Time for revenge

- Kwesi Appiah digging Ghana Football Pot of Gold

Black Stars coach James Kwesi Appiah has three important games to play and he will become the first African / Ghanaian / Blackman to lead Ghana to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil 2014.

The former Assistant Coach to many foreign football tacticians, like Claude Le Roy, Rajevac Milovan, Goran, Ratomir “Plavi’ Dujkovic must have leant very fast and also considered many advices and cautions from the 25 Million Ghanaians who are so passionate with the game of passion.

He was introduced to the technical stand of the national team by “Sir” Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, who took Accra Hearts of Oak to conquer Africa in 2000, and handled the Black Stars for a period. Kwesi Appiah should be congratulated for leading Ghana to top their group at this stage of the qualifiers with one match to go against Zambia on ….., before the third round (last) qualifier to be played in September.

Backed by the experiences from two World Cup competitions in 2006 and 2010, the Black Stars have overcome many obstacles, temptations and tests.

They want to make it to Brazil, the sacred land of Football and showcase the African Brazilians from Ghana, then known as Gold Coast. Ghana plays just like Brazil and many players from our part of the world have deep affection from South Americans. For me, I want Kwesi Appiah to succeed because he has broken the One Goal Project that always haunt the Black Stars and now the play the “Sambalike Agoro” that creates many opportunities for goals, the reason why we play football and it is now big business. Kwesi Appiah had a little problem in South Africa 2013 African Cup, and he has fixed the problem, making the Black Stars defence tight and the attack sharp with the inclusion of players like Samuel Inkoom and Mahatma Otoo. The midfield is also jelling than ever, and top professions with top clubs in the team have to make way for rising stars.

With the goal keeping area not much of a problem as number one for now Fatua Dauda also signs as a foreign pro, the Stars have no major weakness.

Their strengths are many because they are talented, skillful, strong footballers from West Africa who want to win always.

The midfield of Ghana is the main weapon, where there are players like Rabiu Mohammed, Agyeman Badu, Mubarak Wakaso, Christian Atsu , Sulley Mohammed, Kevin Prince Boateng, Andre Dede Ayew, Kwadwo Asamoah, Solomon Asante, Emmanuel Frimpong and others.

Ghana boasts of solid skilful midfielders whose impact make Ghanaians not to feel the absence of idols like Stephen Tornado Appiah, Michael Essien, Laryea Kingston and Godwin Attram. These ball jugglers once upon a time took Ghana on their shoulders and played to win or top at the juvenile level and now they are ripe at the senior level. The triumphs of the Starlets at World Juvenile Championships in 1991, runners – up in 1993, winners in1995 and runners- up in 1997 as well as third placers in 1999, saw Ghanaian players getting the exposure and experience to feature at top level competition. The years 2001, 2003 2005, 2007 were other trying moments till 2009, when they young men led by Dede Ayew and Dominic Adiyah brought back the joy and players.

But in 2001, Ghana was at the finals of the World Youth Cup in Argentina, with rising stars, John Mensah, Michael Essien and co. learning much before the World Youth Cup was won in 2009, captained by the mercurial Andre Ayew.

He and the boys have gained the experience, exposure and have the energy to take on the world in 2014. 2006 and 2010 were close, reaching what others, like Cameroun, Nigeria and Senegal have done before. It is time for Ghana to reach the Semifinal or even the grand final of the FIFA World Cup, to fulfill the saying of Pele in Glasgow 1989, that an African nation was capable of winning the World cup. Ghanaian born Marcel Desailly did it in 1998, with the French team, so African are capable of winning the World Cup, even Ghanaians, so Kwesi Appiah must charge his boys to go and go all out, taking the last matches very serious and winning big, home or away. At this stage, all players who can player better and best are needed. All supporters are needed and the Ghanaian Media must defend the good name and glory of the great African Football nation. Kwesi Appiah needs the support of all. He needs prayers and physical support of the players. This is not the period to apportion blames and criticize negatively. It is the time for optimism and power support. All hands and legs must be on board.

The return if the prodigal sons of Ghana Football is very timely. Even the presence of Kevin Prince Boateng can make a defender Zambian shiver on the field. What about a fit as a fiddle Michael Essien? Ghana has a battle to settle with the Chipolopopo, who beat the Black Stars in 2011 in Gabon / Equatoria / Guinea to lift the African Cup for the first time. It is a time for revenge, and indeed a very good time and ideal place called Kumasi on September 6, 2013, the home of the coach, Kwesi Appiah who played and captained Kumasi Asante Kotoko. Getting close to the FIFA World Cup is no mean achievement, and qualifying for the third time will be so sweet and even sweeter if it is achieved by a Ghanaian.

The records say Ghana and Zambia have clashed ten times with each country winning five times and losing five times. Zambia however lead with 13 goals and Ghana has scored 12 goals against Zambia.

In the last two encounters, Zambia beat Ghana, and they have the confidence, but it will be a different ball game, which I predict 3-0 for the Black Stars. In Kumasi, the Garden City of Ghana, for sure Ghana will win and Brazil will be closer. Brazil 2014 is a must for the Brazil of Africa – Ghana.