Ghana 2014 FIFA World Cup Squad: Player-by-Player Guide

Kwesi Appiah has named Ghana's provisional World Cup squad.

The Black Stars boss has only selected 26 names, but he has picked a strong group with talented players across the first XI and among the reserves.

The squad is also a fine a blend of youth and experience. Champions League winners Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien have been picked alongside Serie A winner Kwadwo Asamoah. High-profile stars such as Andre Ayew, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Asamoah Gyan will also travel to Brazil.

There is a place for uncapped Helsingborg forward David Accam, while Jeffrey Schlupp, who recently won promotion to the Premier League with Leicester City, also receives the opportunity to build on the one cap he has won to date, back in 2011.

Afriyie Acquah, a popular choice among Ghana fans, also features, but there is no place for Isaac Vorsah, who has recently returned from a long-term injury, nor one for John Mensah or Richmond Boakye. Anthony Annan also misses out.

Here is a player-by-player guide for the Black Stars going to Brazil.

Goalkeepers

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Date of Birth: 12/12/1987 

Birthplace: Oslo (Norway) 

Position: Goalkeeper 

Caps: 20 

Club: Stromsgodset (Norway) 

Name:  

Date of Birth: 06/04/1985 

Birthplace: Obuasi, Ashanti 

Position: Goalkeeper 

Caps: 17 

Club: Orlando Pirates (South Africa) 

Name: Steven Adams

Date of Birth: 28/09/1989  

Birthplace: Kumasi, Ashanti

Position: Goalkeeper 

Caps: 6 

Club: Aduana Stars (Ghana)

Defenders

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Name: John Boye

Date of Birth: 23/04/1987 

Birthplace: Accra 

Position: Centre-back 

Caps: 29 

Club: Stade Rennais (France) 

Name: Samuel Inkoom

Date of Birth: 02/06/1989 

Birthplace: Sekondi-Takoradi

Position: Right-back 

Caps: 45 

Club: Platanias (Greece), on loan from Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine) 

Name: Jonathan Mensah

Date of Birth: 18/10/1990 

Birthplace: Accra 

Position: Right-back, Centre-back, Left-back 

Caps: 16 

Club: Evian Thonon Gaillard (France)

Name: Daniel Opare

Date of Birth: 18/10/1990 

Birthplace: Accra 

Position: Right-back, Centre-back, Left-back 

Caps: 16 

Club: Standard Liege (Belgium) 

Name: Jerry Akaminko

Date of Birth: 02/05/1988 

Birthplace: Accra 

Position: Centre-back 

Caps: 8 

Club: Eskisehirspor (Turkey) 

Name: Rashid Sumaila

Date of Birth: 18/12/1992 

Birthplace: Cape Coast 

Position: Centre-back 

Caps: 5 

Club: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) 

Name: Jeffrey Schlupp

Date of Birth: 23/12/1992

Birthplace: Hamburg (Germany)

Position: Left-back, Left-winger, Striker

Caps: 1

Club: Leicester City (England)

Name: Harrison Afful

Date of Birth: 24/06/1986 

Birthplace: Kumasi

Position: Right-back, Left-back, Defensive-midfield 

Caps: 39 

Club: Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia) 

Midfielders

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Name: Kwadwo Asamoah

Date of Birth: 09/12/1988  

Birthplace: Accra 

Position: Centre-midfield, Left-back, Left-winger

Caps: 60 

Club: Juventus (Italy)  

Name: Sulley Muntari

Date of Birth: 27/08/1984 

Birthplace: Konongo, Ashanti 

Position: Centre-midfield 

Caps: 81 

Club: AC Milan (Italy) 

Name: Michael Essien

Date of Birth: 03/12/1982 

Birthplace: Accra 

Position: Centre-midfield 

Caps: 56 

Club: AC Milan (Italy) 

Name: Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu

Date of Birth: 02/12/1990 

Birthplace: Berekum, Brong-Ahafo 

Position: Defensive-midfield 

Caps: 48 

Club: Udinese (Italy) 

Name: Mohammed Rabiu

Date of Birth: 31/12/1989 

Birthplace: Accra

Position: Defensive-midfield

Caps: 15

Club: Kuban Krasnodar (Russia)

Name: Afriyie Acquah

Date of Birth: 05/01/1992

Birthplace: Sunyani, Brong-Ahafo

Position: Centre-midfield

Caps: 3

Club: Parma (Italy), on loan from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (Germany)

Name: Albert Adomah 

Date of Birth: 13/12/1987 

Birthplace: Lambeth (England) 

Position: Right-winger, Left-winger, Right-back 

Caps: 13 

Club: Middlesbrough (England) 

Name: Wakaso Mubarak

Date of Birth: 25/07/1990 

Birthplace: Tamale 

Position: Midfielder, Left-winger 

Caps: 16 

Club: Rubin Kazan (Russia) 

Name: Andre Ayew

Date of Birth: 17/12/1989 

Birthplace: Seclin (France) 

Position: Attacking-midfielder, Left-winger 

Caps: 47 

Club: Olympique Marseille (France) 

Name: Kevin-Prince Boateng

Date of Birth: 06/03/1987 

Birthplace: Wedding, Berlin (Germany) 

Position: Defensive-midfielder, Attacking-midfielder 

Caps: 11 

Club: Schalke 04 (Germany) 

Name: David Accam

Date of Birth: 28/09/1990

Birthplace: Accra

Position: Midfielder, Forward

Caps: 0

Club: Helsingborg (Sweden)

Forwards

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Name: Christian Atsu

Date of Birth: 10/01/1992 

Birthplace: Ada Foah 

Position: Winger, Forward 

Caps: 21 

Club: Vitesse Arnhem (Netherlands), on loan from Chelsea (England) 

Name: Jordan Ayew

Date of Birth: 11/09/1991 

Birthplace: Marseille (France) 

Position: Forward 

Caps: 11 

Club: Sochaux, on loan from Olympique Marseille (both France) 

Name: Asamoah Gyan

Date of Birth: 22/11/1985 

Birthplace: Accra 

Position: Striker 

Caps: 78 

Club: Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates) 

Name: Majeed Waris

Date of Birth: 19/09/1991 

Birthplace: Tamale 

Position: Striker 

Caps: 11 

Club: Valenciennes (France)