Kevin-Prince Boateng joined his Black Stars teammates at their training camp in Istanbul, Turkey, on Tuesday and looks primed to make his long-awaited international comeback when Ghana plays Egypt in the return leg of the 2014 World Cup qualifier playoff.
The Schalke 04 midfielder, who missed Ghana’s last two World Cup qualifiers due to recurrent injuries, was among the last batch of players to join the team at the four-star Wyndham Petek Hotel in Istanbul as Coach Kwasi Appiah and his charges prepare for the November 19 showdown in Cairo.
Norway-based goalkeeper, Adam Larsen Kwarasey, midfield strongman Michael Essien and centre-back Awal Mohammed were among the last group of players to settle in camp having missed the team’s first training.
Chelsea’s Essien, who arrived in Istanbul late Tuesday night, was granted compassionate leave by coach Appiah following the burial of his father at the weekend in Ghana.
Amidst security concerns in the North African country, Essien — a key figure in Ghana’s 6-1 win over the Pharaohs in Kumasi —admits the Black Stars have other options than to honour the game in Egypt.
"I am not afraid or scared of the Egypt team," Essien said.
"But I am frightened to play in Egypt because of the on-going fights over there.
"We have nothing to do about that because we are told to play in Egypt and we will do just that."
