Ghana's squad for the upcoming World Cup Africa zone 2 qualifiers has been named by coach Ratomir Dujkovic. One of the names on the list is the newly signed £28m (€39m) Chelsea FC midfielder Michael Essien, who recently signed for the English Premiership team from French side Lyon, who is one 12 foreign-based professionals named in the Ghana "Black Stars" squad for the 2006 World Cup qualifier at home in Accra against Uganda on the 4th September.

One big name that is missing however, is Italian Serie A side AS Roma"s defender Samuel Kuffour, normally an ever-present in the International team, who has yet again been ruled out of the Ghanaian squad since it was claimed, (back in March), by coach Dujkovic, that he was injured, and so was not named in the squad to play in the 2006 World Cup Group 2 qualifier against the DR Congo in March.

Kuffour took to this badly, and the defender alleged publicly that Dujkovic had claimed falsely that his fitness levels were in question before the match, and went on to frustrate things by calling the National coach, and the country's football association "liars", and that they were not justified in leaving him out of the squad for the match against Congo DR on March 27.

Since finally making a public apology, forced by Dujkovic's comments of, "By failing to apologise, Kuffour has demonstrated his unwillingness to play for the "Black Stars" and that is it!", Kuffour may have thought that he would have got a reprieve from his National coach, and so be called back up. Dujkovic still seems to be trying to prove his point by omitting him.

Dujkovic has named only 20 players to get together for training in the National squad, for the vital World Cup qualifier against Uganda on 4 September, which if Ghana win, would put them on the brink of qualifying for their first ever World Cup finals appearance.

Ghana currently lead Group 2 in the African zone ahead of South Africa, with both teams on 15 points, thanks to their superior head-to-head record, and a goal difference of +7 goals, compared to South Africa's even tally, with just two World Cup qualifiers remaining.

South Africa will no doubt be concerned with their goal ratio. With a tough away trip to Burkina Faso on the 3rd September to contend with, their last, and deciding game of the qualifying rounds is against third placed Congo DPR, (currently on 12 points, with a +3 goal difference), on the 7th September. Anything other than a convincing win will no doubt see the future hosts of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals miss out on an opportunity to partake in next summers finals.

Ghana will be hoping that the results go their way on the 3rd and 4th of September, and that the pressure will be off them for their final game of the qualifiers, against the Cape Verde Islands on the 9th October to take Ghana to their first ever World Cup finals.

Squad to be chosen from:
(Club teams in brackets)

Goalkeepers:
Sammy Adjei (Hearts of Oak, Ghana), George Owu (Goldfields, Ghana)

Defenders:
Issah Ahmed (Asante Kotoko, Ghana), Illiasu Alhassan (King Faisal Babes), Aziz Ansah (Asante Kotoko, Ghana), Himinu Dramini (Red Star Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro), Daniel Edusei (Egaleo, Greece), John Mensah (Chievo Verona, Italy), John Panstil (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel), Emmanuel Pappoe (Hapoel Kfar Sava, Israel)

Midfielders:
Stephen Appiah (Juventus, Italy), Yusuf Chipsah (Asante Kotoko, Ghana), Michael Essien (Chelsea, England), Laryea Kingston (Krylya Sovietov Samara, Russia), Hamza Mohamed (Real Tamale United, Ghana)

Strikers:
Matthew Amoah (Vitesse Arnhem, Netherlands), Godwin Attram (Al Shabab, Saudi Arabia), Isaac Boakye (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany), Joetex Frimpong (Enyimba, Nigeria), Abubakar Yahuza (King Faisal Babes)

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