Black Stars to camp in UAE ahead of 2013 AFCON

Ghana will hold their pre-tournament camp in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ahead of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Black Stars will be based in Abu Dhabi to prepare for January’s tournament in South Africa.
Ghana will hold the training camp from 7-16 January, 2013.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) was considering Kenya and Ethiopia as venues for the training camp but opted for Abu Dhabi.
“We settled on the UAE because of the excellent facilities comparable to what is in South Africa for the Cup of Nations,” GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi said.
“The camping in the UAE will give our players the necessary concentration to prepare for the tournament.
“The UAE camping venue is also a good place for us to host friendly matches before the competition which is also key for our preparation.”
Meanwhile, the Black Stars will start preparation with a non-residential camp in Accra before flying out to the UAE.
The team will hold training sessions in from 2-6 January.
In a related development, the GFA as received Ghc100,000 from Ricemaster’s as the sponsorship money for the Black Stars for this season.
Ricemaster’s, the official food sponsors of the Black Stars, presented the cheque to the President of the GFA Kwesi Nyantakyi at a ceremony in Accra on Wednesday.
The money is the company’s sponsorship fee for the Black Stars for the 2012/13 season.
Nyantakyi says the money will boost the Black Stars as they prepare for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in January.
“We are really grateful to Ricemaster’s for their support for the Black Stars over the years. This money comes at a time that we are preparing for the Cup of Nations,” Nyantakyi said.Ahmed Halawi, a senior management member of Ricemaster, said they are delighted in making money ready for the national team as it prepares for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana is drawn in Group B of the Africa Cup of Nations where they will face DR Congo, Mali and Niger.
 
GFA