体坛英语新闻：Ghana to play Togo in international friendly

ACCRA, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Friday confirmed Ghana would play an international friendly with neighboring Togo in Austria on Wednesday February, 9.

The date would afford the West African nation an opportunity to prepare for the qualifying matches to the 2012 African Nations Cup and the 2014 World Cup resumes in March with a titanic clash Congo Brazzaville.

The friendly would be the first test for Serbian Goran Stevanovic, who was appointed the new Ghana coach and expected to officially commence work on Monday February, 1.

Stevanovic agreed an initial two-year contract with the Ghanaian FA with monthly payment of 30,000 Euros.

The last time the two teams met in an international friendly was in 2006 where the Ghanaians won 2-0.

Ghana was a losing finalist at the 2010 African Nations Cup held in Angola and has not won the continental 'holy grail' since 1982.

The Black Stars, nickname of Ghana's national male senior soccer team, were quarter-finalist at the FIFA World Cup held in South Africa last year.

The West African country is also expected to play a friendly with England at Wembley on March, 29 as well as South Korea in Seoul in June.

Ghana is currently placed 16th in the FIFA world rankings.