Sunday 20 June 2010
A Drink For Komfo Anokye
A Drink for Komfo Anokye
Things did not go as planned this weekend. I had anticipated an afternoon watching the Black Stars wallop a weakened Australian side and then proceed to the Imperial London Hotel in a celebratory mood for the grand dinner of former workers of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. As fate and Asamoah Gyan’s right foot would have it, my mood was not nearly as good as I had expected but that is an issue I intend to revisit later.
A group of dynamic and progressive nurses who had previously worked in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital had gotten together to form an association to raise funds for the hospital. And they had done a good job, even adopting ward B3 for special attention. This dinner was a call to everybody who had been associated with the hospital in one way or the other to come and contribute to a good cause.
It was a well-organised function in the kind of slightly over-the-top manner that only nurses can manage. A contribution of 500 pounds per association member meant that they were all able to afford the same kente design for a special cloth for the occasion. A senior doctor had been sponsored to attend from Ghana and the attendance was nothing if not impressive. And the ladies looked beautiful, very beautiful indeed. Ghanaian music boomed a tad too loudly on the loudspeakers but all was set for a wonderful evening. The dinner started exactly at seven o’clock, and the reason was, that the hotel had been booked for a specific time and we were going to have to stop at exactly twelve midnight.
The MC was good. He related a good history of the special relationship between Komfo Anokye and King Osei Tutu. Komfo Anokye was actually an Akuapim and had only met and befriended Osei Tutu in Denkyira. He talked impressively about how Komfo Anokye planted the sword that has come to represent the soul of the Asantes and the way he commanded the golden stool from the sky into the lap of Osei Tutu. Finally, he mentioned how Komfo Anokye had left to look for a cure for death. After 3 days, he had returned to see the town in mourning, having presumed his death. Saddened by this, he had turned round, walked away and was never seen again. It reminded me of what Mark Twain had once said, “Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story..."
For a thirty pound ticket to attend a Ghanaian function, the last thing I was expecting was a couple of thin slices of lamb, two pieces of roast potato, some leaves and a dessert which happened to be just glorified “boflot”. But “who was I to say?” It was all for a good cause. As we toiled through this miserable concoction that the British adore, a middle aged woman with an air of authority made a grand entrance into the hall, attendants in tow, and walked majestically to the high table to be shown her seat. We were informed she was the Deputy High Commissioner of Ghana to the UK. She had been two hours late!! And she was a deputy. How late would the boss have been? I wondered.
We all stood up for the Ghana National Anthem. I have never heard the Ghana National Anthem sang with so much enthusiasm and passion. It was quite obvious that the wine was slowly achieving its noble aim of easing our natural inhibitions. The Deputy started to speak and gracefully apologized for coming late, but she had an excuse! She had been to so many Ghanaian functions where she had been early, only to find she was about the first to arrive. So on this occasion, she had decided to do some shopping first. Brilliant, Madam Deputy! Excellent excuse! Thanks for helping to propagate the zero-tolerance-to-African-punctuality policy of Uncle Atta.
Before the serious business of the day began, it was thought necessary to stimulate our senses with a horror film on the squalor and degradation evident on Ward B3 of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. There was one scene where faeces were seeping under a door that led into a mal-functioning toilet. When the lights came back on, there were tears on the faces of a couple of the ladies at my table. But what were the tears for? Do a few years in Europe make one so oblivious of the reality of life at home? Were they tears of guilt for having left when they could have helped? Or was it guilt for having contributed, in small and varied ways to the mess. The conversation began.
On my table, by sheer coincidence, were two doctors, four nurses, a laboratory technician and a revenue collector who had all previously worked in KATH. They talked animatedly, perhaps a trifle angrily, about how on earth conditions had been allowed to deteriorate that much. There was a mention of the Jubilee House and the presidential jet. There was a heated debate about the need to have celebrated Ghana at 50 at such expense for people to enrich themselves when conditions like these existed in one of the nation’s flagship hospitals. There was talk of corruption at high places and the recent news that some NDC functionaries had already built mansions in the short time they have been in power.
