FEATURE: Saved by the VAR!

By Nana Kwaku Agyemang

With the last leg of the road Qatar in a few days’ time at the 60,000-seater capacity Moshood Abiola National Stadium
in Abuja in Nigeria the Black Stars of Ghana earn themselves a well-earned rest with plenty time to reflect on their individual and overall performance. In a game that on paper they were destined to lose in front of home supporters the Black Stars managed to hold their own in not conceding a goal against the might of the Super Eagles of Nigeria who opted for a technical glide instead of a full-fledged flight. Unfortunately, the hype around the “twelfth man” theory being that of the supporters fell flat and remained nothing more than hype as for the vast majority of the match they were murmuring instead of singing and cheering the team on. Their fixation like all of us on the goals that were required to give the Black Stars the advantage and the added impetus to go to Nigeria and win had swiftly dissipated before their very eyes during the 90 minutes or more that was played and yes even though an improved performance it was still so disappointing.

That is not to say that we did not witness one of the best performances of the Black Stars in recent times but the final analysis is that they failed to achieve their objective and never looked like they could meet the expectations of Ghanaians; something we have become accustomed to for 40 years in the African Cup of Nations Competition and eight years and counting in the FIFA World Cup.

The highlights of the match were unfortunately disdainfully characterized by the jeering and booing of Jordan Ayew when he was finally substituted. The hug by the Coach Otto Addo did nothing to simmer the tension the supporters felt about the contribution of Jordan and almost immediately social media became awash with pictures and commentary for and against him and he inevitably began to trend. In my opinion Jordan Ayew was actually quite fortunate to have been selected The Technical team exercised poor technical judgement in placing him in the starting lineup because he had only trained once with the squad having arrived late following a Covid 19 scare. There was no technical justification for Jordan to appear in the starting line up at all because we had several players to choose from to feature as a left or right wing back. I also

believe that technically the technical team sold Jordan down the river in placing him on their squad list as a striker when they had no intention of using him in this way. Indoing so they made him the fall guy! With his stats exposing the fact that he had only been able to find the back of the net once in over 27 appearances and twice in over 50 appearances it spoke volumes in itself about his capacity and the possibility of him finding the net in such a crucial encounter against the Super Eagles of Nigeria where the stakes were so high.

Jordan Ayew

Another example of poor technical judgement was demonstrated with the equally poor execution of set pieces which Jordan had been somehow assigned to deliver. I failed to understand on what basis because if it seemed as if there were no other options once it became obvious these deliveries offered no real threat and created very little in opportunities for the Stars the next thing that should have happened is that another player should have been preferred. That’s why it was a shock to see that Kofi Kyere could not start but in the next leg it is my fervent hope that Kofi Kyere will be assigned to such tasks.

I have seen and read so many commentaries that points the finger at anyone and everyone forthright enough in critiquing Jordan’s performance describing them as ‘haters’ which I find objectionable. I can’t speak for anyone else but I express my own views and

categorically state I have no reason to hate on anyone of our players. I will speak my mind and damn the consequences as I speak to add my weight for the benefit of pushing the Senior National Team forward. I have been fortunate like many others of watching the Ayew brothers develop and grow from an early age and I have publicly supported Andre Ayew to become the Captain of the Black Stars even before it dawned on so many as well as advocating for Jordan to be given a shot at playing for the Black Stars too and my past columns are there to attest to that!

Andre Dede Ayew
But while I am on the Ayews I want to say that the team missed the contribution of Andre Ayew immensely. On Joy Prime TV on the morning of the match I echoed that sentiment and declared that because of his exclusion the Stars would not have any leader on the field of play. I was referred to Thomas Partey but I dismissed this out of hand by declaring he is not a leader on the field of play by any stretch of the imagination. He looks good in Arsenal because he is complimented by such a wide array of talent but when that talent is replaced by his colleagues in the Black Stars his loss of appetite is clear for everyone to see! Andre Ayew shows up on the big occasions every time but Thomas Partey rarely glitters in the Black Stars jersey it’s as if he becomes the invisible man! I sincerely hope he picks himself up in the second leg because I do not fell the Technical team are brave enough to

put him on the bench and replace him with a player who is hungry for the opportunity to don the Black Stars jersey.

Despite the goal less draw there are still a lot of positives emanating from this match. The lateral defence for example has now all but been solved. Dennis Odoi and Gideon Mensah have paved the way for the Reading FC twins Boakye Yiadom and Baba Rahman to sit comfortably on the bench if that! Dennis Odoi being 33 may not have that much longer to be featured but I would envisage that this too will be obvious and as such more attempts will be made to lure Toriq Lamptey into the fold too. Whilst Gideon Mensah has time on his side it is always prudent to give him competition. I am not sure if David Korsah of Accra Hearts of Oak SC will provide this but at least we are beginning to get the fundamentals right in order for the center to hold!

Gideon Mensah
It wouldn’t be right for me not to mention how Djiku is beginning to show signs of rapid international maturity. He has become dependable after just a handful of games and the partnership with Daniel Amartey is precisely what the Doctor ordered. Daniel Amartey is wearing his commitment on his sleeve as he sets about ensuring his colleagues are appropriately placed pre-any ensuing attack. As for Kudus, Kamaldeen and Afena Gyan it will take some time to polish them harnessing their enthusiasm and energy for the game and redirecting it in a way in which they are more able identify the right time to

express their individual abilities on the field as opposed to when a quick release of the ball is required. Their consistent inclusion and subsequent development will boost their confidence and aid their ability to think quickly and make the right decisions as they become more instinctive and clinical in everything they do when in possession. It is all about making the right decisions at the right time that’s the polish they need to shine.

In so much as there were some technical frailties I believe the current technical team are to be celebrated despite the fact that the Stars even with a huge twelfth man were unable to register a single goal. I applaud the use of a formation and a system of play that has often been rejected by other Technical teams and players many of whom expressed difficulty in adopting to the 3:5:2 amidst the general belief that the Stars were only really comfortable with a 4:4:2. This represents a huge step forward and signals the advent of a more readily flexible formational approach to all matches. This is my mind is what I consider to be strategic and will keep opposition guessing and not the withholding of a squad list or a team sheet!

For the first time there is active quality on the bench and they are all itching to get off the bench and play. We must give them the chance. Osman Bukari on entering the game was quick to show us all a glimpse of what he could do whilst Joseph Painstil who has already staked his claim for a Stars jersey was also languishing on the bench when he should have been brought on shortly after half time. We have not had the opportunity to witness what debutant Kwasi Okyere Wreidt can do but he is a striker that we need to also give the chance especially as goal scoring is a major challenge. He is probably the hungriest striker out there who never dreamed of wearing the being asked to wear the jersey so why not give him the opportunity.

Osman Bukari
Qualification or not the good news is we have something to build on through the vision of the men at the Technical helm of affairs. I don’t think that this needs to change anytime soon. The impression created with just 72 hours to perform one’s duties has left a lasting impression upon Ghanaians akin to indelible ink. With a few more additions (hopefully a couple of local players too) I can now see a bright future for the Stars. Although we still have a slim chance we may not in the end qualify for the FIFA World Cup this time but the annexing of the African Cup of Nations within the next couple of years is now an unambiguous possibility and I mean that sincerely. Our rough diamonds require polish and clear instructions in order to shine brightly like the star we are and represent in Africa.

Go Black Stars Go!

Black Stars Technical Team

By Nana Kwaku Agyemang