CAN 2012 Files EP15: Ghana – So Close, Yet So Far

The way Ghana played at the 2012 AFCON tournament; it was only a matter of time that some team punished the Black Stars. What other way to bring down the Stars than with a compact copper bullet from Zambia. Thirty years of waiting – so close, yet so far!

After waiting all this while, many a Ghanaian felt destiny had beckoned Ghana to come lift the cup. The coach, Goran Stevanovic, had played a big role in creating this mindset as he kept promising Ghanaians the trophy. 

Goran Stevanovic - Will he do the honourable thing and resign?

The road to the trophy however had one trap – Zambia! The Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) from Zambia had vowed to stand between Ghana and the trophy and on the day Ghana appeared to have played their best game at AFCON 2012, cookie crumbled.

It all started when Gyan missed an 8th minute penalty. Ghana could have won this game if they took other subsequent chances which fell to them. Sometime in the second half, the Zambians got half of a chance; Mayuka Emmanuel took a beautifully placed shot which broke 24 million hearts and silenced a nation. 

Typically the question will be begged all year whether Goran Stevanovic’s lackadaisical attitude to his work did not cost Ghana this trophy. Many other factors were also at play here, but the buck must stop somewhere. The blame should be placed in Stevanovic’ back yard.

Questions about Goran Stevanovic’s attitude to his job, his ability to map out winsome strategies against tougher oppositions, player selection philosophy and motivation had lingered even before Stevanovic named his AFCON 2012 squad.

For instance, it was very difficult to understand why a coach of Ghana will hardly step foot in Ghana; sit in his home country in Serbia and imagine he can win trophies in Africa. It was even more confounding how after one year at post Goran Stevanovic had no clue how to deal with Ghana’s lateral defence problems. For the first time since 2006, we saw a Ghanaian bench which looked stressed, confused and demoralized game after game.

A perplexed John Paintsil

Goran Stevanovic took a Ghana team which was flying high in Africa and World football and killed its morale. Should he continue this way, the dark days where Ghana could not even win games, let alone present a credible challenge at the Nations Cup are bound to return.

In Stevanovic’s defense, some have said that he does not know his players. But that argument falls flat in the face of common sense. Others have said that AFCON 2012 is not as important as AFCON 2013 because the winner of AFCON 2013 will represent Africa in the FIFA Confederations Cup. While this is a nice way of soothing Ghanaian hearts, there is no guarantee that this coach who cannot motivate his team enough can marshal a superior strategy to win qualifiers.

On December 18th, 2011 when Goran Stevanovic held a press conference to announce his interim 25-man squad, he promised to resign if he fails to take Ghana to the finals of AFCON 2012. For once, Stevanovic should stick to his word and just do the honourable thing and quit otherwise he should be fired by the Ghana FA.

If the Ghana FA still trusts this coach to take Ghana to South Africa and win the trophy, then they will have to call him to order to take his job more seriously. Ghana deserves better than this kind of lethargy.

The way it is, a third-place playoff win against Mali will not be enough compensation for Ghanaians.

AFCON 2012: Ghana ready for Zambia [Live Updates]

GHANA STARTING LINE-UP: Adam Kwarasey, Samuel Inkoom, Lee Addy, John Mensah, John Boye, Anthony Annan, Andre Ayew, Derek Boateng, Asamoah Gyan, Kwadwo Asamoah, Jordan Ayew
GHANA SUBSTITUTIONS: Daniel Adjei, Daniel Opare, John Paintsil, Masahudu Alhassan, Isaac Vorsah, Jonathan Mensah, Mohammed Abu, Sulley Muntari, Charles Takyi, Prince Tagoe, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Ernest Sowah

Ghana Black Stars 2012: United against Zambia

 

Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) of Zambia: Ready to take Ghana on

 

 

CAN 2012 Files EP14: End of the road for Zambia in sight as they face the Might of Ghana

AFCON 2012 is beginning to look like Senegal 1992 AFCON. Twenty years ago, Ghana had to overcome a talented Zambian side to book a place with Ivory Coast in the finals.  Ghana was the hot tournament favourite in 1992, but the Zambians gave Ghana a good run for their money.

