admin
THERE is so much for Warriors coach, Zdravko Logarusic to look forward to in the next two weeks as he keeps an eye on 2022 World Cup rivals, who plunge into action,in international friendlies.
The Croatian gaffer has been given a lot to analyse when he checks on his main group opponents — Ghana’s Black Stars and Bafana Bafana of South Africa — who will play a combined three matches, during this window.
After all, so much has changed for both Ghana and South Africa since the last time they were in action in the final 2021 AFCON qualifiers, in March, this year. The Black Stars this week recruited a Dutch tactician, Patrick Greveraars, to boost their coaching staff led by head coach CK Akonnor as part of their grand masterplan to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The 45-year-old Dutchman, who is a holder of a UEFA A-Licence, has worked with PSV Eindhoven, FC Porto, Vitesse Arnhem, Feyenoord Rotterdam, Anorthosis Famagusta and Al Shabab Dubai.
“The executive council of the Ghana Football Association has agreed to the request of CK Akonnor for the appointment of a second assistant coach to further strengthen the technical team of the Black Stars,” the GFA said on their website.
“Patrick Greveraars is one of two coaches who were recommended by CK Akonnor in his quest to strengthen the technical team ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and the 2020 Africa Cup of Nations.
“Greveraars is currently in Ghana to assist the team with the upcoming international friendly matches and also to finalise talks ahead of his appointment.
“He will team up with coach CK Akonnor and (assistant coach) David Duncan in Cape Coast to prepare for the friendly matches. “The Black Stars are currently camping in Cape Coast to prepare for the two matches against Morocco on Tuesday, June 8 and Cote d’lvoire in Cape Coast on Saturday, June 12, 2021.”
The Black Stars have a strong 30-man squad, which includes a return for Leicester City’s Daniel Amartey.
Bafana Bafana, whom the Warriors meet in their first 2022 World Cup group qualifier in September, are also starting life under a new coaching set-up after the appointment of AFCON Cup-winning gaffer, Hugo Broos, as their head coach.
The Belgian gaffer will miss the international friendly against Uganda to complete his Covid-19 vaccination, in his home country, leaving his Macedonian assistant, Cedomir Janevski, and Bafana Bafana legend, Helman “Midnight Express” Mkhalele, to take charge of the match against the Cranes.
Although the Warriors are not in action during this window, there will be 33 international matches, featuring 34 African national teams, by the time the window closes in two weeks’ time.
Guinea started the ball rolling on Monday with a goalless draw against Turkey in Antalya, while Mozambique host Lesotho in Maputo today, and Niger take on Togo.
The Sylie Nationale of Guinea have four games in Turkey and are taking a 23-man selection to Antalya to meet their Euro 2020-bound hosts, Togo, Kosovo and Niger. The 21-year-old defender Abdoulaye Sylla from Nantes is their only uncapped squad member.
Zambia, the last team to play the Warriors in a competitive match, in March, will have completed more than 20 700kms, by the time they return to base in Lusaka, in two weeks’ time.
They will play three international friendlies against Senegal in Dakar, Benin in Cotonou and Sudan in Khartoum. African champions Algeria are seeking to extend their 24-match unbeaten run in three friendlies but coach Djamel Belmadi must do without Nations Cup hero, Ismael Bennacer, who is having surgery on a foot injury.
Former Belgian under-21 international Ahmed Touba is in line for a first cap as the Desert Foxes face Mauritania, Mali and Tunisia.
Six home-based players were named by Burkina Faso coach, Kamou Malo, for friendlies against Cote d’Ivoire and Morocco.
The 33-man squad also includes Edmond Tapsoba, the Bayer Leverkusen centre back touted for a transfer to the English Premier League next season. All seems to be forgiven for Cameroon captain, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who was accused of skipping their last assignments in March, and is among 28 players to take on Nigeria in Austria. Coach Toni Conceicao has named a bevy of newcomers as he looks ahead to the hosting of the Cup of Nations final in January.
Cape Verde Islands Football Federation president Mario Semedo has called an invitation to play Brazil’s powerful Olympic team at the Partizan Stadium in Belgrade on Saturday a “massive prestige for his country”. There are four new players in the Cape Verde squad. Hector Cuper will get his first chance to look at the DR Congo squad, after taking over as their new coach, earlier this month.
They will camp in Tunis and play their hosts as well as Mali. England-born Pelly Ruddock Mapnzu, 27, gets a first call-up
Eswatini have only two foreign-based players — Felix Badenhorst and Justice Figuarado from South African clubs TS Galaxy – in their squad for a triangular tournament in Mozambique, where they take on the hosts as well as Lesotho.
The Gambia have a 26-man squad for their camp in Turkey with nine new players who are candidates to make the Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon next January. They have three friendlies lined up against Comoros, Togo and Kosovo.
Fixtures
Today, 2 June:
Mozambique v Lesotho, Maputo, Niger v Togo, Antalya
Tomorrow, 3 June:
Algeria v Mauritania, Blida
Friday 4 June:
Cameroon v Nigeria, Vienna, Rwanda v Central African Republic, Kigali
Saturday 5 June:
Cape Verde islands v Brazil Olympic team, Belgrade, Eswatini v Lesotho, Maputo, The Gambia v Comoros, Antalya, Guinea v Togo, Antalya
Cote d’Ivoire v Burkina Faso, Abidjan, Tunisia v DR Congo, Senegal v Zambia, Dakar
Sunday 6 June:
Algeria v Mali, Blida
Monday 7 June:
Rwanda v Central African Republic, Kigali
Tuesday 8 June:
Benin v Zambia, Cotonou, The Gambia v Togo, Antalya, Guinea v Kosovo, Antalya, Morocco v Ghana, Rabat, Mozambique v Eswatini, Maputo
Senegal v Cape Verde Islands, Dakar
Thursday 10 June:
Guinea Bissau v Cape Verde Islands, Bissau
South Africa v Uganda, Johannesburg
Friday 11 June:
DR Congo v Mali, Tunis, The Gambia v Kosovo, Antalya, Guinea v Niger, Antalya,Mauritania v Liberia, Tunis, Sudan v Zambia, Khartoum, Tunisia v Algeria, Tunis
Saturday 12 June:
Ghana v Cote d’Ivoire, Cape Coast, Morocco v Burkina Faso, Rabat
Sunday 13 June:
Tanzania v Malawi, Dar-e-Salaam
Wednesday 16 June:
Tunisia v Mali, Tunis
Thursday 17 June:
Mauritania v Djibouti, Doha — Sports Reporter/BBC Sport
Online Reporter