Jeddah, October 10, 2017//-Saudi Arabian top sports officials have visited the Black Stars in their training camp in Jeddah to give the players and official commemorative gifts ahead of Tuesday’s friendly.
The Asian country’s Ahlete’s Gift programme visited the Ghana team hotel on Monday night to greet the players and officials as part of the welcome for the four time African champions.
Ghana’s deputy sports minister Pius Enam Hadzide and Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantakyi interacted with leaders of the programme before they met with players of the team.
Black Stars coach Kwesi Appiah and captain Daniel Amartey were also in attendance during the interaction with Athele’s Gift programme officials.
Nasser Al Hussein, one of the leader’s of the Athele’s Gift programme, presented all the players and officials with Saudi cultural items.
He stressed the country’s vision of using sports to promote Saudi cultural values and to help strengthen sporting ties between the two countries.
The Black Stars are in Jeddah to face the Asian giants in an international friendly on Tuesday that will be the start of coach Kwesi Appiah’s efforts to augment the squad ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
This comes after the national team missed the chance of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Russia, paving the way for an introspection by the technical team and management.
The Saudi Arabia national team will offer the Black Stars the needed tough competition as the Asians were one of the early countries to seal qualification to the World Cup.
The Green Falcons sealed their spot last month, booking their World Cup return after an eleven-year absence.
Argentine coach Edgardo Bauza is likely to use some exciting young players like Hazza Al-Hazza and Mohamed Al-Berik for their second tune up game after they hammered Jamaica 5-2 over the weekend.
Black Stars starting line-up to face Saudi Arabia: Lawrence Ati-Zigi- Daniel Amartey, Lumor Agbenyenu, Kasim Nuhu, Nicholas Opoku- Joseph Atamah Laweh, Ebenezer ofori, Thomas Teye Partey, Joseph Alfred Duncan- Patrick Twumasi, Raphael Dwamena. Ghana FA
