Malik banks hopes on Rahman, Assifuah in crucial qualifier in Porte-Noire

Ghana's National Under-23 team, the Black Meteors, are expected to be bolstered by the inclusion of several players with Black Stars experience as they attempt to defend a slim 1-0 advantage in the CAF U-23 Championship qualifiers away from home at the Stade Municipal, Pointe-Noire against Congo.

Malik Jabir's side have had to fend-off allegations of age-cheating levelled by Congo trainer, Claude Le Roy, all week after Ebo Andoh's first-half strike settled the first-leg last Saturday at the Accra Sports Stadium.

However, Coach Jabir will be hoping the likes of Ebenezer Assifuah, Baba Rahman, Richmond Boakye-Yiadom and Frank Acheampong, who have all been mooted as possible inclusions ahead of the Meteors departure today, will provide his side with the welcome boost required to proceed to the third and final round of qualification where a two-legged tie with Nigeria's Dream Team awaits.

The Meteors must also be wary not to disturb the balance of their set-up given the short-period within which these experienced players might have to train with the team and the egos which might be at play in the team's camp.

Jabir had, ahead of the first-leg, disclosed that he had little knowledge  of Coach Leroy's side because the Congolese were given a bye in the first round of the qualifiers unlike the Ghanaians who beat Liberia 7-1 in the first round.

The experienced 70-year-old Jabir will have no excuses this time after admitting that  he was impressed by the Congolese and promising to devise a strategy to ensure that the Meteors progressed at their expense.

The scorer of the only goal in the first-leg, Andoh, believes that it’s very crucial for the Meteors not to have conceded in the first-leg, noting that his side will enter the second-leg as favourites.

The Meteors defence, especially Wa All Stars goalie, Richard Ofori, and skipper Lawrence Lartey, will be hoping another resolute defensive performance will be enough to contain Congo forwards Makiesse Junior, Moise Nkounkou and Mavis Tchibota.

For Congo, Leroy will be hopeful of adding to his legendary exploits by claiming the scalp of yet another fancied opponent.

His knowledge of Ghanaian football, as well as his age-cheating allegations, which appear to have unsettled the Ghanaians, will leave him very confident of overturning a slender 1-0 deficit.