The conversation wandered off, to how much Government revenue was lost in the first place due to corruption in the hospitals. The revenue collector told us how they were able to pick out the illiterate patients and divide one ticket for two people so they could keep the money from the second patient in their own pockets. The laboratory technician told of how they took money directly from regular patients like diabetics so their tests could be done quickly. “Those who tried to be clever and insisted on getting their receipts” he said, “we put at the back of the queue and would probably not be attended to till evening.” The nurses told of how they kept their own intravenous fluids which they sold at exorbitant prices to needy patients rather than providing them with the government infusions. The doctors talked of all the illegal money they collected from patients.
One nurse told a story, confirmed by a doctor, of how the floor tiles in the D-Block which had been laid when the hospital was first built and which, except for the odd broken one in places looked very good, were all stripped off by a local contractor. New ones were laid, except that most of it came off in a few months and the floor looked much worse than it was before the renovation.
So who is to blame? It was obvious, that we are all, in our own small ways and by our actions and even inactions, responsible for the deterioration of the Komfo Anokye Hospital. In the end, the money to be collected at this function would only go in providing some bed sheets and for doing some painting to paper over the cracks. What Ward B3 needed was serious government funds to do major structural repairs which a few drinks in a London hotel and ten pounds into a bowl could not do. Perhaps, though, it was a start in helping to repair damage we had all helped to cause in the first place.
Things did not go as planned this weekend. I had anticipated an afternoon watching the Black Stars wallop a weakened Australian side and then proceed to the Imperial London Hotel in a celebratory mood for the grand dinner of former workers of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. As fate and Asamoah Gyan’s right foot would have it, my mood was not nearly as good as I had expected but that is an issue I intend to revisit later.
A group of dynamic and progressive nurses who had previously worked in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital had gotten together to form an association to raise funds for the hospital. And they had done a good job, even adopting ward B3 for special attention. This dinner was a call to everybody who had been associated with the hospital in one way or the other to come and contribute to a good cause.
It was a well-organised function in the kind of slightly over-the-top manner that only nurses can manage. A contribution of 500 pounds per association member meant that they were all able to afford the same kente design for a special cloth for the occasion. A senior doctor had been sponsored to attend from Ghana and the attendance was nothing if not impressive. And the ladies looked beautiful, very beautiful indeed. Ghanaian music boomed a tad too loudly on the loudspeakers but all was set for a wonderful evening. The dinner started exactly at seven o’clock, and the reason was, that the hotel had been booked for a specific time and we were going to have to stop at exactly twelve midnight.
The MC was good. He related a good history of the special relationship between Komfo Anokye and King Osei Tutu. Komfo Anokye was actually an Akuapim and had only met and befriended Osei Tutu in Denkyira. He talked impressively about how Komfo Anokye planted the sword that has come to represent the soul of the Asantes and the way he commanded the golden stool from the sky into the lap of Osei Tutu. Finally, he mentioned how Komfo Anokye had left to look for a cure for death. After 3 days, he had returned to see the town in mourning, having presumed his death. Saddened by this, he had turned round, walked away and was never seen again. It reminded me of what Mark Twain had once said, “Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story..."
For a thirty pound ticket to attend a Ghanaian function, the last thing I was expecting was a couple of thin slices of lamb, two pieces of roast potato, some leaves and a dessert which happened to be just glorified “boflot”. But “who was I to say?” It was all for a good cause. As we toiled through this miserable concoction that the British adore, a middle aged woman with an air of authority made a grand entrance into the hall, attendants in tow, and walked majestically to the high table to be shown her seat. We were informed she was the Deputy High Commissioner of Ghana to the UK. She had been two hours late!! And she was a deputy. How late would the boss have been? I wondered.
We all stood up for the Ghana National Anthem. I have never heard the Ghana National Anthem sang with so much enthusiasm and passion. It was quite obvious that the wine was slowly achieving its noble aim of easing our natural inhibitions. The Deputy started to speak and gracefully apologized for coming late, but she had an excuse! She had been to so many Ghanaian functions where she had been early, only to find she was about the first to arrive. So on this occasion, she had decided to do some shopping first. Brilliant, Madam Deputy! Excellent excuse! Thanks for helping to propagate the zero-tolerance-to-African-punctuality policy of Uncle Atta.
