Why not the Best but the Unfit? Respond Goran

A combat is won with the best and experienced army available. A country that goes to war ill-prepared is bound to suffer a massive defeat. Therefore, can the coach assign any reason for excluding the country's most reliable and proficient super stars from the current released squad?

I am not a coach, and do not profess to be one. However, I am an ardent follower of the game, a very keen soccer curser/analyst, especially in the tracking of the good players in the system. One would therefore demand from Plavi as to why he picked Opoku Agyeman and Agyeman Badu over Hans Adu Sarpie and Jordan Ayew respectively for the impending two crucial and all important matches against Congo and England? I humbly ask for details. Don't you?

Those were the questioned invaded thoughts among fans when the list of the players was published. For these two matches are 'must win games', in that, the boys have to beat Congo mercilessly to forge ahead in the qualifiers and to beat England for posterity sake.

There is no gain saying, the country needs her best players to represent it. Both are critical to the nation, therefore, all the misfits, call it the junks, the fig or the straw must be axed out calling for the best amongst the best to beef up the squad.

Officially, 24 players have been invited. All, save one, which would be excused for the obvious reasons before they depart for Brazzaville, Congo, for the first encounter. Find below are the four departments of the team as I attempt to evaluate each department before the team leaves for the "feet to feet combat." Get ready Congo. England, here we come.

Goalkeeping Department: All deserve to be there since they are the best the country possesses at the moment.

Defensive Department: Coach Goran should have to access and whip up this department since it is the bane of our woes if we would need to protect and prevent the ball from whisking past the goalie. I mean, putting the right players at the right positions at the right time. Eight of them all and they are: John Paintsil (Fulham, England) Samuel Inkoom (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine) Daniel Opare (Standard Liege, Belgium) David Addy (Academica Coimbra, Portugal) Jonathan Mensah (Granada, Spain) Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim, Germany) John Mensah (Sunderland, England) and Lee Addy (Red Star Belgrade, Serbia).

Now, based on their current performances, Lee Addy wasn’t supposed to be included. He is prone to sporadic mistakes at the defense. During the African Cup of Nations, he made some errors which nearly cost the country, had it not been the watchful eye of the goalkeeper, Richard Kingston. During the WC, he made the same mistake again. It is no different at club level. In short, Lee Addy needs confidence, timing and control as well as a bite at his reflexes. To many of us, these two up-coming matches are not classified as a token for experiments. These are real coveted matches that would be in the annals of Ghana's football history. Defenders should be cautious doing what they do best. Lee Addy, once in the squad should not start, period.

Consequently, If we have been following all the leagues in the world, we would have realized that, by virtue of active participation, experience and valor, Hans Adu Sarpie is better qualified than Lee Addy. According to some fans, Hans Sarpie’s age could be a factor in opting for Lee Addy since both games are billed within a two-day span, fatigue and actual energy of the two players may have been a determinant factor that led to the choice of Lee Addy who appear to be much younger. But, there are equally 'old bones' found elsewhere in the team naming no names for now. Besides, Hans registered with his real age compared to the 90% of the players whose ages fly suspiciously against nature. A major fact in this comparison is that you can’t tell me that experience would not be needed when the team comes into combat with the Three Lions.

What baffles me is the fact that, Hans has been playing well as opposed to the much younger players in the squad. If he was able to take great players in the names of Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery during this month’s DFB Supercup quarter final match between the cup holders Bayern München, and his club, Schalke, who in the England’s squad Hans cannot subdue? This is a question Coach Goran will need to ask himself. Just this month, Hans has well helped his club, Schalke 04, to beat FC Valencia in a thrilling encounter at the Veltins Arena to proceed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Therefore, my question is why is Hans Adu Sarpie not included in the squad? Those who know Hans Adu Sarpie know he will not share his bonus with none of the GFA executives. However, that shouldn’t be a factor of excluding him from the squad. Nothing is being insinuated here; it is black and white.

A defender who can keep possession of the ball is what the team needs in these two encounters. As the CAF qualification stands at the moment, Congo will determine to go for draw since it has already played Sudan away and will be Sudan’s turn to come to Brazzaville Later. England on the other hand, will kill us if we give out possessions. This is why the Black Stars of Ghana needs players who can handle balls effectively.

Midfield department: Midfielders: Anthony Annan (Schalke 04, Germany), Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese, Italy), Bernard Kumordzi (Panionios, Greece) Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy) Sulley Muntari (Sunderland, England) Derek Boateng (Getafe, Spain) Kevin-Prince Boateng (AC Milan, Italy) Andre Ayew (Marseille, France) Opoku Agyemang (Al-Ahli, Saudi Arabia)

Nine players have been called for these assignments while eight players could be used. Both Opoku Agyemang and Emmanuel Agyemang Badu are not fit to represent the country at the moment. Most of us know how Opoku Agyemang plays. Yes, he may be young, energetic and fast, he fumbles (gives out possessions) often and runs to the opponents instead of from the opponents. Agyemang Badu on the other hand, has been glued to club’s bench for a while now. This has caused his noted performance in deterioration, and therefore, should not have been picked over Jordan Ayew.

Awareness is noted as Agyemang Badu plays defensive mid whist Jordan Ayew plays attacking mid. In case one of the team’s main engine (Anthony Annan or Kevin Prince Boateng) is blown out, Agyemang Badu will be the only option. That is not true because our country is a product of midfielders. An example is Isaac Vorsah, who sometimes plays defensive mid for his club, Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. If in any case one of the defensive midfielders is unable to hold on to his position due to whatever incident that may occur, Isaac Vorsah can always move forward to partner with one of them. In this case, Jonathan Mensah comes in to replace Isaac Vorsah at the defensive end and the team moves on. The team has many options; therefore, if a player is not fit, there should be no hesitation to exclude him from the squad unless a half of his bonus has already been taken by his powerful advocates. Here too, I’m not insinuating anything.

Attacking Department: Attackers: Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland, England) Prince Tagoe (Partizan Belgrade, Serbia) Dominic Adiyiah (Partizan Belgrade, Serbia) Nathaniel Asamoah (Asante Kotoko, Ghana)

This department should be left alone for these invited players are the best we have for now. I stand to be corrected.

In all things, get understanding, get wisdom

Ransford Frempong Peprah (Topafric.com football Analyst)