Essien, Muntari miss Ghana´s South Africa trip

Chelsea’s Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari of Inter Milan were missing from the 18-man Ghana squad named on Thursday for the friendly against South Africa in Johannesburg on August 11.

Essien, who missed the World Cup because of a knee injury, was ruled out as he has only just returned to action for Chelsea.

Muntari wasn’t considered by coach Milovan Rajevac after falling foul of disciplinary rules having left the team’s base without permission following Ghana’s heartbreaking World Cup quarter-final exit to Uruguay.

Rajevac retained 13 of the players who featured in his World Cup squad.

Midfielder Cofie Bekoe, who plays for Petrojet in Egypt, is the only new name in the squad.

Both Ghana and South Africa begin their qualifying campaign for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in September against Swaziland and Niger respectively.

Ghana squad to face South Africa in an international friendly at Soccer City in Johannesburg on August 11.

Goalkeepers: Richard Kingson (Unattached), Daniel Agyei (Liberty Professionals)

Defenders: Samuel Inkoom (Basel/SUI), Jonathan Mensah (Grenada/ESP), Lee Addy (Bechem Chelsea), John Mensah (Lyon/FRA), Harrison Afful (ES Tunis/TUN)

Midfielders: Anthony Annan (Rosenborg/NOR), Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese/ITA), Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese/ITA), Andre Ayew (Marseille/FRA), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth/ENG), Bernard Kumordzie (Panionios/GRE), Cofie Bekoe (Petrojet/EGY)

Attackers: Asamoah Gyan (Rennes/FRA), Dominic Adiyiah (AC Milan/ITA), Yaw Antwi (Vojvodina/SRB), Haminu Dramani (Lokomotiv Moscow/RUS)