Before the serious business of the day began, it was thought necessary to stimulate our senses with a horror film on the squalor and degradation evident on Ward B3 of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. There was one scene where faeces were seeping under a door that led into a mal-functioning toilet. When the lights came back on, there were tears on the faces of a couple of the ladies at my table. But what were the tears for? Do a few years in Europe make one so oblivious of the reality of life at home? Were they tears of guilt for having left when they could have helped? Or was it guilt for having contributed, in small and varied ways to the mess. The conversation began.
On my table, by sheer coincidence, were two doctors, four nurses, a laboratory technician and a revenue collector who had all previously worked in KATH. They talked animatedly, perhaps a trifle angrily, about how on earth conditions had been allowed to deteriorate that much. There was a mention of the Jubilee House and the presidential jet. There was a heated debate about the need to have celebrated Ghana at 50 at such expense for people to enrich themselves when conditions like these existed in one of the nation’s flagship hospitals. There was talk of corruption at high places and the recent news that some NDC functionaries had already built mansions in the short time they have been in power.
The conversation wandered off, to how much Government revenue was lost in the first place due to corruption in the hospitals. The revenue collector told us how they were able to pick out the illiterate patients and divide one ticket for two people so they could keep the money from the second patient in their own pockets. The laboratory technician told of how they took money directly from regular patients like diabetics so their tests could be done quickly. “Those who tried to be clever and insisted on getting their receipts” he said, “we put at the back of the queue and would probably not be attended to till evening.” The nurses told of how they kept their own intravenous fluids which they sold at exorbitant prices to needy patients rather than providing them with the government infusions. The doctors talked of all the illegal money they collected from patients.
One nurse told a story, confirmed by a doctor, of how the floor tiles in the D-Block which had been laid when the hospital was first built and which, except for the odd broken one in places looked very good, were all stripped off by a local contractor. New ones were laid, except that most of it came off in a few months and the floor looked much worse than it was before the renovation.
So who is to blame? It was obvious, that we are all, in our own small ways and by our actions and even inactions, responsible for the deterioration of the Komfo Anokye Hospital. In the end, the money to be collected at this function would only go in providing some bed sheets and for doing some painting to paper over the cracks. What Ward B3 needed was serious government funds to do major structural repairs which a few drinks in a London hotel and ten pounds into a bowl could not do. Perhaps, though, it was a start in helping to repair damage we had all helped to cause in the first place.
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Please Leave Milovan Rajevac Alone
Last season, in a game between Manchester City and Arsenal in the Premiership, Adebayor, who had in the previous season been an Arsenal striker, scored for Manchester City against his former club. What happened after that has now become folklore and will be described in footballing circles for generations to come.
For, Adebayor, peeved by incessant attacks on his dedication and application by Arsenal fans prior to his departure from the club, run the whole length of the football pitch to kneel in front of the Arsenal fans to celebrate. A rout nearly broke out as the incensed Arsenal fans charged forward, baying for the blood of the footballer.
Football etiquette is dynamic, for players and managers develop certain mannerisms and behaviour every new day. There was a time when a striker scored a goal and just run off to celebrate wherever he chose. It seems these days that a goal-scorer has to acknowledge the person who gave him the pass in the first place, so they turn round and point towards the assistant in a show of appreciation. Goal scorers who forget to do this are now scorned upon. Nobody knows where this came from, but it seems fair and right and is thus encouraged.
Even more interesting is the refusal of footballers to celebrate when they have scored against a former club. Adebayor’s antics were extreme, but it would seem perfectly alright for a footballer to celebrate with the team that currently paid his wages. But then again, who can possibly blame a footballer for appreciating, that while they remain thoroughly professional and will strive hard to actually earn their living even if it means scoring against a club that was once good to him, it would be unwise, even foolish to exhibit any behaviour that might offend his previous employers. A wise man once told me, that when you walk out of a door, whatever the circumstances, make sure you do not bang the door, for the reality of life is such that, you may have to come walking through that same door again someday.
