Basigi calls 37 Princesses for World Cup preparation -Injury rules topscorer Adubea out

Ghana's Under-20 female football team, the Black Princesses will report today to begin their preparations towards this year's FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup (WWC) to be held in France in August.

The Princesses are drawn in Group A with hosts, France, New Zealand and the Netherlands and are hoping to go past the group stage for the first time on their fifth attempt since their debut at the competition in 2010.

With very little to spare in preparation for the competition, Coach Yusif Basigi tells the Graphic Sports that there will be no time to try many players as he pencilled in 31 home-based players and six foreign-based players for the final team-building exercise.

In an interview with the Graphic Sports, Coach Basigi said they were already behind schedule in preparation and thus will go straight to the screening with the list of local players set to be pruned to 20 after the first week and then the foreign players will join.

"If we had time, many more players would have been screened, but given the time we have, we have to now work straight with players who featured in the qualifiers as well as those we have identified since the FreshPak National Women's League started.

"We have to have a crush programme, building on the fitness of the players, as well as the technical preparations, so we set out straight to work to assess the readiness of the players and whether they fit the plan we will be adopting for France. The players will have to work hard as only 20 players will remain to continue with the preparation after the first screening," Coach Basigi explained.

Conspiciously missing from the local list is the Princesses' top scorer during the qualifying campaign, Princella Adubea, who is at the moment injured and it is unclear if she will make the final cut.

Coach Basigi was quick to say:’knowing what she brings on board, there will be no hesitation to add her to the list once she is cleared fit to play.’

The full list:

Goalkeepers: Martha Annan, Esther Agyeaman, Kerrie McCarthy, Mawunyo Avugbey

Defenders: Justice Twebeboah, Cecilia Hagan, Philicity Asuako, Blessing Agbomazi, Linda AmoakoBridget Adu, Joyce Asamoah,Lucy Kwofie, Pearl Boamah, Asirifi Agyemang and Machoura Boukhari

Midfielders: Grace Asantewaa, Grace Acheampong, Olivia Anokye, Mary Entoa, Helena Obeng, Kunduck Peterson, Rafia Alhassan, Evelyn Badu, Zinatu Alhassan and Linda Obeng

Forwards: Ruth Anima, Vivian A. Konadu, Sandra Owusu-Ansah, Ernestina Ayisi, Comfort Yeboah and Mercy Deidei Okai

Foreign-based: Ernestina Abambila, Gifty Acheampong, Gifty Ayew, Kayza Massey, Kate Agyemang and  Belinda Annane