This time around, the Zambians are promising the world they will finish Ghana off. According to coach Herve Renard: “The most important thing is that we believe in ourselves. Now we have the chance to go to the final. We have the confidence, the maturity and got it all.” Team captain and Chris Katongo also had this to say: “We know their names but when we get to the pitch, we want to beat them. Its eleven against eleven and time to make a name for ourselves and for the young players in the team to move up.”

of Zambia”]

Herve Renard and the Chipolopolo [Copper Bullets

This confidence from Zambia is not dropping from a vacuum. Similar to Ghana, they have spent the last few years constructing a winsome team. One time Ghana’s physical trainer Herve Renard has forged a disciplined, united and winsome team which can boast of facing any opposition.

Against Ghana, one can expect Renard’s  charges to start the game with a fitness advantage. They are most likely going toattack Ghana’s defence relentlessly. The may also at crucial times look to sit deep and strike on the break via the flanks. This  tendency to throw men forward might prove to be their weakness.

Ghana on the other hand might come into this game slightly on the low. Undefeated so far with just two goals conceded, the team still seems to be struggling to find its shine.

Typically, Ghanaian fans expect beautiful passes and ball juggling, but Goran Stevanovic’s Black Stars prefer efficiency to going for the jocular. This efficiency approach explains why in spite of all the back lash from fans and pundits alike after each game, the Man of the Match Award has gone to a Black Stars players.

Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu against Tunisia

John Panstil against Guinea

Andre Ayew against Mali and

John Boye against Botswana

Obviously, something must right with the Ghana team which explains why Ghana deputy coach, Akwasi Appiah, does not see Zambia going into the finals. But he knows that the Black Stars will need inspiration going into the game if they are to stop the run of the Zambians: “The difficult part is that, most of our players have played about three-four games now and sometimes, it’s really difficult to get them to play at their maximum as you want in every game.”

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Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu [ 1 goal and 1 Man of the Match Award

Ghana has more to give than it had offered at this AFCON and one can not tell at what exact point in the tournament they will explode. But there is no doubt about the urge to combat among the Ghanaian players. Anthony Annan has shrugged off the loss of his mother to play for Ghana. The fight in Andre Ayew is probably larger than that in all of Zambia’s team. Inexperienced John Boy has shown what a big heart he has in this tournament.

This is the spirit that will take Ghana through to the finals of AFCON 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAN 2012 Files EP13: There Is Just Something About The Black Stars

Goran Stevanovic had promised some sweet attacking football ahead of the quarter final game against Tunisia. Yet, like all the other games during AFCON 2012, his team’s performance will go down as some of the most uninspired since the Black Stars’ rediscovered their rhythm sometime in 2006.

While the entire nation expected Stevanovic’s ‘better football plan’ to unfold, it was the resilience and fighting spirit of the team which came to the light.

Both Ghana and Tunisia played some determined football which saw its first share of physical encounters, dramatic simulations and cards.

But in the end, Tunisia and the rest of Africa must have learnt that lesson which Botswana, Guinea and Mali are taking home – you don’t bring the fight to the Black Stars and expect to win.

The semi-final game against Zambia on Wednesday does not look like it will be easy. Their seamless blend of finesse and fitness will pose many difficulties to the Black Stars who have looked shaky all throughout this tournament.

But there is just something about the Black Stars that makes them to be no one’s pushovers and Zambia are about to learn this in a very heart breaking manner.

 

CAN 2012 Files EP12: Mission Accomplished, That 100th Goal And A Question For Goran Stevanovic

A very special 94M/s goal by Agyeman-Badu marked Ghana 100^th African Nations Cup goals on a night when the Stars simply failed to glitter. Congratulations to the young man who has made Michael Essien’s loss less painful.

Guinea needed a win to survive the tournament and hence came in to play a physical game while attacking down the flank. Obviously, Goran Stevanovic and his players had no clue to the Guinea tactic and his team was in sixes and sevens.

In the end however, the objective for the first round of the tournament was accomplished. Ghana is going to the quarter finals without defeat. The Black Stars will face old foes Tunisia on Sunday February 5^th 2012 in a quarter final encounter.