Footballers and football fans all around the world understand this, and so, how Ghanaians were expecting Milovan Rajevac, having just thrust a sword into the heart of his beloved nation in the course of his professional duty, to go hugging Ghanaians and running around the pitch in celebration, is beyond me.
Serbia is a newly independent country, having separated from the previous Serbia and Montenegro, which had also been part of the previous Yugoslavia. The country is ablaze with extreme nationalistic sentiments. This is their first world cup as an independent country and an opportunity to lift up their flag to the rest of the world. They qualified as winners of a group that included France and were looking forward to a good opening game. To have been licked by a well-drilled Ghanaian side, coached by a Serb, would have irked badly.
What Milo was not going to do was make matters worse by openly celebrating with Ghanaians. And indeed, would it have been hypocritical for him to have done so. For, let’s face it, if he had not been working for Ghana, he would have been holding aloft the Serbian flag, singing aloud the Serbian national anthem and urging them on to victory. Which Ghanaian ever put the love of their job above the love of their family? Why are we then expecting the coach to be different? What would happen to his family in Serbia if an impression was erroneously created of him being a traitor? Never underestimate what football can do to people. The assistant coach of the Black Stars should have understood the sensitivity of the situation and not gone making a fool of himself with his over-exuberant celebration.
After all, what are we celebrating? Winning one football match in the world cup? Did anybody see the Germans after their 4-0 victory over the Australians? There were no celebrations as such. Because the Germans, with all their experience in playing in and winning the world cup, understand, that this is just one victory in seven, if they intend to win the world cup. There will be time to celebrate later. At the moment, as far as the Germans are concerned, there is work to do. It shows how inexperienced Ghanaians are with the whole world cup experience when we go overboard with celebrations after winning just one match. What does it say of our mental state in relation to the world cup, compared to the Germans? The Germans truly believe they are going all the way, Ghanaians are thankful for one victory. That is the difference.
So, rather than having a go at a poor coach who stubbornly stuck to his professional ideals and helped Ghana win, we should be thankful to him. He put his job first, and that is more than can be said for most Ghanaians.
Papa Appiah
For, Adebayor, peeved by incessant attacks on his dedication and application by Arsenal fans prior to his departure from the club, run the whole length of the football pitch to kneel in front of the Arsenal fans to celebrate. A rout nearly broke out as the incensed Arsenal fans charged forward, baying for the blood of the footballer.
Football etiquette is dynamic, for players and managers develop certain mannerisms and behaviour every new day. There was a time when a striker scored a goal and just run off to celebrate wherever he chose. It seems these days that a goal-scorer has to acknowledge the person who gave him the pass in the first place, so they turn round and point towards the assistant in a show of appreciation. Goal scorers who forget to do this are now scorned upon. Nobody knows where this came from, but it seems fair and right and is thus encouraged.
Even more interesting is the refusal of footballers to celebrate when they have scored against a former club. Adebayor’s antics were extreme, but it would seem perfectly alright for a footballer to celebrate with the team that currently paid his wages. But then again, who can possibly blame a footballer for appreciating, that while they remain thoroughly professional and will strive hard to actually earn their living even if it means scoring against a club that was once good to him, it would be unwise, even foolish to exhibit any behaviour that might offend his previous employers. A wise man once told me, that when you walk out of a door, whatever the circumstances, make sure you do not bang the door, for the reality of life is such that, you may have to come walking through that same door again someday.
Footballers and football fans all around the world understand this, and so, how Ghanaians were expecting Milovan Rajevac, having just thrust a sword into the heart of his beloved nation in the course of his professional duty, to go hugging Ghanaians and running around the pitch in celebration, is beyond me.
Serbia is a newly independent country, having separated from the previous Serbia and Montenegro, which had also been part of the previous Yugoslavia. The country is ablaze with extreme nationalistic sentiments. This is their first world cup as an independent country and an opportunity to lift up their flag to the rest of the world. They qualified as winners of a group that included France and were looking forward to a good opening game. To have been licked by a well-drilled Ghanaian side, coached by a Serb, would have irked badly.
