A large pool of 41 local players will gather in Accra today to begin preparations for the new African Nations Championship.

The selected players will be looked at by the technical team of the Black Stars before naming the final squad for the preliminary round qualifier.

Ghana will play Niger at home in the first leg fixture of the preliminary round qualifiers of the new tournament designed by CAF for players who play in the various domestic leagues in Africa.

Ghana will host the first leg fixture on March 30 at the Tamale Sports Stadium.

The list is dominated by players from the premiership league with just one Division One League player making up the selected squad.

Accra Hearts of Oak's Tawfik Gibrine, who turns 16 this year and Liberty Professionals' 18 year-old striking sensation, Salifu Latif both make the list.

Invited players:

They are: Patrick Antwi, Kennedy Korlie, Kassinu Ghandi, Sam Ayew Yeboah, Ashmond Asamoah, Kalif Alhassan, Salifu Latif, Kofi Nti Boakye and Yaw Antwi (Liberty Professionals) Fatau Dauda and Mubarak Wakaso (AshantiGold), Richard Manu, Prince Anokye, Harrison Afful, Jordan Opoku, Francis Akwafo and Eric Bekoe (Asante Kotoko).

Premiership players dominate the list

Others are: Ernest Sowah and Ekow Benson (Tema Youth) Osei Boateng and Abu Andoh (King Faisal) Joseph Addo and Isaac Donkor (Hasaacas) David Nii Addy and Nasiru Gafaru (Wa All Stars) Godwin Osei Bonsu (Zaytuna FC) Micheal Annan and Francis Mantey (Olympics FC), John Boye, Edmund Owusu Ansah, Dominic Adiyiah, Osei Banahene (Heart of Lions)

The rest are: Agyeman Badu (Arsenals) Hannan Giwa and Kwame Adzagbah(Real Tamale United) Samuel Mantey (Seven United) Sammy Nzemaba (Real Sportive) Kofi Agyare and Baba Iddi (Kessben FC) Tawfik Gibrine and Laud Quartey (Hearts of Oak).

The Black Stars drawn in Zone West B play Niger on March 30 at the newly constructed 20,000 all-seater capacity stadium before the travelling to Niamey in two weeks time for the reverse fixture.

The Africa Nations Championships is a new tournament designed by CAF for only home-based players of its member countries and it will hosted by Ivory Coast from the 22nd of February till the 8th of March 2009.