Many who have followed the current crop of players from Argentina 2001 World Youth Championships through Ghana 2008 AFCON, Egypt 2009 World Youth Championship, Angola 2010 AFCON and the South Africa 2010 World Cup, expected some champagne football. But the coach who promised sweet attacking football delivered some of the scariest football Ghana played since Egypt 2006 AFCON. Even with a one man advantage, Ghana was on the defensive.

After that piss-poor group opener against Botswana, the age-old excuse of Ghana starting tournaments on a slow note was thrown out there. But a rather terrible first half against Mali followed and people started asking questions. The players promised to make amends, but this very unimpressive outing against Guinea makes those questions linger.

Can Black Stars play any better football before the end of the tournament? Will such weak performances carry Ghana through to the final and then lift the cup?

One can only hope that a different strategy will be brought to the quarter final game against Tunisia.

Over the years we have seen that the Blacks Stars seem to play every game according to public perception of the potency of the opposition and the importance of the game. This means that we can expect a much more spirited performance as the tournament progresses.

The burning questions of full/wing backs, right wing, goal keeping and a playmaker to feed Gyan with those hard-to-miss balls are yet to be resolved after one year of Stevanovic’s reign.

This is why I will like to ask Stevanovic a very simple question: If you were the Serbian FA boss and your coach had a year to build the national team and they played this kind of piss poor football at the Euros, how will you react?

CAN 2012 Files EP11: Sound Bites and More Ahead of The Guinea Game

Here are a few things being said and done in the Ghana camp ahead of the Ghana vs Guinea game.

John Paintsil does not want any complacency:

“The next game is about as big a test as the opening two matches. By the qualification format, we are not yet there. The two matches are taking place at the same time and we can’t guarantee the outcome of the other result which means we need to fight for our place. They will come in strongly after their score-line the last time but we are not focusing on that result. This is a new game that we are all pushing for. We are very, very determined to win and win in every other game.”

John Mensah is not breaking down:

‎”I’m feeling better with each passing day. The doctor said after the scan in Libreville that it is a minor injury. I’m undergoing treatment and he said that in no time I will be back playing again.”

John Mensah, may sit out against Mali

Kwarasey learns a trick or two:

“I am happy we kept a clean sheet but I am not happy with my personal performance. The Malians were strong and big and I had problems dealing with the aerial balls. I am still learning but I will improve. I learnt that I have to use my body and height a lot more and command my area.”

Adam Kwarasey

Sulley Ali Muntari knows something Ghanaians don’t:

“We know exactly the team we are going to face so we are preparing ourselves in order to play well.”

Charles Takyi is praising himself:

“I believe I did well in the [last] match. When your team is tired you are needed to bring something new and I think I did well.”

Daniel Opare is not in camp just to sing and dance:

“Of course, every player wants to be on the pitch and I really want to play. Anytime I get my chance on the pitch I hope to give out my 100% and deliver.”

Sulley Ali Muntari is upbeat about shifting from the Blue to the Red side of Milan:

“Yes I am a bit happy but as I have been saying, I’m here in national camp so I’m concentrating with the national team first. It is a great honour to play for AC Milan. I’m very, very happy.

Gyan is not the only one who knows the Azonto, Journalists know it too:

Goran Stevanovic has a messgae for Guinea:

A. Kwarasey, A. Masahudu, I. Vorsah, J. Boye, J. Pantsil, S. Inkoom, E. Agyemang-Badu, A. Annan, A. Andre, K Asamoah, A. Gyan

Battle ready

CAN 2012 Files EP10: Time for Gyan to Outshine Himself

When Ghana came out of that nervous encounter with Botswana in their Group D opener, many things were said. My fancy got tickled by a statement attributed to Botswana national team defender Mompati Thuma.

The defender who was on assignment to chase Ghana’s lead striker, Asamoah Gyan, out of the penalty box did not have any respect for Ghana’s hottest Black Star. “Gyan’s an ordinary player like everyone else, it is just that he plays in Europe,” he told media men after the game.

The arrogance of a sore loser? Whatever you make of it, that is an ego-deflating statement to make, given the premadonna status Gyan has attained in recent years. If this statement was made in 2008 when Gyan had altercations with the general public because his performance fell below expectation, there will be no qualms.