What Milo was not going to do was make matters worse by openly celebrating with Ghanaians. And indeed, would it have been hypocritical for him to have done so. For, let’s face it, if he had not been working for Ghana, he would have been holding aloft the Serbian flag, singing aloud the Serbian national anthem and urging them on to victory. Which Ghanaian ever put the love of their job above the love of their family? Why are we then expecting the coach to be different? What would happen to his family in Serbia if an impression was erroneously created of him being a traitor? Never underestimate what football can do to people. The assistant coach of the Black Stars should have understood the sensitivity of the situation and not gone making a fool of himself with his over-exuberant celebration.
After all, what are we celebrating? Winning one football match in the world cup? Did anybody see the Germans after their 4-0 victory over the Australians? There were no celebrations as such. Because the Germans, with all their experience in playing in and winning the world cup, understand, that this is just one victory in seven, if they intend to win the world cup. There will be time to celebrate later. At the moment, as far as the Germans are concerned, there is work to do. It shows how inexperienced Ghanaians are with the whole world cup experience when we go overboard with celebrations after winning just one match. What does it say of our mental state in relation to the world cup, compared to the Germans? The Germans truly believe they are going all the way, Ghanaians are thankful for one victory. That is the difference.
So, rather than having a go at a poor coach who stubbornly stuck to his professional ideals and helped Ghana win, we should be thankful to him. He put his job first, and that is more than can be said for most Ghanaians.
Papa Appiah
Tuesday 8 June 2010
Sunday 6 June 2010
There Is Hope - A Ghana vs Latvia Review
There Is Hope – A Ghana vs. Latvia Review
One can only beat the opponent placed in front of one and the Black Stars did just that, beating Latvia by a goal to nil. And you should have been there; at the MK Dons Stadium in Milton Keynes in the UK. Ghanaians from all walks of life trouped to the stadium in their numbers and if Latvia had had half as many fans as the Ghanaians, we could easily have filled the stadium.
And the atmosphere was ecstatic – atenteben, congas, horns, brass band, beautiful Ghanaian women shaking their precious assets to samamo music – one could not have asked for a better outing. A few Ghanaians tried to make a quick buck by setting up tables to sell all kinds of Black Star paraphernalia, only to be led away by fussy security men claiming they had no Trading Standards permission to sell. One quietly wondered how much money these security men would have made if they were operating in Ghana. What a waste.
The music from the public address system built up to a crescendo as the two teams walked in. I had to prompt my two boys to stand up as the Ghana national anthem was played and I saw other people do the same to their kids. You can’t really blame these kids.
Coach Milovan Rajevac has had his fair share of criticism but I seemed to understand what he is up to when the game started. Basically, this coach intends to play a 4-2-3-1 system. He intends to employ two holding midfielders, one of whom, Anthony Annan will hardly go past the centre line. The other, a kind of replacement for Michael Essien will be a box-to-box midfielder. When we are under attack, he links up with Annan to form a solid barrier in front of the defence but in attack, this midfielder can join in and possibly deliver shots from the edge of the opponent’s box. This is a “Boateng” position. Kevin Prince or Derrick will occupy this position.
Kwadwo Asamoah will be in the centre of the attacking midfield trio. On either side of him will be Owusu Abayie on the right and Muntari or Ayew on the left. In attack, the two wing midfielders move up to join Asamoah Gyan to form a 4-3-3 system, but they drop into midfield when we loose the ball. This is a clever system that ensures that while the team defends together, attacking options are not compromised.
In the first half, Coach Milo employed Prince Tagoe on the right of the midfield trio in much the same way as Jose Mourinho used Eto’o on the right in Inter Milan’s champion league campaign. The advantage of this is, that while the striker goes back to help in midfield and defence, there is always the danger of him stealing quietly into the box to cause havoc, as Eto’o proved, especially in the game against Chelsea in Stamford Bridge. Prince did his best in this role, but I do not think he fits that well into the role and Quincy is the best man for the job. Prince's role may have to be coming in from the substitute’s bench to join Asamoah Gyan, especially if we are desperate for a goal in matches where we fall behind.
