Is There a light at the end of the tunnel for Ghana

With less than two weeks to the start of the 27th African Nations Cup in Angola, there seems to be a feeling of gloom amongst fans of Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars. Every country will want to field its best stars at the tournament, but Ghana’s team keeps getting decimated by the day by injuries. Already, team captain Stephen Appiah, Laryea Kingston and John Paintsil have been ruled out of the tournament due to varying injuries, and Sulley Muntari’s dip in form has also cost him a place. John Mensah may still travel to Angola, but it is unclear whether he will play any part, and Anthony Annan is now fighting to be fully fit because he is currently carrying a heel injury, even though it is said to be a minor injury. Ghana’s best player, Michael Essien will only join the team three days before Ghana’s game with Togo on January 11, 2010, as he recovers from a hamstring injury. The aforementioned players all played during the African Nations Cup in Ghana almost two years ago and save Laryea Kingston, were regulars in the successful World Cup qualifying campaign. Nobody, in these circumstances, would give Ghana any chance of doing well during the tournament because the feeling is that the Black Stars have been considerably weakened and any soccer pundit will predict a quarterfinal placing for Ghana at the most.

I run the risk of being called a recent asylum inmate, but I am going to make a declaration: that Ghana will most definitely reach the final and could go on to win it! Let me tell you a couple of stories that will put things in perspective, but I reckon some of you reading this might start thinking that I need psychiatric treatment even after those stories are told. Let’s find out whether I can convince you that I am as sane as the next person.

Ghana’s Black Stars won its first African Nations Cup in 1963 on home soil. At that time, the likes of goalkeeper Dodoo Ankrah, defender Addo Odametey, forwards Wilberforce Mfum (who tore the net with the tournament’s opening goal) and Edward Acquah as well as skipper Aggrey Fynn were the top stars at the time and everyone expected most of them to make the squad for Ghana’s defence of the title two years later in Tunisia. Due to swollen-headedness, loss of form and indiscipline on the part of some of the established stars, the then Ghana head coach, C.K. Gyamfi turned to the Academicals, a team made up promising student and youth footballers who formed a production line for the Black Stars. Eventually, all members of the 1963 squad were dropped save Addo Odametey and Dodoo Ankrah, who was made the new captain. Osei Kofi, Kwame Nti, Ben Acheampong, Frank Odoi and Jones Attuquayefio amongst others were drafted into the team. Ghana eventually won the cup with Osei Kofi and Frank Odoi (two goals) doing the damage in the final against hosts Tunisia. The moral of the story? Nobody is indispensable and no one has a cast iron place in the team. C.K Gyamfi clearly won the two trophies with two different teams.

Years later in 1981, due to the fact that Ghana had a bad relationship with Libya, the Dr Hilla Limann-led government at the time had decided that the Black Stars were going to boycott the African Nations Cup in Libya. After Limann was overthrown on December 31, 1981, that decision was rescinded by the incoming head of state at the time, Flt.Lt. J.J. Rawlings. At the time, Joseph Carr was the first choice goalkeeper; Ghana’s first choice central defensive pair was Isaac Paha and Seth Ampadu, Francis Kumi was the first choice left winger, Kwasi Appiah the first choice left back ahead of Hesse Odamtten and Opoku Afriyie was the lead striker. In February 1982, the Black Stars traveled to Benin to take part in the inaugural West African Nations Cup after a 4-0 win over the hosts in the first match, Carr took ill and so second choice John Baker was in between the sticks for the second game against the Ivory Coast. Baker had a bad day as the game ended 5-5. C.K Gyamfi, who had returned to coach the Black Stars took stock of the game and made significant changes for the next game against Niger. Third choice goalkeeper Owusu Mensah fron Hearts of Oak was picked ahead of Baker, whilst Ampadu also made way for Sampson Lamptey, also from Hearts. Opoku Afriyie, who had not had a very good tournament was also dropped and George Alhassan took his place. After the 2-2 draw with Niger, Ghana went on into the final and lifted the trophy by beating Togo 2-1.

