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Just over a dozen of players practised with the Black Stars on Monday ahead of their upcoming games against Ethiopia and South Africa.

Captain Andre Ayew and Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew were present as Ghana commenced training on Monday ahead of their 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

The duo joined 11 other players for their first practice session in Accra for the upcoming games against Ethiopia and Bafana Bafana.

Chelsea left-back Abdul Baba Rahman, who recently completed a loan switch to Championship side Reading, was also present for Monday evening’s practice, but new club-mate Andy Yiadom, who featured as Reading suffered a humiliating 4-0 away defeat to Huddersfield Town on Saturday, was not among the group.

Columbus Crew captain Jonathan Mensah, who has been called up for international duty for the first time since the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, also trained, alongside Spezia attacker Emmanuel Gyasi, Saudi Arabia-based winger Samuel Owusu, China-based Mubarak Wakaso, Amiens midfielder Emmanuel Lomotey and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Richard Ofori.

The home-based quartet of goalkeeper Richard Attah and Daniel Afriyie Barnieh, both of Premier League and FA Cup double winners Hearts of Oak, Asante Kotoko centre-back Ismael Abdul Ganiyu, and 17-year-old wonderkid Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, who was recently linked to Liverpool, were also present.

The rest of the Black Stars squad were expected to arrive in camp by Monday night as the team departs for Cape Coast where they will be holding their second training session.

Ghana are set to host Ethiopia in their World Cup opener at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium on Friday, three days before traveling to face South Africa on matchday two in Johannesburg.

The Black Stars will have to do without the England-based quintet of Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Tariq Fosu (Bretford), Jordan, Baba, and Yiadom for the away fixture, owing to a resolution by Premier League clubs to prevent their players from traveling to coronavirus red-list countries, including South Africa.

A UK government guideline currently mandates a 10-day quarantine for travelers from red-list countries, a situation which would see the players miss about two weeks of club action should they join Ghana’s trip to South Africa.

Owing to the expected absence of the five players for the trip to South Africa, Ghana coach CK Akonnor has boosted his squad with four new players – Joseph Aidoo of Celta Vigo, Yaw Yeboah of Polish fold Wisla Krakow and the Germany-born duo of Daniel Kofi Kyereh and Braydon Manu.

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey and Ajax playmaker Mohammed Kudus have already been ruled out of the upcoming games due to injury.