Ghana's striker Asamoah Gyan tries to dribble past Botswana's midfielder Mompati Thuma and defender Ndiyapo Letsholathebe during an African Cup of Nations (CAN) football match againt Botswanan at the Stade de Franceville

But today, opinions will be sharply divided. Even those who so much dislike Gyan will ask Thuma how dare he try to poke a pin into this bubble we have collectively blown into Gyan’s ego over the last 4 or so years.

Through a careful blend of good teamwork, football skills, important goals, bigger club transfers, music and dancing, Gyan has warmed his way back into many of disappointed fans from that difficult 2008 Nations Cup period.

But Thuma’s famous statement makes one begin to ask if Gyan could do more for Ghana. There are many ways by which we can assess the striker, but let us focus on his core duty – scoring goals. Let us also limit our discussion to tournaments as the statement was made in this context.

If we take out the 2004 Summer Olympic games, Gyan has featured in 4 competitive senior tournaments for Ghana – World Cup 2006, CAN 2008, CAN 2010, World Cup 2010. In all 4 tournaments, he was either a lead striker or a second striker. More recently, he has been a lone striker.

The much-discussed striker has scored 8 goals in all these tournaments; averaging 2 goals per tournament compared to the 5 goals average of the goal kings of these four tournaments. This comes to only 28% of all 18 goals Ghana has scored in tournaments Gyan has featured in.

There are those who will claim that scoring from penalty kicks does not make a striker special. Of the 8 goals Gyan has scored, 4 were converted from the penalty spot.

If we discount the number of assists, influence and skill set which he often brings aboard the Black Stars ship, the evidence does not speak so highly of Gyan, does it? You cannot average 2 goals per tournament and expect to be respected by defenders.

But we can take the analyses even further. The trend suggests that Gyan is maturing into the deadly tournament striker we expect him to be. He scored 1 goal at World Cup 2006; 1 at CAN 2008; 3 at CAN 2010 and 3 at World Cup 2010.

Barring injuries, 5 or more goals at CAN 2012 will be enough to make Thuma and all others like him eat their bitter arrogant words.  But can Gyan deliver?

Gyan may not need to prove how good he is to anyone, especially some unknown Botswana man. He has himself claimed he does not need to score. But this Gyan hate needs some gargantuan response; not in with words, but goals. This is why it is time for Gyan to outshine himself at CAN 2012.

Yes he Gyan!

CAN 2012 Files EP09: Botswana were a tough nut, but they cracked anyway!

Ghana’s Black Stars managed a not-very-pretty 1-0 win against Botswana in their Group D opener on Tuesday 24 January.

One got the feeling that if the Zebra’s of Botswana had not showed Ghana so much respect; it would have been a different ball game.

Although those 3 points are more important than beautiful passes, one begins to ask many questions about the Black Stars and their promise to return with the trophy.

For instance, where is the creativity in the attacking third? What exactly makes Inkoom a better left back than all the three called up for the position? While one is not a tactical experts, the question of why Gyan, a lone striker, spent so much time on the wings delivering crosses to no one still bugs my mind.

The old and worn out excuse that Ghana are slow starters at every tournament is already in circulation. A good showing against Mali in the second round of match will calm a lot of nerves.

Plaudits must however go to Stevanovic for having the foresight to take John Boye, an extra defender to the tournament.

 

 

CAN 2012 Files EP08: Goran Stevanovic’s moment of truth is here

When the countdown clock stops in less than 24 hours, the cheap talk will end as well. Bragging rights must now be earned on the green pitch! Boys will give way to the men.

Ghana has always claimed to be among the men, yet, no one under the age of 35 can recall the last time they saw Ghana win the African Cup trophy.

This year, Goran Stevanovic seeks to right that wrong. He promises to walk where even better qualified and experienced coaches have failed. He believes he is the chosen one to end Ghana’s 30 years trophy drought:

He has told media men that: “I believe I can take Ghana to become champions [at 2012 Nations Cup]. That’s my idea and we must believe it.” According to him; “Everyday I believe more in that …”

Is he just being his media savvy self? Stevanovic has always been guilty of saying things he has no plans of doing to make the media happy. His famous ‘I am coming to Ghana to scout for local talent’ speech was particularly heart-warming but what does he do? He come to Ghana, attends one game and no one knows where he vanished to.