Interestingly enough, when C.K Gyamfi was about to name his squad for the African Nations Cup in March 1982, Kwasi Appiah, who had just joined Asante Kotoko from Prestea Mine Stars got injured in a league game. Appiah never fully recovered, but was still named. His rival for the left back position, Hesse Odamtten was also named but loss of form meant that Gyamfi had to look elsewhere. Kwame Sampson had had a break out season with Sekondi Hasaacas and so he was also called into the team, playing all the games at left back. Sampson Lamptey’s form also kept Seth Ampadu out of the starting eleven whilst Papa Arko, who was the defensive midfielder following the injury and exit of Adolf Armah from the team, was dropped for disciplinary reasons. Albert Asaase, who was initially used as an offensive midfielder, was moved further back by Gyamfi to Arko’s position and he was excellent in that role during the 1982 African Nations Cup. Francis Kumi was also dropped from the squad for absenteeism and that opened the door for then promising Hasaacas winger Kofi Abbrey to seal his place in the team. In fact Abbrey and Opoku Nti were Ghana’s wingers in their first two games and when winger John Essien returned to the team for the crucial game against Tunisia, Abbrey kept his place and Opoku Nti dropped to the bench.17 year old Abedi Ayew was also called up and played as a substitute in every game. George Alhassan’s good form during the Benin tournament ensured that he kept his place upfront ahead of Opoku Afriyie, who saw little playing time at the tournament. Gyamfi’s confidence in Alhassan was rewarded with a return of 4 goals from the ex-Olympics hitman, as Ghana became the unlikely winners of the tournament. To refresh your memory this was the starting line up against Libya in the final; Owusu Mensah – Haruna Yusif, Kwame Sampson, Sampson Lamptey, Isaac Paha – John Essien, Albert Asaase, Kofi Badu, Kofi Abbrey – Emmanuel Quarshie (captain), George Alhassan. In effect, about six members of this team were not exactly first choice in the team, but C.K Gyamfi did it again.

It will appear that there are parallels between what happened years ago in Libya with what is going on now.. Milovan Rajevac’s squad has provoked a lot of debate, and the run of injuries has not exactly made him the most popular man in Ghana now, and there has been so much talk about the exclusion of Sulley Muntari that very little notice has been taken of the players that will represent Ghana in Angola. As I said before, the team looks young and the players are very hungry for success. Rajevac has selected a team of workers; players who will run for 90 minutes and work for each other. The Serbian coach has one weapon that could prove to be the undoing of Ghana’s opponents in Group B; the element of surprise. The likes of Togo, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast might be tempted to under-estimate Ghana’s new look team because most of the top and recognizable stars are not there. Besides, the players called up will know that a brilliant showing in Angola will seal squad places for the World Cup.

It is true that John Paintsil’s injury is a body blow to the team, because, on form, he is by far Ghana’s best defender, but Hans Adu Sarpei and Samuel Inkoom should provide adequate cover for right back. Harrison Afful and Rahim Ayew are expected to compete for the left back slot. Apparently Rahim began his career as a left back and was impressive in that position against Angola recently. Isaac Vorsah and Lee Addy, who formed Ghana’s central defensive partnership during that match, are expected to start against Togo, since the general consensus amongst the technical bench is that Eric Addo looks assured only when he partners John Mensah, who could be fit for the crucial Ivory Coast game. At the very least, Addo should be good cover for Vorsah and Addy.

Derek Boateng’s recall into the team after Paintsil’s injury is one that will delight many Ghanaians, but he has a major challenge to live up to. He has evolved into a midfield destroyer who does the dirty job in midfield, but I am reliably informed that the reason why Rajevac did not select him initially into the squad is because the Serbian coach feels that Derek does not play with enough dynamism for Getafe, even though he is a regular starter every eek in La Liga. Rajevac would want him to express himself and do more than just breaking up opposition moves and feels that Derek can play even better that he is. After all, years ago he was a second striker and the star of the Black Satellites team that finished second at the 2001 World Youth Cup in Argentina. So Derek will now know that, should he get an opportunity to play, that he has to work even harder to put himself in the frame for a World Cup place. Should Anthony Annan fail to recover from his heel injury on time, Derek Boateng could find himself in the starting lineup against Togo and the ball will be firmly in his court.

If Michael Essien fails a late fitness test for Ghana’s opener against Togo, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu should be a more than capable replacement. The former Berekum Arsenal midfielder has grown in heaps and bounds over the last 12 months, representing Ghana in the African National Championships in Ivory Coast early this year and proving to be key as Ghana won the African and World Youth Cups. His has served his apprentiship quite well and his appetite for work on the field is a reason why he retains the favour of Rajevac.

Even though the road will be rough in Angola, perhaps it is time the teams worried about Ghana rather than the other way around. I don’t mean to take anything away from Ghana’s opponents, but if Togo scored just three times in six games during qualifying, Burkina Faso rely on a few individuals like Moumouni Dagano, Yssouf Kone and Jonathan Pitroipa, and the Ivory Coast have an average defense and an average goalkeeper, in spite of all the attacking weapons at their disposal, then even though it will be tough, Ghana has got what it takes to qualify from the group.

Yes I may be mad, but I hold the firm belief that the Black Stars will do something special in Angola. This is because, historically, before any great accomplishment in any endeavour, the achiever(s) normally goes through hell to reach the desired goal. It might be stormy now, but there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel and calm after the storm. Let’s believe!