My Black Stars Euro XI Squad 2010/2011

With African players increasing breaking into top foreign teams, it is no surprise that every other year, the age long club versus country row is rekindled when the African Cup of Nations comes around.

Aside the very intriguing and special case of record six times Champions, Egypt, who has depended on a largely locally assembled team, most contemporary African sides have depended on foreign based players to chalk successes.

The particular case of Ghana is no different, with the majority of Black Stars players being foreign based players, maybe, just maybe the reason for which the large chunk of their managers have been foreigners.

Year in and out, the number of Black Star players have increased in top European leagues, under the purview of this piece; the English Premier League, the Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundes Liga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1.

Others have found themselves in lower leagues as the Dutch Eiredivise, the Serbian League, Ukrainian, Belgian, Danish and Isreali league amongst other, but at any given opportunity dream to move on to ‘a bigger club.’

And that effort at dreaming sort of completes a trajectory where the local player dreams to play outside of Ghana, when he gets there (i.e. anywhere whether in Thailand or Vietnam) a bigger club and Champions League football is a target.

The last year (2010/2011) European season saw the involvement of several Black Stars players of which I have put together my Black Stars Euro XI squad.

Goalkeeper Richard ‘Olele’ Kingson (Blackpool, England)

The now unattached goalie has over the years cemented his place with the national side, so much so that a person can hardly remember Ghana’s reserve goalkeepers as he would readily do for reserve players on the team.

Ghana indeed Africa is bereft of goalies in top European sides, except for the likes of Carlo Idriss Khameni of Cameroon and Espanyol in Spain, Nigerian goalie Vincent Enyiama, who plies his trade in Israel as well as Egyptian Esam El Hadary of Scion in Switzerland.

Olele’s performance at club level has largely been patchy since exiting from Turkish side, Buzaspor, to join Wigan, Birmingham and Blackpool; in all cases for seasons’ stints.

Albeit he had by far the best opportunity to cement a place at Blackpool, his output did not seem to satisfy his club who axed him from the relegated outfit as they prepared for life in the Championship next season.

Right-Back Samuel Inkoom (Dnipro, Ukraine)

The gifted right back since his days at Hasaccas through to Kumasi Asante Kotoko and on to Swiss side FC Basel put up enough drive and strength for any one to predict rightly that he was on his way up.

Little wonder after putting up spectacular performances in the Swiss league and FA Cup competitions, more importantly in the Champions League, Ukrainian side Dnipro parted with as much as $ 7 million to Basel for his services.

This season, his first in the Ukrainian league has been typical of the youngster who has shown over the period that he settles into teams immediately, his defensive abilities are apt as are his surging offensive runs and crosses.

The U 20 African and World Cup winner has not gotten the opportunity to play in his favorite role for the Black Stars because of long standing Star’s right back John Pantsil but I contend strongly that Inkoom for my money on anyday is the man for the right back job.

Left-back Daniel Opare (Standard Liege/Belgium)

Despite failing to break into the Real Madrid first team, Opare’s loan move to Belgian side, Standard Liege, makes very easy my inclusion of the young man in my team of the just ended season.

Here was a fantastic defensive talent who showed clear glimpses of a modern day full back, timely tackles, well calculated defensive moves and of course marauding forays into opponents territory.

An addendum however being his speed which maximized his recovery rate and chances of ball retrieval, leaves me with no other option than to pick him ahead of more experienced Hans Adu Sarpei and fellow youngster David Addy.

Central Defense John Mensah (Sunderland, England)

Despite his recurring injury which put him out of action for large portions of the season, skipper of the Black Stars, John Mensah, combines experience and strength to his gritty nature to merit a spot on my list.

Truth though is, since his move from French side FC Rennes to Olympique Lyonnais and now with his loan spell at Sunderland, the lack of a very robust and well built replacement for his position coupled with his leadership role has been reason for his continual full inclusion at national team level at least.

Even his boss at Sunderland, Steve Bruce, must be thinking of someone to either provide cover for John, who has had medical issues over the past seasons, despite his average performance over time, John makes my list because of ….

Central Defence Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim, Germany)

Precisely, because of Isaac Vorsah, who has proven to be of tremendous help, complementing the efforts of Mensah and covering up for his inadequacies (not to take anything away from Mensah)

Vorsah, by his structure, size (height) and experience playing in the German top-flight has proven to be an asset at the back, foiling offensive forays and providing the needed shield for goalkeeper Olele.

Not so great a season with his team as in the first season, but with a few goals to his credit this season, Isaac Vorsah makes my team and on full merit so to do.

Right midfield Kevin Prince Boateng

I state perhaps for the umpteenth time, KP Boateng was the biggest beneficiary of the Black Stars team that played in the World Cup last year in South Africa, and this I say for obvious reason.

Here was a player who switched nationality and joined Ghana’s World Cup team at a time omned by relegate English Premier League (EPL) side, Portsmouth, post South Africa he is snapped by Genoa and loaned onwards to Milan for a season.

A season later, Milan finds his combative abilities and understanding of the game too good to let go considering their ageing squad, agrees a deal with Genoa and KP Boateng is a bonafide asset of the Italian and European giants, who won the Serie A title of course with Kevin in the thick of affairs.

