Ghana FA changes plans for Congo trip after 'lack of flight'

After being held 1-1 at home by Congo on Friday, which jeopardized Ghana's ambitions of qualifying to the 2018 Fifa World Cup, Ghana FA have made changes in their travelling arrangements for the return leg in Brazzaville on Tuesday.

The team was initially scheduled to depart the country with a chartered flight on Sunday after a recovery training session at the Accra Sports Stadium, but the arrangements were altered which left some of the players frustrated, according to Goal's sources.

There was no flight to Brazzaville on Sunday. The players were later informed they would leave on Monday after their morning training session and return after the game.

"The team couldn't travel to Congo on Sunday because the leadership wanted to beat down cost which left some of the players unhappy. Travelling with a chartered flight on Sunday and the hotel arrangements were too costly since Ghana are unlikely to qualify," a source close to the team told Goal.

"So the team will now leave on Monday and will spend only one night in Brazzaville. They will return immediately after the game and each player will then join his club," the source added.

However, Ghana FA communications director Ibrahim Saanie Daara confirmed the changes in the team's arrangements ahead of the game but was silent on the reasons behind it.

"The Black Stars will travel to Congo this [Monday] afternoon for the return leg of their 2018 World Cup qualifier in Brazzaville," he said in a statement.

"The team will train at the Accra Sports Stadium at 9am before the journey to Congo. Thanks very much," he added.

Captain Asamoah Gyan is likely to miss the game after he failed to recover on time from an injury he picked in the first leg. He sat out the team's training session on Sunday and doctors have confirmed he would need to pass a late fitness test before he can make the trip.

Andre Ayew is also another headache for coach Kwesi Appiah after the West Ham United midfielder complained of fatigue and couldn't complete a special training assigned for him by the team's medical staff but he is likely to be in Brazzaville.

Ghana have picked two points from three games and sit third in Group E, five points behind leaders Uganda with three matches remaining.