Ghana Set To Arrive in Angola for Nations Cup

Ghana are set to arrive in Angola on Thursday for the start of their 2010 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with good hopes. The Black Stars will leave their South African training base later in the morning after completing their last training session. All the 22 players in camp as well as officials of the team will arrive in their Group B base of Cabinda ahead of the tournament which starts on Sunday. Stand-in captain Michael Essien will join the team in Angola even though it is not certain when he will arrive in the southern African country. The Chelsea ace will join his colleagues in camp with the satisfaction that he has recovered from a hamstring injury after training with the club for the first time yesterday since the injury. Ghana will then open their campaign with a clash with neighbours Togo on Monday as they fight for their fifth continental title. Black Stars coach Milovan Rajevac is satisfied with the performance of his players during their 12-day stay in Nelspruit. The Serbian is playing his cards close to his chest as he seeks to cause a surprise at the tournament in Angola even though group rivals Ivory Coast are the favourites. Rajevac will have to contend with the fitness of defender Hans Sarpei as well as midfielder Anthony Annan while the match fitness of Essien is in doubt. But youngsters Rahim Ayew, Agyemang Badu and Opoku Agyemang who have overly impressed the Serbian manager will handsomely step in. Ghana will face Togo, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso in Group of the tournament which ends on 31 January.