The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has charged the Black Stars to go all out and win convincingly over Zambia on Friday to underline Ghana's pedigree in continental football.
Addressing the players of the national tam after watching them train at the Baba Yara Stadium yesterday evening, the Asantehene said Asanteman and the entire nation were behind the team to go for glory.
Arriving at the stadium at about 5p.m., the Asantehene took his seat at the touchline and watched proceedings for about one hour.
A half-full Baba Yara Stadium, including the Minister of Youth and Sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, his deputy Joseph Yammin, the Chief Executive of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Kojo Bonsu, and GFA executives, witnessed the hectic training supervised by head coach James Kwasi Appiah and his assistant, Maxwell Konadu.
Captain Asamoah Gyan and Kevin-Prince Boateng did not train.
Gyan did some running around on the tartan tracks but later sat at the touchline to watch his colleagues train. It is not clear what his fitness level would be before the match tomorrow.
The state of fitness of Schalke midfielder Boateng was also not certain.
The Asantehene called for unity in the team, saying that was crucial to getting to the top.
He said nothing should stop the team from reaching the World Cup in Brazil.
Mr Afriyie Ankrah said he was confident the team would come out victorious against Zambia.
The team arrived in Kumasi yesterday to a tumultuous welcome by ecstatic football fans.
At 11.30am, when the aircraft carrying the players and officials touched the tarmac of the Kumasi airport, hundreds of fans who had been waiting all morning burst into loud cheers.
It was as if the team was returning from a victorious tournament and when one after the other the players descended the gangway into their waiting bus, the atmosphere became even more electrified.
People lined along the route from the stadium to Golden Tulip Kumasi City Hotel (where they are lodging) cheered them.
By Kwame Asare Boadu/Daily Graphic/Ghana
