Ghana news updates [R]

[Scotty]

Just wanted to start a thread to follow any news or other developments on our World Cup rival Ghana.

I'll start things off below with an interview with Ghana and Modena forward Asamoah Gyan that I have translated from the Italian weekly sports magazine Guerin Sportivo. Check it out.

[Scotty]

Virtue in the middle

With Ghana and Asamoah Gyan, there’s everything to be discovered, starting with the Modena forward’s identity. On his birth certificate it’s Asamoah as the name and Gyan as the surname. In his homeland and everywhere else, however, the 20-year-old attacker, who finished together with Appiah (4 goals) as Ghana’s top scorer in World Cup qualification, is known simply as Asamoah. It’s the same in Italy, even though it’s written as Gyan on his blue and yellow Modena jersey. This is because he has a brother who is also a player, five years older, in full force with Dynamo Moscow and the national team. To simplify things from when each played on the Olympic team, Italy’s rival in the Athens Games (the game finished 2-2), they began to be called by their first names, Asamoah and Baffour. Each one stuck. And it is exactly Asamoah Gyan, a bright and relaxed youngster from a good family of Ashanti ethnicity, the most common in the African country, to tell us about Ghana, the Azzurri’s first rival of Germany 2006.

What did this qualification represent?
“Something extraordinary, because Ghana had won some African Cup titles, participated in different Olympics, but never managed to qualify for the World Cup. Finaly we did it and it was a huge party for the whole country.”

Your qualifying campaign started out with a 1-0 defeat in Burkina Faso. Looking at the preceding events don’t you fear failure this time, too?
“No, despite the defeat we always kept the faith. We knew we had the qualities to qualify and we did it.”

You began with the Portuguese coach Mariano Barreto, who then returned home to coach Maritimo. He was substited with Ratomir Dujkovic, a Serb. What has changed?
“First of all, Dujkovic knew how to transmit a sense of faith to the atmosphere and to us players in particular. He brought good luck: with him on the bench after having tied the first game 1-1 away to Congo, we put together consecutive victories. 2-1 with Burkina Faso, 2-0 in South Africa, 2-0 with Uganda, 4-0 to Cape Verde. With Dujkovic even the formation changed: from Baretto’s 4-3-1-2 to 4-4-2.”

With which one did you feel most comfortable?
“I don’t have any preference. Even with Barreto I was a starter. The Portuguese, who also guided us at the Olympics, did good work. However, with Dujkovic we found a style of play that is more compatable for us and he has more faith in our own abilities. He knew how to convince us that we were strong and that qualification wouldn’t slip away from us.”

What kind of a coach is Dujkovic?
“He’s a very good coach. He’s calm and quiet and gives us a lot of freedom on the field. I’ve never seen him angry, and the few words he speaks are meaningful. He always knows how to give the right advice.”

How does he have you playing?
“Djukovic lets me move around on the field as I want. I can rove freely on the entire offensive front. Tactically I have less restrictions with Ghana than with Modena.”

What are Ghana’s strong points?
“The midfield is definately the strongest department. It couldn’t be otherwise with first-class players like Appiah, Essien and Muntari around. Few other teams have three elements like that at their disposal in the center of their formation.”

And the weak points?
“Both the defense and the front line are not at the same level as the midfield. The rearguard, with Sammy Kuffour back on the team, who had missed some qualifiers, will make for a boost in quality, most of all regarding experience. We hope to improve in attack.”

Who are Ghana’s five best players?
“I would say Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, our captian Stephen Appiah, my brother Baffour Gyan and Matthew Amoha, my attacking partner. He played in Holland until December with Vitesse, but has now signed with Borussia Dortmund in Germany.”

Appiah and Muntari are well known in Italy, but not Essien. Tell us about him.
“He’s a great player, physicaly strong and highly gifted technically. He’s worth the record fee (38 million euros) that Chelsea payed to Lyon for him last summer.”