Some Ghanaians love to hate Dede Ayew but boy is he a player! This is the first time I have seen him play live and I will say, that Sulley Muntari will have to really up his game to stand any chance of shifting him. And he plays in such a whole –hearted manner that one can only admire. On one occasion in the match, he chased a ball that was going out for a Latvia throw-in and almost injured himself sliding on the concrete perimeter. I overheard somebody question why he was getting himself injured when this was just a friendly. But Dede knows no other way of playing. He gives a hundred percent or he does not play. At the end of the game, Ghanaians surrounded him in their numbers to show their appreciation.
Anthony Annan, in a translated Fante parlance, sticks to the ground like a stone. (Otei fom de beba). This smallish tiger put up a man-of-the-match performance that won him the admiration of all present. Like Dede, he was never afraid to put a foot in even at the risk of injuring himself before the world cup. He reminds one of good old Stanley Aboraah of Asante Kotoko and Black Stars fame. Best wishes to Stanley, wherever he may be.
Kwadwo Asamoah’s position is secured and Stephen Appiah may have to contend with cameo appearances late in games to use his experience against weary defences. Asamoah Gyan remains our best striker and there is no challenger for that role. I saw Dominic Adiyah for the first time today. He did his best to make an impact and showed lots of enthusiasm. He actually scored but was ruled out for off-side. Smallish he may be, but you do not necessarily have to be big to be a striker. The great Tostao was not big, Jermaine Defoe is not big, and Wayne Rooney is not big. One cannot help but think, however, that Adiyah needs to build a few muscles in the right places to enable him compete. I am not one of those who believe merely training with AC Milan is enough. I’d rather he was playing competitive matches regularly and scoring, even if it were in the third division. My personal opinion is that while Adiyah may be an asset in four years; this world cup may have come too soon for him.
Kevin Prince Boateng was obviously trying to avoid an injury prior to the world cup, and yet he managed to put up a decent performance. I have seen this guy perform several times in the premiership. He is a fighter and a winner and when the whistle goes in South Africa, he will be ready. Ghanaians should have no fear. Derrick Boateng also did very well in the second half. He has the physic and touch to be a big influence in midfield. I did not see him tackle, but again, who wants to get injured before the world cup. Good player.
Thank God Mensah went through the match without injury. He forms a solid rock with Vorsah. Paintsil and Inkoom will have to compete for the right full back and whiles Addy huffed and puffed in left back, he may find it difficult to completely displace Sarpei. The coach will have to work in these last few days on the quality of our crosses. Whiles our full backs overlap beautifully, the quality of crosses leaves much to be desired.
The quality of the opposition meant that Adjei was hardly ever tested. On the one occasion he was called on to deal with a cross, he fumbled badly. Yet, most times he looked confident and composed. He has built some muscles that make him look more matured. My personal opinion is that this guy should be maintained in the post for Ghana. We have a week to build him up physically and mentally. He is tall, young, intelligent and a quick learner. With the right support, he will deliver the goods. Richard Kingson has done his bit for Ghana but it is time to face reality and send him packing to the bench.
In the last ten minutes of the game, it was obvious, that the players, impressed by the kind of reception they had got were eager to reward us with a goal. They fought very hard and when it finally came, it was a delightful shot from Quincy that sent the stadium into ruptures. We all run unto the pitch to hug our heroes after the game and bid them farewell and Ghana should rest assured, that Ghanaians in the UK have not let them down. We went to the stadium in our numbers to wholeheartedly receive the boys. We built their spirits, motivated them, blessed them and sent them out to battle on behalf of our country. And from what I have seen, trust me when I say, they will not disappoint.
My starting line up;
========================Adjei======================================================
Paintsil ====== === Mensah=============Vorsah===============Sarpei=================
=================Annan======Prince Boateng=========================================
Quincy =================Kwadwo Asamoah===================Ayew======================
======================Asamoah Gyan=================================================
Papa Appiah
One can only beat the opponent placed in front of one and the Black Stars did just that, beating Latvia by a goal to nil. And you should have been there; at the MK Dons Stadium in Milton Keynes in the UK. Ghanaians from all walks of life trouped to the stadium in their numbers and if Latvia had had half as many fans as the Ghanaians, we could easily have filled the stadium.