So, sometimes when Stevanovic does the talking, one has to swallow it with two pinches of salt. But if he is not taking Ghanaians for another ride, then one cannot help but admire his spirit going into this tournament.

As the sages say, a blind man will not issue threats of stoning if he already does not have a foot on the stone. All the confidence Stevanovic is exuding ahead of the tournament must have some basis.

Might it just be the spirit in camp? Or perhaps there are a couple of tactical tricks down Stevanovic’s sleeves. Does he just trust in the quality of player he has? Has the Black Stars’ consistency over the last couple of years got to do with it? Maybe it is a combination of all of these and even more.

For now, we will wish Stevanovic well and trust in his confidence. But our support is not enough to bring the cup. As it is said; every man’s work will be taken through the fire. The chaff and the woodwork will be exposed. When the fires are stoked come kickoff, we will know whether Stevanovic is a man if straw or steel.

Thirty years of waiting. More than 10 expatriate and 5 Ghanaian coaches have been looking for the cup without success. Will Stevanovic’s faith be enough or we will have to expect another?

CAN 2012 Files EP07: Karma, Ladies Man And The Hundredth Goal

Coincidence loves playing tricks on the mind of many a man seeking answers from this sometimes difficult-to-understand world.

With a couple of days left to start Africa’s most prestigious football contest, news from Milan says hero-turn-villain Kevin Prince Boateng will be out for a month with an injury.

When Boateng announced his early retirement from the Black Stars, one of the many untenable reasons put forward in the media was his need to avoid injuries so that he can keep playing for AC Milan.

Like most Ghanaians, I can’t help but to beg the question that Boateng would have avoided this injury had he been in camp with the Black Stars. Even if he picked this injury playing for Ghana at CAN 2012, would the consequences (in terms of lack of AC Milan playing time) not have amounted to the same thing?

Some seem to think nature is punishing Boateng for turning his back on Ghana. But knocks, bruises and injuries will always be player’s bedfellows and this may have absolutely nothing to do with karma, so we wish Boateng speedy recovery.

Injuries aside, what does Boateng, Essien and Agogo have in common? They were always the toast of ladies during tournaments. In Ghana, football is hardly the passion of women. But once a while, and often for non-football reason, a player bursts onto the scene and captures the heart of women.

 

Before CAN 2008, the ladies scrambled for Essien. Manuel Junior Agogo, for all his terrible first touch caught the attention of the fairer sexes in 2008. The love for Agogo reached epic heights when after scoring against Nigerian in CAN 2008 he took off his shirt; exposing his muscular tattooed body.

In 2009 if Andre Ayew was a lollipop he hold have been licked dry by the women folk. Ayew had led Ghana to win the World Youth Chmapionship in 2009.

Kevin Prince Boateng took over during World Cup 2010. Skin colour and even better tattoos made him the perfect replacement for Agogo. Of course he scored an important goal too.

The jury is still out on the candidate for women’s favourite at CAN 2012. My take is Adam Larsen Kwarassey. Before 2011 ended, he was already the talk of many women. He has the complexion, the height, the looks and the performance to boot.

Adam may lack that Locally Acquired Foreign Accent (LAFA) which melts the average Ghana woman’s heart. But, should he manage a couple crucial jaw-dropping saves during the tournament, we are sure he will be welcomed back home by a bevy of lovely Ghanaian women.

In football players who put the ball in the net are celebrated more than the one who prevented it from entering the post. This is what makes the Ayews and Gyan potential candidates of the ladies man.

Of course goals win you tournaments. But in a 16 team tournament like the African cup, no more than 4 goals from open play can win you the trophy; granted you can shut up shop and practice your penalties.

4 – is the number of goals Ghana needs to reach 100 goals in all African Nations Cup tournaments. Should the GFA not be thinking of rewarding the player who scored that goal? Who might score that goal? Prince Tagoe?