Hosts Ghana draw on experience in final women’s Nations Cup squad

Ghana defender Faustina Ampah, who has featured at three Under-20 World Cups, is included in their Nations Cup squad

Ghana coach Bashir Hayford has drawn on players with tournament experience in his final squad for the Women's Africa Cup of Nations finals which his country will be hosting from 17 November.

Defender Philicity Asuako and midfielder Grace Asantewaa were part of the Ghana squad that competed at the 2018 Under-20 World Cup in France.

Experienced Sweden-based striker Sherrifatu Sumaila, who worked with Hayford at the 2014 Under-20 World Cup, is also included.

Defender Faustina Ampah, part of Ghana's West African Football Union (Wafu) winning team in February, is also in the squad.

She played all five games, scoring the equaliser against Nigeria in the semi-finals, which they won 5-4 on penalties.

Ampah, who plays in Belarus, is the only Ghanaian woman to have played in three under-20 World Cups: Japan 2012, Canada 2014 and Papua New Guinea 2016.

Key strikers Princilla Adubea, Priscilla Hagen and Sandra Owusu-Ansah are not included - they miss out due to injuries.

Princilla has scored 38 goals for defending women's league champions Ampem Darkoa in two seasons in Ghana.

The Black Queens are aiming to win their first Women's Africa Cup of Nations title, having been losing finalists in 1998, 2002 and 2006 and bronze medallists in Cameroon in 2016.

They will face Algeria in a Group A opener on 17 November in Accra before taking on Mali on 20 November and Cameroon on 23 November.

Defending champions Nigeria will play in Group B alongside South Africa, Equatorial Guinea and Zambia and will be based in Cape Coast.

The top three teams will qualify for next year's World Cup in France but Equatorial Guinea, who were dramatically reinstated by Caf on appeal, will not qualify regardless of their ranking due to a Fifa ban imposed in 2017.

Ghana squad:

Goalkeepers: Fafali Dumahisi and Nana Ama Asantewaa (Police Ladies); Patricia Mantey (Immigration Ladies)

Defenders: Linda Eshun (Grindavik FC, Iceland), Janet Egyiri (Afturelding/Fram, Iceland), Philicity Asuako (Police Ladies), Faustina Ampah (FC Minsk, Belarus), Ellen Coleman (Ladies Strikers)

Midfielders: Juliet Acheampong and Cynthia Adobea (Prison Ladies); Alice Kusi (Fabulous Ladies); Mary Essiful (Ladies Intellectuals), Priscilla Okyere (ZFK Spartak Subotica, Serbia), Grace Asantewaa (Police Ladies)

Forwards: Sherrifatu Sumaila and Portia Boakye (Djurgårdens IF, Sweden); Samira Suleman and Lily Niber-Lawrence (Hasaacas Ladies); Jane Ayieyam (Police Ladies), Elizabeth Addo (Reign FC, America), Gladys Amfobea (Lady Strikers)