Ghana name squad for U23 Afcon

Five Spain-based players have been named in Ghana's final squad for the Africa U23 Cup of Nations in Egypt between November 8-22.

Captain Yaw Yeboah of Celta Vigo, whose goal ensured the Black Meteors' qualification for their first-ever U23 Afcon since the tournament's inception, has been picked alongside Badajoz right-back Kingsley Fobi and Cordoba striker Kwabena Owusu, who ended the qualifiers as Ghana's top scorer.

Extremadura midfielder Emmanuel Lomotey and Real Oviedo striker Samuel Obeng Gyabaa are set to join the team for the first time.

Elsewhere, Dutch-born right back Robin Polley, son of former Ghana international Prince Opoku Polley, has earned a maiden call-up to represent the country of his parents at any level.

Berekum Chelsea and Asante Kotoko centre-backs Habib Mohammed and Zackariah Fuseini lead the 10-man home-based contingent.

The likes of Udinese centre-back Nicholas Opoku, Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Majeed Ashimeru, Anderlecht striker Dauda Mohammed, Slovakia-based Osman Bukari, Fortuna Dusseldorf attacker Bernard Tekpetey, Belgium-based Gideon Mensah and Joseph Paintsil as well as FC Utrecht attacker Issah Abass have been denied participation in the tournament by their clubs due to the competition going beyond the Fifa international break for November.

Starting off in Group A, alongside hosts Egypt, Cameroon and Mali, Ghana are hoping to finish among the top three teams at the end of the tournament to book a place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan.

Full squad:

Goalkeepers: Kwame Baah (Asante Kotoko), Richmond Ayi (Hearts of Oak), Ibrahim Danlad (Asante Kotoko)

Defenders: Kingsley Fobi (CB Badajoz, Spain), Edward Sarpong (Esperanca de Lagos, Spain) Emmanuel Cudjoe (Attram De Visser), Zackaria Fuseini (Berekum Chelsea), William Ntori Dankyi (Hearts of Oak), Mohammed Habib (Asante Kotoko), Robin Polley (ADO Den Haag, Netherlands)

Midfielders: Evans Osei Wusu (Tema Youth), Simon Zibo (Vitoria Guimaraes, Portugal), Nurudeen Abdul-Aziz (Vision FC), Emmanuel Addoquaye Lomotey (Extremadura, Spain), Yaw Yeboah (Celta Vigo, Spain), Evans Mensah (HJK Helsinki, Finland), Michael Agbekpornu (Dreams FC).

Strikers: Frank Arhin (Dalkurd, Sweden), Kwabena Owusu (Cordoba, Spain) Ropapa Mensah (Nashville SC, USA), Samuel Obeng Gyabaa (Real Oviedo, Spain)