Key talking points from Ghana v Mali

Ghana drew with Mali in Paris to make it three matches without a victory in all competitions.

The Black Stars took the lead against the Eagles, with Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu firing home after excellent interplay with Richmond Boakye.

However, they were unable to preserve their lead, and were pegged back in the second period when Bakary Sako scored from the penalty spot.

While Avram Grant will doubtless be disappointed with some areas of Ghana’s performance, there are also reasons for optimism.

In this feature, we outline four key talking points from the Black Stars’ friendly against Alain Giresse’s side.

Ahead of Ghana’s friendly with the Eagles, I hoped that Grant would give Richmond Boakye a start and questioned whether the powerful striker would be an effective Plan B for the Black Stars.

The Atalanta man has a different profile to Ghana’s other forwards—he is a more physical prospect and can hold up the ball effectively, as well as having the ability to run in behind the opponents’ back line.

Having come on to score a consolation goal against Senegal, I had hoped that he would be able to make another positive impression against Mali.

It helps international sides—as it does any team—to have a diversity of approaches, and with Boakye among the substitutes, Grant would have a valuable option on the bench.

The on-loan Juventus hitman started against the Eagles, and while he didn’t make it two goals in two games, he gave another good impression, hitting the post with one late effort.

He also demonstrated his capacity to contribute in the build-up and was influential in Badu’s opener, interacting well with the Udinese man before Ghana took the lead.

Perhaps the question shouldn’t be whether Boakye can be a good Plan B, but whether he can kick on and nail down a spot in the first team.

Few players in the Ghana XI had as much to prove heading into this one as midfielder Mohammed Rabiu.

The central midfielder was dropped by Avram Grant after the Nations Cup opener against Senegal and has only played twice since—both times as a substitute—against Guinea in the Afcon quarter-final and against Senegal in Le Havre.

Here, Rabiu was given a starting role as Grant left his first-choice midfield pairing on the bench and brought both the Kuban Krasnodar man and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu into the heart of the park.

While Badu brought his typical energy and dynamism to the party—and scored the opener—Rabiu was sub-par.

The midfielder sent one pass off the pitch in the first half, even though he wasn’t being pressured by any Malians, and was booked for a foul in the middle of the park towards the end of the first period.

If Rabiu can be flustered into a yellow card by an unimpressive Mali side, then how can he be trusted in important matches against better, more motivated opponents?

Avram Grant has struggled to shake a reputation for being something of a bore.

While the Israeli coach has spoken publically about his abilities at wooing women, he continues to be accompanied by a public persona that paints him as something of a weary, monotone uncle, rather than a flashy Casanova.

Obviously, it didn’t help that his time at Chelsea was so interlinked with that of Jose Mourinho, but while Grant may have a dour exterior, he doesn’t necessarily build teams in his image.

While against Senegal he got Ghana to adopt the 4-4-2 that served them well in Equatorial Guinea, here to shuffled his pack and tried to include an extra creative player.

He set the Black Stars out in a 4-2-3-1-cum-4-3-3 formation, allowing Frank Acheampong (right) and Christian Atsu (left) to play in their favoured positions out wide.

Andre Ayew was the key.

In the hole, he was able to pull closer to Boakye and operate as a Number 10, as a support striker, but he was also able to drop alongside Badu and Rabiu and dictate the play from deeper.

While I would personally like to see Dede not taken too far from the box-where he can be most effective-his mobility and his vision make him a valuable, versatile component for Grant to play with.

Finally, and this is a point that has steadily been increasing as a problem for the Black Stars, but which was particularly evident again against Mali, is that the side lack a creative composed presence at the base of midfield or in the heart of the defence.

A player such as this—someone who can put their foot on the ball, can slow things down, can dictate the tempo and who can begin to set a rhythm—can be invaluable. Particularly against sides like Mali, inferior teams who will look to engage Ghana in combat, someone such as this can help the Black Stars wrest control of a contest and begin to set their own agenda.

With John Boye the senior centre back and Rabiu at the base of the midfield, Ghana often found themselves hitting aimless balls, long balls, and repeatedly failed to take a handle on the match.

This played into Mali’s hands.

During the match, I called for Edwin Gyimah’s inclusion, and Grant acquiesced midway through the second half.

The South African-based defender has struggled to make an impact for the Black Stars recently, and while he may not be one of the Black Star’s best two or three centre-backs, he has the kind of composure on the ball that the others do not.

Should the 24-year-old be given a greater role within the national side?