VA real enigma of the competition, Ghana arrives discreetly in Cameroon and it seems difficult to consider him as a real contender for the title, given the state of his football. On the other hand, there are good prospects for the future, and the Black Stars might, or even should, use this CAN to rebuild over time.
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A football nation … which has never won
While their last continental title dates back to 1982, Ghana, 4 times African champion, approaches this CAN with its share of uncertainties. Far from its consistency of the 2000s and early 2010s, which saw it shine at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, Ghana, although its name remains among the great nations of the continent, does not appear among the great teams. of the moment for several years now. Following a poor start to the second round of the World Cup qualifiers, which saw coach CK Akonnor lose his post following the Black Stars lost to South Africa, Ghana initiated the return of the Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac. The latter is the former coach of Ghana who finished at the gates of the semi-final of the South African World Cup. A return that raised many questions at the beginning, but raised hope following the first matches. To what extent can the Black Stars turn the tide and come and play spoilers? Above all, it should be noted that Ghana has regularly been present in the last four in recent years.
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Winning now or preparing for the future?
Hope has been shared since the insertion of a promising generation, led by young players like Kamaldeen Sulemana (revelation of the season with Stade Rennes), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax Amsterdam), from the Right To Dream academy, who works in partnership with the Danish club Nordsjaelland, or Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, considered one of the greatest hopes of African football. Only, this rise of players leads to question the trajectory of this team and its ambition in the short and medium term.
As the generation of brothers Ayew and Wakaso ages, that of Thomas Partey, Daniel Amartey, struggling to make an impression, it may be time for Ghana to start a new cycle and prepare for the next few years and on this condition, this CAN must serve as a laboratory for the future, more than an umpteenth hypothetical race to final victory. Yes, Ghana will not hesitate to win if they have the possibility, but a cold analysis of the situation shows that this team is no longer among the essential favorites of the competition, and that this CAN serves as a laboratory for both Black Stars approach the competition in the unknown and the search for certainties.
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A game plan that might still be improved
Arranged in a usual 4-2-3-1, unchanged despite the change of coach, only line of defense seems already defined, with at least Strasbourg player Djiku, Chelsea player Baba Rahman (loaned to Reading), and Daniel Amartey (able to play right back or central defender), whose role will define the presence or not of Andy Yiadom (right back) or Jonathan Mensah (central defender). Potential surprise, the revelation Abdul Mumin (Victoria Guimaraes), as Sulemana and Kudus, from the Right To Dream academy and passed through Nordsjaelland might be thrown into the bath to complete the back 4. The midfielder, where only Thomas Partey figure as a guarantee, is with the post of goalkeeper, the sector in which Ghana advances with less certainty as the bottom of play is not yet convincing.
The positioning of André Ayew, sometimes on the right side, sometimes in an axial role, is not yet clear. The very certain unavailability of Mohammed Kudus, generally used as number 10, would allow him to be repositioned as an attacking midfielder while the right lane would be entrusted to the hopeful Fatawu Issahaku, best player of the CAN U20 (won by the Black Satellites), and author of an excellent start to the season (6 goals in 8 games) for Dreams FC, a Ghanaian Premier League club. The attacking position raises a lot of questions, where neither a confirmed scorer nor a focal point of the offensives stands out.
READ ALSOCAN 2015 – André Ayew: “The title? We don’t think regarding it. “
An untapped pool?
While there is a large national pool, the composition of the Black Stars squad suggests that the potential of this country is not being maximized. On the one hand, the absence of players such as Alfred Duncan, seasoned midfielder of Italian Serie A, now holder on the side of Sassuolo, or the defender of Southampton Mohammed Salisu, revelation of the English championship, both not selected for reasons other than sporting. The first is no longer selected following a controversy for which he was accused of faking an injury, which he strongly denied. The second, requested since following CAN 2019, rejects the selection for a few years. Salisu, first wishing to establish himself in a club, understandable given the bad timing, coinciding with the start of the pandemic then a long injury depriving him of the grounds for a majority of the previous season, upon his arrival in England in from Valladolid, where it was revealed during the 2020 season.
On another level, the emerging talents of the national championship are not necessarily sufficiently highlighted either. In a cycle where the selection of Ghana is at a low point with, of course, some talents with very high potential like those mentioned above, more recognition might be given to players who regularly prove themselves in the country, like the attacking midfielder David Abagna (8 goals in 9 games), captain of Real Tamale United, probably best player in the championship this season with Abdul Fatawu. Especially since Ghana regularly summons a team A’composed of local players during the Fifa dates. All these elements might make Ghana better.
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Qualifying in the second round and then that’s it?
In lack of certainty, Ghana might use this CAN as a first laboratory for future deadlines. Drawn in a group comprising Morocco, Gabon and the Comoros, the Black Stars are in a group within their reach, however, the first day once morest the Atlas Lions is already proving decisive (in both directions). A positive result with the content in the key can be decisive and allow the Black Stars to be reassured and to be filled with confidence.
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