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In order to expedite Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo’s comeback, Jurgen Klopp acknowledged that he would be content if Egypt and Japan were to lose in the group stages of both the Asian Cup and the AFCON.

Because of their participation in continental competitions, Mohamed Salah and Endo may be absent from Liverpool for up to more than a month.

Despite losing the previous AFCON and Asian Cup finals, both players are seen as heavy favorites to win the crowns for the first time when they captain their teams in Ivory Coast and Qatar.

Salah and Endo might return to Liverpool in the middle of February if Egypt and Japan qualify for the semi-finals, which made Klopp not wish them too much luck.

“I said if I wish you good luck it would be a lie,” Klopp said ahead of the FA Cup tie at Arsenal.

“From a personal point of view, I would be happy if they go out in the group stage but that’s probably not possible. They can go on and win it.
“So it was ‘good luck and come back healthy’. We have to deal with it and we will deal with it.

“I am pretty positive that we will find a way.”

The AFCON will commence on January 13, 2024 in Cote D’Ivoire.

Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew and Orlando Pirates shot stopper Richard Ofori are the latest players to join the Black Stars camp in Kumasi ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations Cote D’Ivoire 2023. The two players joined the squad on Wednesday and trained at the Dr. Kwame Kyei Sports complex at Abrankese.

Ghana pitched camp in Kumasi on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 to prepare for the tournament which kicks off in 10-days’ time.

The Black Stars are Group B alongside Cape Verde, giants Egypt and Mozambique. The team will kick start their tournament against Cape Verde on Sunday, January 14, 2024 before taking on Egypt and Mozambique in the other group games.

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana will travel to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) straight after their meeting with Tottenham Hotspur on January 14, thanks to an amicable agreement being reached between all parties.

The 27-year-old Cameroon international will now be able to play in United’s FA Cup third-round tie against Wigan Athletic on Monday, before they welcome Spurs to Old Trafford six days later.

Onana is then scheduled to immediately depart for the tournament in Ivory Coast and be available to represent his country, who face Guinea in their opening match on January 15.

United signed Onana from Inter Milan last July in the knowledge that he had retired from national team duty and would not be going to AFCON, which was communicated to them clearly.

He was persuaded by the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT) and other factors to return, a decision United fully respect.

They are sympathetic to his pride, patriotism and such changeable situations, acknowledging the conflict between his loyalty to club and country.

Equally, FECAFOOT accepts that United did not expect to lose Onana at a key point in the season and is reluctant for his involvement to come at the expense of continuing to perform at the top level of domestic competition in England.

Given its role in his decision, FECAFOOT wanted to work with United to strike a compromise that maximises Onana’s game time for both teams.

If Cameroon do not manage to qualify from their AFCON group — which also contains Senegal and Gambia — he might not miss any United fixtures.

Their final pool match is against Gambia on January 23, four days before United’s potential FA Cup fourth-round tie, should they beat Wigan.

If Cameroon do advance and depending on how far, United’s next Premier League game takes them to Wolverhampton Wanderers on February 1. Erik ten Hag’s men host West Ham United on February 4 and are away to Aston Villa on February 11 — the same day as the AFCON final.

Ten Hag has said he has total confidence in back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, a summer recruit from Fenerbahce and yet to make an appearance so far. United’s alternative option is Tom Heaton.

Onana was included in Cameroon’s 27-strong squad for the AFCON last Thursday despite ending his international career in 2022 because of a disagreement with FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o at that year’s World Cup in Qatar.

source: theathletic.com

Iñaki Williams has been assessed by Athletic Club’s medical services, who confirmed the striker has now adequately recovered from an illness he’s had over the last few days.

Iñaki will travel to Ghana early on Thursday morning to join the Blackstars’ training camp ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

The 29-year-old has been added to Ghana’s final 27-man roster for this month’s competition in Ivory Coast.

Inaki had a sickness, and the club’s medical staff had to evaluate him. The have confirmed on Wednesday morning that he has fully recovered and ready to join his teammates tomorrow.

Inaki Williams who scored his first goal for the country against Madagascar in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers is determined to make an impact with the club.

Meanwhile, the Black Stars opened camp on Tuesday, January 2 in Kumasi and will face Namibia in a friendly game at the Baba Yara Stadium.

Ghana is in Group B for the tournament and will face Cape Verde, Egypt and Mozambique in the tournament which will be hosted in Ivory Coast next year.

The Black Stars of Ghana will first come up against Cape Verde at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on January 14, 2024, then face Egypt at the same venue four days later and then Mozambique at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium on January 22, 2024.

Ghana coach Chris Hughton and his backroom staff have been left frustrated and livid over the country’s poor camping facilities – leaving players angry over the sorry state of the training pitch and general conditions in camp, just 11 days before the start of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

The controversial U-turn in change of camping base from South Africa to homeland is now beginning to bite amid huge disquiet within the group.

The Black Stars commenced their nine-day camp in Kumasi at the Dr. Kwame Kyei Sports Complex, deviating from their initial plan to train at the Baba Yara Stadium.

Regrettably, upon inspection of the Baba Yara Stadium’s pitch, deemed essential for the first training session, the technical staff found it unsuitable.

This unexpected setback prompted concerns, as the current state of the field was deemed unplayable.

The team’s preparations for the prestigious tournament faced a hurdle, forcing adjustments to their training location.

Despite the setback, the Black Stars remain dedicated to their goal of preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The challenges posed by the suboptimal pitch conditions have, however, heightened the technical team’s disappointment, emphasizing the importance of suitable training environments for optimal performance in the upcoming tournament.

Source: Ghanasoccernet