AC Milan star Sulley Ali Muntari has been widely tipped to captain the Black Stars in their crucial double header Nations and World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zambia early next month. Panelists on Joy FM’s Sports Arena programme Saturday tipped Muntari to lead the team in the absence of substantive captain John Mensah and deputy captain John Paintsil. Michael Oti Adjei, freelance sports journalist and a BBC correspondent said Muntari will lead a relatively young but experienced Black Stars team in the June 1 and June 9 games. “Sulley Muntari has been superb for AC Milan. Hopefully he will come into those two games with a certain amount of confidence. He will captain the Ghana team. I am sure. “For the first time we are not sitting here debating why he should be called because we have done that a lot in recent years," he said. He was commenting on the 30 man provisional list released by Stars Coach Akwasi Appiah for the Nations Cup qualifier against Lesotho on June 1 and the World Cup qualifier against Zambia eight days later in Lusaka. The list will be pruned down to 23 before the team departs to Kumasi for the first game. Jeffery Asare, a sports analyst and a friend to the FA who was also on the show could not agree more with Oti Adjei on Muntari’s performance and his role in the Black Stars’ upcoming games. “I have been impressed at the way he was able to live up to expectations in all those opportunities that Allegri had given him,” he said. “…We hope and pray that he will be able to bring that quality performance at AC Milan during the just ended Seria A back to the Black Stars where he will leading the charges in the absence of John Mensah,” he added. Coach Appiah is however yet to officially confirm who will lead the team. Both Asare and Adjei are convinced the usual suspects in midfield- Anthony Annan, Agyemang Badu, Derek Boateng, Sulley Muntari, Kwodwo Asamoah, will make the cut whilst Christian Atsu, Ishmael Yartey, Rabiu Mohammed and Richard Mpong will fight for places. In attack, Oti Adjei said the likes of Emmanuel Baffoe, Dominic Adiyiah, Jordan Ayew and Emmanuel Clottey should make the most of the absence of Asamoah Gyan. Whilst believing Gyan will sorely be missed in the Zambia game, Oti Adjei said "when big name players are not available and especially a big one like Asamoah Gyan who is not sure when to return make sure that the next time Akwasi Appiah sits down to call his Black Stars squad, you make him think twice about calling Asamoah Gyan."