Kevin Price Boateng makes my squad not for his dance moves reminiscent of Michael Jackson on the last day of competition, truly he has come a long way and I would employ his services on the right of my midfield.

Left Back Andre Dede Ayew (Marseille, France)

Son of Ghana’s soccer maestro, Abedi Ayew Pele, Dede underscores two key values in my opinion, determination and hardwork, and these two factors have made him the target of top European sides after his first full season with the team his father ever played for.

The youngster who captained Ghana’s U 20 side to victory in Africa and World tournaments, braved the odds at a time when he was considered as surplus to requirements at the Stade Velodrome, went on loan to Lorient and Arles Avignol, add his exploits at the World Cup and Marseille and manager Didier Deschamps just wont let go of what was a budding talent.

The gentle man was Ghana’s top scorer in Europe this season having bagged eleven goals (one more than top scorer, Asamoah Gyan) two of his goals winning the French Cup for his side.

His output in the league and Champions league were fantastic and nothing short of ‘a player who had arrived’ in every sense of the word. Most definitely, one earmarked for greatness as succinctly expatiated in a write-up by ace sports commentator, Kwabena Yeboah, in an article; ‘The Rise and Rise of Dede Ayew.’

As coach of the side, Andre Dede Ayew earns the captain’s armband if and only if my team ever walks out of the tunnel onto the field anywhere. Anyone doubting that the youngster would rose to captain the Black Stars?

Central Midfielders Anthony Annan (Scahlke 04, Germany) & Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy)

Anthony Annan started the season with Norwegian side, FC Rosenborg, before he was snapped up by German side, Schalke 04, where he joined Hans Adu Sarpei.

Annan by virtue of being cup tied for the Champions League, played in fewer matches as Schalke marched on the Bundes Liga survival plane, then again my choice of the combative youngster is premised firmly on his earlier performances.

He is currently a ‘victim’ with the return of KP Boateng and Michael Essien to the central position of the Black Stars midfield but on any day would be a strong cover with his robust and above average feat this season.

Then is the unmistakable midfield personality of Kwadwo Asamoah of Udinese in the Italian Serie A, whose strong productivity all season has paid off with a qualification of his team to play in the Champions League come next season.

The player has like his predecessors at Udinese’ Fruili Stadium, Sulley Muntari, Asamoah Gyan and Stephen Appiah, has virtually warmed up into the Udinese setup all season.

If for any reason (which I contend is welcome) anyone holds an opinion to the contrary, well Kwadwo’s performance has led to credible reports of a possible move away from Udinese to Milan and other top sides.

In Attack Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland, England)

By far Ghana’s biggest and most potent attacking machinery over the last decade or so, Gyan gets an automatic spot in my team I dare say; having transferred from the French to the English League and settling in real fast.

His boss, Steve Bruce, has over the time chosen to sing the praises of the striker relative to what he is currently putting out and his prospects going into the future as a ‘Black Cat.’

Ten goals in his debut season in a fast paced league as the EPL, and not losing sight of the fact that injuries have blotted an otherwise fine run, in the absence of injuries and with needed strike support next season, Gyan would miss a hundred maybe more but be rest assured that he would score one. That’s for sure.

Prince Tagoe (Partisan Belgrade, Serbia)

Like Anthony Annan, Tagoe started the season with Vorsah at Hoffenheim but switched on loan to Serbian side, Partisan Belgrade, to get enough playing time, playing time he got and what a resounding statement he made.

In all his time at Mighty Jets, Hearts of Oak, stints in the Middle East and in Europe, the lanky striker, affectionately called ‘the Prince of goals,’ has by far played his best times on the field which is his office.

He was instrumental in pushing the Serbian side to winning two trophies last season, scoring important goals in the process and staking a claim at least for the second top striker at national team level.

A little effort and with the right environment, Tagoe stands the chance and could usurp the huge footprints left by Asamoah Gyan in the annals of Ghana football’s all time problematic striking role.

Substitutes

John Pantsil (Fulham, England), Jonathan Mensah (Granada, Spain), David Addy (Academica Coimbra, Portugal), Micael Essien (Chelsea, England), Emmanuel Agyemang Badu (Udinese, Italy), Jordan Ayew (Marseille, France), Sulley Ali Muntari (Sunderland, England), Dominic Adiyiah (Partisan Belgrade) and Mathew Amoah (NAC Breda)

ANALYSIS

Of my starting 11 and employing the infamous 4 – 4 – 2 formation, four top European leagues are represented; the English, Italian, German and French league had three, two, two and one players respectively.

The Ukrainian, Belgian and Serbian leagues all had single representatives on my Black Stars Euro XI squad for the last season (2010/2011).

It was a relatively good season for Ghana Football’ ‘European branch,’ the high side of all this being that the overall/accumulated successes by individual players should be well managed by Coach Goran Stevanovic as senior national team, the Black Stars, soldier on in qualifiers and onto the Nations Cup, Gabon Equatorial Guinea and to a third successive World Cup appearance in Brazil. That I contend without equivocation is non-negotiable.

‘Coach’ Abdur Rahman Shaban Alfa writes …. alfarsenal@yahoo.com newcguide@gmail.com