Isaac Vorsah prepares for African Cup of Nations

The Coach

It is a year ago to the day that Serbian Goran Stevanovic took over as head coach of the Ghana team. Before taking the job, the 44-year-old coached Serbian powerhouse Partizan Belgrade, leaving the job after leading them to the Serbian league title. As a player, he enjoyed a varied career at clubs in his native Yugoslavia, Spain and Portugal, while also making one appearance for the former Yugoslavian national team.

The team

Ghana's team this year boasts a strong line-up of player from some of the best leagues in Europe, as well as players who featured for the Black Stars at the World Cups in 2006 and 2010. Stevanovic as assembled a squad of old and young, with the objective of taking the team one step further than they managed in 2012, where they were losing finalists. Vorsah and Charles Takyi of 2. Bundesliga side FC St Pauli are the representatives from German clubs, while former Hoffenheim striker Prince Tagoe is also in the squad. Other names to look out for are Inter Milan's Sulley Muntari, John Mensah of Lyon and Andre Ayew of Olympique Marseilles.

The squad

Goalkeepers:

Adam Kwarasey (Stromsgodset, Norway), Daniel Adjei (Liberty Professionals, Ghana), Ernest Sowah (Berekum Chelsea, Ghana)

Defence:

Samuel Inkoom (FK Dnipro Dnipropetrowsk, Ukraine), John Paintsil (Leicester City, England), Daniel Opare (Standard Liege, Belgien), Masawudu Alhassan (Genoa, Italy), Lee Addy (Dalian Aerbim, China), John Boye (Rennes, France), John Mensah (Lyon, France), Jonathan Mensah (Evian, France), Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim)

Midfield:

Charles Takyi (St. Pauli), Emmanuel Agyemang Badu (Udinese, Italy), Derek Boateng (FK Dnipro Dnipropetrowsk, Ukraine), Anthony Annan (Vitesse Arnhem, Netherlands), Mohammed Abu (Stromsgodset, Norway), Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy), Sulley Muntari (Inter Mailand, Italy), Andre Ayew (Marseille, France)

Forwards:

Prince Tagoe (Bursaspor, Turkey), Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain, UAE), Jordan Ayew (Marseille, France)

The opponents

Ghana were drawn in a group from which they will feel confident of progressing. On January 24th they get their campaign underway against Botswana, currently 95th in the FIFA world rankings. They then face Mali (67th) on the 28th, and then finish the group off with a clash against Guinea (80th). If they progress from the group, Ghana will face a team from Group C in the last sixteen, meaning Gabon, Niger, Morocco or Tunisia will stand between them and a place in the last eight.

Recent Successes

Traditionally speaking, Ghana have good pedigree in this tournament, having lifted the trophy as winners on four occasions. But the last time they were victorious was in 1892. In the 2010 tournament, the Black Stars reached the final but could not make it five wins, going down 1-0 to Egypt. There will, however, be no repeat of that game, as Egypt, like many of Africa's traditionally strong teams, missed out on qualification for the tournament this time around.