FC Zürich attacker Daniel Afriyie Barnieh has been handed a call up to the Black Meteors camp ahead of the 2023 Africa U-23 Championship qualifiers against Algeria.
In February, the technical team of the Ghana U23 invited twenty-four (24) players for camping at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence at Prampram to begin preparation for the last round of the 2023 TotalEnergies U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The 21 year old joined the in the just-closed winter transfer window from Hearts of Oak, and made his debut over the weekend against FC Lugano in the Swiss topflight.
He becomes the latest player to be called up to join the team with Sporting CP teen sensation Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, FC Nordsjaelland attacker Ernest Nuamah, Emmanuel Yeboah of CFR Cluj and Ibrabim Zubairu of Serbian side FK Jedinstvo Ub.
He scored in both legs against the Junior Mambas of Mozambique in the second round of qualifiers to propel the team to this stage.
The first leg of the final qualification round is scheduled for Friday, March 24 in Annaba with the return leg set for Kumasi in four days time.
The next edition of the TotalEnergies U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, which serves as qualifiers for the 2024 Olympics Games, will take place in Morocco in June this year.
The tournament serves as qualifers of African countries for the Olympic football tournament with the top three teams of the tournament qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympic men’s football tournament in Paris, the fourth place team will play the AFC-CAF playoffs to decide the final slot to the Olympics.
Ghana missed out on the 2020 Summer Olympics Games in Tokyo, Japan after finishing fourth at the 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Egypt. The Black Meteors are yet to secure a ticket to feature at the Olympics Games since 2004 in Athens, Greece.
