<<Print>>

Michael Essien will alongside his celebrity football friends pay a courtesy call on President John Mahama to officially invite him to the Game of Hope. The Ghana international will be leading a host of world football stars to the seat of government; The Flagstaff House on Saturday morning to pay their respects to the Head of State. Essien will also take the opportunity to invite President Mahama and his entire government to his charity match which will be held later in the day at the Accra Sports Stadium. The Chelsea ace who had just come off a successful loan stint at Real Madrid will touch down with his celebrity football friends on Friday aboard a chartered flight. Media co-ordinator for the Michael Essien Foundation Kofi Asare Brako says all arrangements are in place to host the big event expected to pull a record crowd at the Accra Sports Stadium. �All arrangements and contingencies are in place to kick start this mammoth event,� he said. �The players will arrive on Friday night and will be driven straight to their base at the La-Palm Beach Hotel. �They will then come out again for a cocktail at the State Banquet Hall and will then retire for the night at their base ahead of the game on Saturday at the Accra Sports Stadium.� A musical concert will follow after the game later in the evening featuring renowned acts across the continent at the Accra International Conference Center. The Game of Hope is the second biggest charity event organized by the Michael Essien Foundation. The first was organized two-years ago in Accra which saw a host of world renowned football stars on display in Ghana.