaradini Mamudu also starring for the former champions.
The Black Stars will host Niger on Monday at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Jerry Afriyie deserves the call-up
Freelance journalist, Ibrahim Zibrilla believes Afriyie deserves his invite to the national team.
According to Zibrilla, the U20 star has done enough to be in the squad.
"It is good that we have started giving the younger ones the chance to be with the senior team. There is nothing at stake for the Black Stars in the game against Niger, and so if there is a player who is doing well, why not include him in the team," he told Yen.com.gh.
"Afriyie has had a good year, winning the African Games, top scoring at the WAFU championship and led Ghana back to the Africa U20 championship. He is the present and the future."
Ghana fails to qualify for AFCON
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the Black Stars of Ghana have failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in twenty years after a pulsating 1-1 draw with Angola in the penultimate game of Group F in Luanda.
Ghana opened the scoring early in the game after Jordan Ayew scored a fabulous freekick in the 16th minute, but the host levelled after the break through a Zini header.
Having started the game the better of the two sides, the Black Stars wasted no time in taking the lead after Ayew fired home from 28 yards.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
