\nAKENTEN, GRUSAH DISAGREE ON GHANA READINESS<\/strong><\/a>
\nFULL LIST OF GHANA’S 23 PLAYERS FOR BRAZIL<\/a>
\nAPPIAH CONFIRMS AKAMINKO WOULD HAVE GONE TO BRAZIL<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
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Citi Sports editor Gary Al-Smith<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0believes though Ghana did not field a first-string starting XI or anything close to it for the entire duration of the Netherlands friendly, there are problems. And some notable points as well.<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Gyan is almost irreplaceable<\/strong><\/p>\n If this were a bout, Asamoah Gyan\u2019s perceived importance to the Black Stars would have been given a unanimous victory.<\/p>\n Voted only weeks ago as the 2013 Footballer of the Year by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana, there still remains a section of people who believe Gyan’s dominance of the UAE league does not make him good enough to be world class.<\/p>\n But even they cannot dispute the vacuum created when he is absent.<\/p>\n Against the Dutch, Jordan Ayew started up front. It was quickly clear that he was heavily reliant on balls from the midfield. Caught in that situation, Gyan \u2013 on the contrary \u2013 would drop and try to get the ball himself. He did that a lot during the qualifiers.<\/p>\n In a game where Ghana also recorded no shots on target, it is clear Gyan\u2019s precociousness with long shots was missed.<\/p>\n Easily the Black Stars best striker in their last six tournaments, the former Sunderland man scored 45 goals in 42 games in the UAE this season and was joint-top scorer in the African World Cup qualifiers, together with Egypt\u2019s Mohammed Aboutreika.<\/p>\n He\u2019s still Ghana\u2019s undisputed champion.<\/p>\n 2. Schlupp gives Ghana hope at left-back. Accam too<\/strong><\/p>\n The country woke up on Sunday morning to the news that Leicester City\u2019s Jeffery Schlupp and Helsingborg\u2019s David Accam had been axed from the team, with a horrible ankle injury forcing defender Jerry Akaminko to miss the flight to Brazil as well.<\/p>\n But in Schlupp, Ghana truly have a hope that the left-back problem that has worried the team for almost a decade, will be sorted out soon.<\/p>\n His display against the Netherlands may have been uninspiring, but Schlupp\u2019s potential to be a starter for Ghana in the next year is there for all to see.<\/p>\n Having been consistent with his club and helping them on to promotion for next season\u2019s English Premier League, the German-born player should get regular playing time in one of the world\u2019s best leagues before Ghana\u2019s next major tournament in January.<\/p>\n David Accam is a luxury at this point in time. There are players in the current team who easily beat him to a place in the team based on pragmatism alone.<\/p>\n They can do what Accam does \u2013 and they have experience to boot. He was competing for a place with Andre Ayew, Christian Atsu and Kwadwo Asamoah.<\/p>\n Tough luck.<\/p>\n 3. Afriyie Acquah\u2019s emphatic statement<\/strong><\/p>\n Accam\u2019s tough luck involved having some of Ghana\u2019s best players to contend with. But with Michael Essien waning in power and durability, Afriyie Acquah (Parma, Italy) has come into the Ghana team at a time he will be badly needed.<\/p>\n Michael Essien\u2019s career problems at national level are well documented, and you get the feeling that Kwesi Appiah wants to give the Bison a proper crack at a World Cup before he says farewell to the tournament.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s difficult to see Essien playing consistent 90 minute games in Brazil.<\/p>\n Normally, Rabiu Mohammed (Kuban Krasnodar, Russia) would have been a naturally replacement. Unfortunately, he is also only recently coming back from injury and as evidenced against the Dutch, needs a few games to get into the groove.<\/p>\n Afriyie Acquah is red and ready, on the back of a strong season for Parma and looking very much like a 24-year old Michael Essien.<\/p>\n 4. Kwarasey over Fatau Dauda, please<\/strong><\/p>\n Any arguments about who should be in goal for Ghana must have been settled by now. Adam Larsen Kwarasey\u2019s biggest problem has been a consistent lack of big game temperament.<\/p>\n Against the World Cup runners-up from the last time, he was sharp.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for their very good goalkeeper and our own carelessness, Ghana should have been down 3-0 at half time,\u201d noted Louis van Gaal after the game.<\/p>\n Having not seen Kwarasey at such a level in a while, it was refreshing to see that he has added \u201cthe Schmeichel save\u201d to his repertoire. Distribution has always been a strong point of his, as has reaction from long balls.<\/p>\n Ghana\u2019s first choice until now has been South-Africa based Fatau Dauda, but his severe lack of games will make it hard to justify benching the Norway-based Kwarasey in Brazil.<\/p>\n 5. The defence is a mess<\/strong><\/p>\n The best known secret in Ghanaian football was blown to bits on Saturday night: the defensive situation borders on critical now.<\/p>\n Inexperience, lack of composure, lack of communication and general leadership problems highlighted the way the Stars played.<\/p>\n Even with Akaminko around, his partnership with Rashid Sumaila was exposed by the fluid Dutch attack.<\/p>\n Now that Jerry is out, what gives? Sumaila-Jonathan Mensah at center-back? A John Boye and Jonathan Mensah combo looks most likely, but that looks brittle against the kind of barrage likely to meet them against USA, Portugal and Germany.<\/p>\n
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