Ghana
WORLD CUP 2014
Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah dropped a number of big names, including ex-captain John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah. Michael Essien has been selected for his second World Cup after missing the 2010 tournament through injury, while Asamoah Gyan and Sulley Muntari are on course to appear at the tournament for their third time.
The Black Stars will begin training in Accra on 20 May before travelling to Amsterdam for a friendly against Netherlands on 30 May. Appiah says he will then prune down his squad to 23 players before heading to the United States of America for the final phase of preparations in Miami.
Ghana's final pre-World cup friendly will be against South Korea in Miami before the team arrives in Maceio, their World Cup base on 11 June, five days before their world cup opener against USA. They will also face Germany and Portugal in Group G.
Ghana is one of the five african teams who will participate at the World Cup 2014 in Brazil.
(BBC Sport, Accra by Michael Oti Adjei / May 2014)