Recently in England he got noticed for some brutal tackles on Bolton’s Ben Haim and Liverpool’s Hamann; fouls that would have deserved red cards and heavy suspensions.
“When I saw those tackles on TV I was shocked, because Essien isn’t a dirty player. He’s a calm guy and a midfielder with great technique and character. A driving force. He has the same temperament as Gattuso but much more class.”

What type of formation will Ghana use at the World Cup?
“This question should be posed to Dujkovic. But I believe that our team already has an identity that is quite defined. In goal Adjei, who had barely four caps when the qualifying tournament began. The outside defenders are Paintsil on the right and Pappoe on the left. Kuffour and Mensah are in the middle of the defense, with good possibilites for Issah Ahmed, top player of 2005 in Ghana. In the midfield, the central players Essien and Yakubu occupy a position a bit more withdrawn compared to Appiah and Muntari, who go forward more frequently. Up front, myself and Amoah should continue as starters, but my brother Baffour and Joetex Frimpong are playing their hands, too. Prince Tagoe was also called up for the African Nations Cup, he was top scorer in the last Ghanaian league season with 18 goals. However, my brother wasn’t called up. He’s a bit out of the loop because of an injury, but when he recovers I’m sure that he’ll come back permanently. He’s a forward with a lot of quality and experience. Now he plays in Russia with Dynamo Moscow, but before that he had spent four years in the Czech Republic with Slovan Liberec. And before that he had an experience in Greece with Kalamata.”

What are the qualities of your team?
“Good overall technique, physical force and youthful energy, since the average age of the squad is quite low. And we have incredible enthusiasm.”

What does the game against Italy mean to you?
“It is kind of a personal derby game. I had already wanted it for quite some time and I was pleased with the draw. My Modena teammates tell me that we will lose three or four to nothing, and that Nesta and Cannavaro won’t even let me see the ball, but I’m convinced that it won’t be like that. In the Olympics we tied 2-2, a very close game for us because we were leading 2-0 at the end of the first half. I have a lot of respect for Italy. It is one of the strongest national teams in the world, with so many top players and much more experience than us. But that doesn’t scare us. We will play to win, and we will advance together with the Azzurri, I don’t know whether in first or second place. Probably we will finish even with Italy, but then we will beat both the Czech Republic and the USA.”

Which player of the Azzurri do you fear the most?
“Nesta is a very strong defender that will make life difficult for me. The one who I admire most, however, is Gilardino. I want to become as good as he is. At the end of the game I hope to exchange jerseys with one of them.”

What is your objective for Germany 2006?
“Our reference point is Senegal from the World Cup in Asia. They were debutantes like us. They started out by beating the favorites, the reigning champions France, then they became even more motivated as they advanced and played beautiful football. They went far. We want to do like they did and perhaps even better, if possible. We have the enthusiasm and quality to do it.”

Which is the strongest African team at the moment?
“The Ivory Coast. And then Ghana right after them. We will both be the great revelations of Germany 2006. It depends on how we start out, and on June 12th in Hannover we want to start out strong.”

Rossano Donnini

[Scotty]

Not trying to pimp my own thread here or anything, but did you guys happen to notice this quote from Asamoah in the interview?

"We will play to win, and we will advance together with the Azzurri, I don’t know whether in first or second place. Probably we will finish even with Italy, but then we will beat both the Czech Republic and the USA.”

I guess I had been expected to see far more huffing, puffing and general outrage by now.

[Martin Fischer]

Brief story on Ghana's final selection of the Africa Cup squad: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/SportsArchive/artikel.php?ID=97514

[Scotty]

Nations-Ghana leave Essien out of Cup squad

Ghana ended any doubts over whether Chelsea's Michael Essien would play at the African Nations Cup by leaving the injured midfielder out of their squad on Friday. Initially ruled out due to an ankle injury, Essien made an earlier than expected return to light training this week, prompting speculation he might yet play a part in Ghana's campaign at the finals.
http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-nationsghana&prov=reuters&type=lgns

[lillefty7]

Essien is out of the ANC
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=355031&cc=5901

[WALDO]

Virtue in the middle

]Probably we will finish even with Italy, but then we will beat both the Czech Republic and the USA.” Like that Supertramp song goes, "Dreamer! Your nothing but a Dreamer!"

