To be perfectly honest with you, watching the Black Satellites beat Chile 4-3 in a FIFA Under 20 World Cup quarterfinal was like being on a roller coaster ride, and until Seidu Salifu scored the second equalizer for Ghana, I was beginning to think that our luck had run out.
Even then, I still thought that we would have it tough if it went to penalties, then Ebenezer Assifuah popped up with the winner right at the death.
As many of my friends’ comments on social media website Facebook indicated, it was fortunate that this time around no one attempted to ‘Suarez’ the ball.
Many who remember the Luis Suarez handball incident at the senior World Cup in South African three years ago will catch my drift.
The entire team deserves commendation for exhibiting immense mental strength in coming back not one, but twice.
This piece is, however, about the price the team had to pay for making it into the semifinals and how to deal with the problem before Wednesday’s rematch with France.
Ghana’s first choice central defensive pairing of team captain Lawrence Lartey and Joseph Attamah have been ruled out of the semifinal game through suspension.
Both players were carrying yellow cards going into the Chile game and both were booked in the course of this extraordinary match.
Naturally, many would start to panic because the question would be who to start for Ghana in central defence against France.
Inasmuch as I am a realist and I would admit that our defence has been Ghana’s weakest link in the competition (the Satellites have conceded 10 goals in 5 games so far), there is light at the end of the tunnel and I would explain why.
Baba Abdul Rahman has had a superb tournament at left back, but apparently, he is also equally adept in central defence.
In the season before he moved to Asante Kotoko on loan, he travelled to Anderlecht in Belgium for trials.
From what I am told and what I have verified, Rahman played most of the trial matches in central defence, after which the Anderlecht technical staff asked the hierarchy of second division side Dreams FC, where Rahman was playing, to use him in central defence whilst they continued to monitor him.
Rahman thus played the entire second round of that season in central defence and even though he is predominantly left footed, he is also equally comfortable with his right foot. He ended up scoring 8 goals from going up for set pieces during that season.
Paradoxically, even though his advisors told Asante Kotoko to use him in central defence in a bid to make the Anderlecht move happen, then Kotoko head coach Maxwell Konadu tried him at left back, kept him there and Rahman excelled.
Rahman thus earned a move to Germany to play for Greuther Furth and he also excelled at left back for majority of the season.
All I am saying is that with the experience he has had, Sellas Tetteh has to turn to him as one of the options in central defence against France. Interestingly, apart from the fact that Rahman is two-footed, he also has the height to prosper in the heart of defence.
So pairing him with Baba Mensah should do the trick for the Black Satellites. For all we know, even though Lartey and Attamah have had break out tournaments so far, we could well see a clean sheet on Wednesday with Rahman in central defence.
Someone would ask me at this stage who will play at left back if Rahman is deployed in central defence and my answer would be simple; Jeremiah Arkoful.
The Tema Youth captain is an accomplished left back who had an excellent competition at the African Youth Soccer Championships in Algeria.
He is very comfortable on the ball, strong in the challenge and his delivery of crosses on the overlap is a joy to see; not to mention his prowess with set pieces.
Even though he hasn’t played yet in Turkey, he would be my candidate for left back against France.
On the other side of defence, my pick would be Princebell Addico of Bechem United. He came on for Richmond Nketiah during the Chile game and for me, looked far more solid at right back than Nketiah has ever been during the entire tournament.
Don’t get me wrong; I like Nketiah as a player for his surging runs, but his recovery has left a lot to be desired and many of the ten goals Ghana has conceded have come through his side of the defence.
So perhaps Tetteh has to consider using Addico in his place come Wednesday.
In short, I am advocating for a back four that would have Addico and Arkorful in lateral defence, with Rahman and Mensah at the heart of the defence. In my opinion, this should do the trick against France.
Moses Odjer is also suspended but with him, Sellas Tetteh has two options. He could use Francis Narh as an attacker down the right, which might mean Kennedy Ashia getting a start ahead of Richmond Boakye-Yiadom to play behind Ebenezer Assifuah.
Another option is to bring in Michael Anaba and start Boakye-Yiadom, which will still leave Ashia and Narh as useful options off the bench.
What would be crucial is Seidu Salifu’s presence in front of the back four. Salifu’s absence was badly felt in the first game against France, where Paul Pogba was allowed to run riot as France beat Ghana 3-1.
Again, missing in that game was Clifford Aboagye, who is also having a break out tournament. With those two in central midfield, the Satellites can cope better with the likes of Pogba and Geoffrey Kondogbia and I am quietly confident that Ghana can avenge that defeat by beating France to reach the final.
All in all, on the surface things may look bleak, but as I have just explained, there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel.
Who knows, the suspensions of Lartey and Attamah could prove to be a blessing in disguise, especially if Rahman plays in the heart of defence.
That should be enough to give Tetteh selection headaches if the Black Satellites beat France. Before the game against the talented Chileans I noted on Facebook that if Ghana went past them, they could go all the way and I am still holding on to that belief.
With that in mind, I can hardly wait for Wednesday to say ‘au revoir’ to the French.
