One can only beat the opponent placed in front of one and the Black Stars did just that, beating Latvia by a goal to nil. And you should have been there; at the MK Dons Stadium in Milton Keynes in the UK. Ghanaians from all walks of life trouped to the stadium in their numbers and if Latvia had had half as many fans as the Ghanaians, we could easily have filled the stadium.
And the atmosphere was ecstatic – atenteben, congas, horns, brass band, beautiful Ghanaian women shaking their precious asserts to samamo music – one could not have asked for a better outing. A few Ghanaians tried to make a quick buck by setting up tables to sell all kinds of Black Star paraphernalia, only to be led away by fussy security men claiming they had no Trading Standards permission to sell. One quietly wondered how much money these security men would have made if they were operating in Ghana. What a waste.
The music from the public address system built up to a crescendo as the two teams walked in. I had to prompt my two boys to stand up as the Ghana national anthem was played and I saw other people do the same to their kids. You can’t really blame these kids.
Coach Milovan Rajevac has had his fair share of criticism but I seemed to understand what he is up to when the game started. Basically, this coach intends to play a 4-2-3-1 system. He intends to employ two holding midfielders, one of whom, Anthony Annan will hardly go past the centre line. The other, a kind of replacement for Michael Essien will be a box to box midfielder. When we are under attack, he links up with Annan to form a solid barrier in front of the defence but in attack, this midfielder can join in and possibly deliver shots from the edge of the opponent’s box. This is a “Boateng” position. Kevin Prince or Derrick will occupy this position.
Kwadwo Asamoah will be in the centre of the attacking midfield trio. On either side of him will be Owusu Abayie on the right and Muntari or Ayew on the left. In attack, the two wing midfielders move up to join Asamoah Gyan to form a 4-3-3 system, but they drop into midfield when we loose the ball. This is a clever system that ensures that while the team defends together, attacking options are not compromised.
In the first half, Coach Milo employed Philip Tagoe on the right of the midfield trio in much the same way as Jose Mourinho used Eto’o on the right in Inter Milan’s champion league campaign. The advantage of this is, that while the striker goes back to help in midfield and defence, there is always the danger of him stealing quietly into the box to cause havoc, as Eto’o proved, especially in the game against Chelsea in Stamford Bridge. Philip did his best in this role, but I do not think he fits that well into the role and Quincy is the best man for the job. Philip’s role may have to be coming in from the substitute’s bench to join Asamoah Gyan, especially if we are desperate for a goal in matches where we fall behind.
Some Ghanaians love to hate Dede Ayew but boy is he a player! This is the first time I have seen him play live and I will say, that Sulley Muntari will have to really up his game to stand any chance of shifting him. And he plays in such a whole –hearted manner that one can only admire. On one occasion in the match, he chased a ball that was going out for a Latvia throw-in and almost injured himself sliding on the concrete perimeter. I overheard somebody question why he was getting himself injured when this was just a friendly. But Dede knows no other way of playing. He gives a hundred percent or he does not play. At the end of the game, Ghanaians surrounded him in their numbers to show their appreciation.
Anthony Annan, in a translated Fante parlance, sticks to the ground like a stone. (Otei fom de beba). This smallish tiger put up a man-of-the-match performance that won him the admiration of all present. Like Dede, he was never afraid to put a foot in even at the risk of injuring himself before the world cup. He reminds one of good old Stanley Aboraah of Asante Kotoko and Black Stars fame. Best wishes to you Stanley, wherever you are now.
Kwadwo Asamoah’s position is secured and Stephen Appiah may have to contend with cameo appearances late in games to use his experience against weary defences. Asamoah Gyan remains our best striker and there is no challenger for that role. I saw Dominic Adiyah for the first time today. He did his best to make an impact and showed lots of enthusiasm. He actually scored but was ruled out for off-side. Smallish he may be, but you do not necessarily have to be big to be a striker. The great Tostao was not big, Jermaine Defoe is not big, and Wayne Rooney is not big. One cannot help but think, however, that Adiyah needs to build a few muscles in the right places to enable him compete. I am not one of those who believe merely training with AC Milan is enough. I’d rather he was playing competitive matches regularly and scoring, even if it were in the third division. My personal opinion is that whiles Adiyah may be an asset in four years; this world cup may have come too soon for him.
Kevin Prince Boateng was obviously trying to avoid an injury prior to the world cup, and yet he managed to put up a decent performance. I have seen this guy perform several times in the premiership. He is a fighter and a winner and when the whistle goes in South Africa, he will be ready. Ghanaians should have no fear. Derrick Boateng also did very well in the second half. He has the physic and touch to be a big influence in midfield. I did not see him tackle, but again, who wants to get injured before the world cup. Good player.
Thank God Mensah went through the match without injury. He forms a solid rock with Vorsah. Paintsil and Inkoom will have to compete for the right full back and whiles Addy huffed and puffed in left back, he may find it difficult to completely displace Sarpei. The coach will have to work in these last few days on the quality of our crosses. Whiles our full backs overlap beautifully, the quality of crosses leaves much to be desired.
The quality of the opposition meant that Adjei was hardly ever tested. On the one occasion he was called on to deal with a cross, he fumbled badly. Yet, most times he looked confident and composed. He has built some muscles that make him look more matured. My personal opinion is that this guy should be maintained in the post for Ghana. We have a week to build him up physically and mentally. He is tall, young, intelligent and a quick learner. With the right support, he will deliver the goods. Richard Kingson has done his bit for Ghana but it is time to face reality and send him packing to the bench.
In the last ten minutes of the game, it was obvious, that the players, impressed by the kind of reception they had got were eager to reward us with a goal. They fought very hard and when it finally came, it was a delightful shot from Quincy that sent the stadium into ruptures. We all run unto the pitch to hug our heroes after the game and bid them farewell and Ghana should rest assured, that Ghanaians in the UK have not let them down. We went to the stadium in our numbers to wholeheartedly receive the boys. We built their spirits, motivated them, blessed them and sent them out to battle on behalf of our country. And from what I have seen, trust me when I say, they will not disappoint.
My starting line up;
========================Adjei================================
Paintsil ====== === Mensah=============Vorsah===============Sarpei
=================Annan======Prince Boateng===================
Quincy =================Kwadwo Asamoah===================Ayew
======================Asamoah Gyan===========================
Papa Appiah www.papaappiah.blogspot.com Lexeve@live.com