[WC2010Champs!]

i see our players making the same quotes yeah? Saying things like "i believe italy and us will advance." These things have been said yes?

[CbR]

what else did u expect?

[sidefootsitter]

They didn't do too well against Tunisia in today's friendly.

[russ]

If a player doen't think his team can advance,he shouldn't be going.

The ball is round...

[freisland]

Ghana squad for Tunisian friendly. Essien is not on the CAN squad list despite being back at his club

Ghana line-up: Sammy Adjei, Addoquaye Pappoe, John Paintsil, John Mensah, Samuel Osei Kuffour, Hamza Mohammed/Abubakar Yakubu, Laryea Kingston, Stephen Appiah, Prince Tagoe/Godwin Attram, Joe Tex Frimpong/Baba Adamu Armando, Haminu Dramani/Dan Edusei

[Galaxian]

Ghana squad for Tunisian friendly. Essien is not on the CAN squad list despite being back at his club

Ghana line-up: Sammy Adjei, Addoquaye Pappoe, John Paintsil, John Mensah, Samuel Osei Kuffour, Hamza Mohammed/Abubakar Yakubu, Laryea Kingston, Stephen Appiah, Prince Tagoe/Godwin Attram, Joe Tex Frimpong/Baba Adamu Armando, Haminu Dramani/Dan Edusei
well they didnt play their strongest line up against tunisia, but it definitely wasnt their weakest. A couple of players like Muntari and Essien were gone . I think they are a good team , but we will beat them next summer :D

[Rahbiefowlah]

I wonder if we won't beat them athletically.

[GersMan]

Probably we will finish even with Italy, but then we will beat both the Czech Republic and the USA.” Like that Supertramp song goes, "Dreamer! Your nothing but a Dreamer!"

Nobody runs smack like Supertramp.

[Scotty]

Fans unhappy about performance of Black Stars

Various sports fans and enthusiasts in the Kumasi Metropolis have expressed mixed feelings about the performance of the Black Stars in their trail matches against Togo and Tunisia in their preparations towards the African Cup of Nations tournament which kicks off in Egypt on January 20.

While some of them are disappointed by the performance of the team in the trial matches, others are also confident that despite the odds, the Stars will perform well in the tournament.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/SportsArchive/artikel.php?ID=97837

[mschofield]

Even if a number of the stars are skipping it, having the Tourney is a nice preparation for the cup this summer. I know the clubs hate it (and I've always agreed with them) but looking at it right now, having a competitive tourney to prepare for a competitive tourney isn't a bad deal.

[Shackleton]

Even if a number of the stars are skipping it, having the Tourney is a nice preparation for the cup this summer. I know the clubs hate it (and I've always agreed with them) but looking at it right now, having a competitive tourney to prepare for a competitive tourney isn't a bad deal.
Agreed. Remember the 2002 Gold Cup? Worked out pretty well for us.

[SamsArmySam]

Just wanted to start a thread to follow any news or other developments on our World Cup rival Ghana.

I'll start things off below with an interview with Ghana and Modena forward Asamoah Gyan that I have translated from the Italian weekly sports magazine Guerin Sportivo. Check it out.

Much thanks, Scotty.

[BannedInDC]

links to two Ghanaian newspapers...
http://www.ghanaian-chronicle.com/sports.asp
http://www.accra-mail.com/sports.asp

Ahead of 25th CAF Nations Cup in Egypt Black Stars get psychological boost

...Areeba, Ghana's largest mobile phone network, has given a boost to the team, by sponsoring a group of supporters to give the team the needed support in far away Egypt.

The package, according to the sponsors, was in response to a request made to Areeba by the Ministry of Education and Sports towards the organization of a vibrant support base for the Black Stars campaign during the four-week tournament.

Each member of the 100-member group will benefit from a package that comprises return Air tickets, Accommodation, Match tickets, Transportation to and from the matches, Medical and Life insurance.

The group, who were expected to enplane to Egypt last night, would be attending Ghana's group matches.

In addition, each supporter will be given $200 as pocket money. ...