And the atmosphere was ecstatic – atenteben, congas, horns, brass band, beautiful Ghanaian women shaking their precious assets to samamo music – one could not have asked for a better outing. A few Ghanaians tried to make a quick buck by setting up tables to sell all kinds of Black Star paraphernalia, only to be led away by fussy security men claiming they had no Trading Standards permission to sell. One quietly wondered how much money these security men would have made if they were operating in Ghana. What a waste.
The music from the public address system built up to a crescendo as the two teams walked in. I had to prompt my two boys to stand up as the Ghana national anthem was played and I saw other people do the same to their kids. You can’t really blame these kids.
Coach Milovan Rajevac has had his fair share of criticism but I seemed to understand what he is up to when the game started. Basically, this coach intends to play a 4-2-3-1 system. He intends to employ two holding midfielders, one of whom, Anthony Annan will hardly go past the centre line. The other, a kind of replacement for Michael Essien will be a box-to-box midfielder. When we are under attack, he links up with Annan to form a solid barrier in front of the defence but in attack, this midfielder can join in and possibly deliver shots from the edge of the opponent’s box. This is a “Boateng” position. Kevin Prince or Derrick will occupy this position.
Kwadwo Asamoah will be in the centre of the attacking midfield trio. On either side of him will be Owusu Abayie on the right and Muntari or Ayew on the left. In attack, the two wing midfielders move up to join Asamoah Gyan to form a 4-3-3 system, but they drop into midfield when we loose the ball. This is a clever system that ensures that while the team defends together, attacking options are not compromised.
In the first half, Coach Milo employed Prince Tagoe on the right of the midfield trio in much the same way as Jose Mourinho used Eto’o on the right in Inter Milan’s champion league campaign. The advantage of this is, that while the striker goes back to help in midfield and defence, there is always the danger of him stealing quietly into the box to cause havoc, as Eto’o proved, especially in the game against Chelsea in Stamford Bridge. Prince did his best in this role, but I do not think he fits that well into the role and Quincy is the best man for the job. Prince's role may have to be coming in from the substitute’s bench to join Asamoah Gyan, especially if we are desperate for a goal in matches where we fall behind.
Some Ghanaians love to hate Dede Ayew but boy is he a player! This is the first time I have seen him play live and I will say, that Sulley Muntari will have to really up his game to stand any chance of shifting him. And he plays in such a whole –hearted manner that one can only admire. On one occasion in the match, he chased a ball that was going out for a Latvia throw-in and almost injured himself sliding on the concrete perimeter. I overheard somebody question why he was getting himself injured when this was just a friendly. But Dede knows no other way of playing. He gives a hundred percent or he does not play. At the end of the game, Ghanaians surrounded him in their numbers to show their appreciation.
Anthony Annan, in a translated Fante parlance, sticks to the ground like a stone. (Otei fom de beba). This smallish tiger put up a man-of-the-match performance that won him the admiration of all present. Like Dede, he was never afraid to put a foot in even at the risk of injuring himself before the world cup. He reminds one of good old Stanley Aboraah of Asante Kotoko and Black Stars fame. Best wishes to Stanley, wherever he may be.
Kwadwo Asamoah’s position is secured and Stephen Appiah may have to contend with cameo appearances late in games to use his experience against weary defences. Asamoah Gyan remains our best striker and there is no challenger for that role. I saw Dominic Adiyah for the first time today. He did his best to make an impact and showed lots of enthusiasm. He actually scored but was ruled out for off-side. Smallish he may be, but you do not necessarily have to be big to be a striker. The great Tostao was not big, Jermaine Defoe is not big, and Wayne Rooney is not big. One cannot help but think, however, that Adiyah needs to build a few muscles in the right places to enable him compete. I am not one of those who believe merely training with AC Milan is enough. I’d rather he was playing competitive matches regularly and scoring, even if it were in the third division. My personal opinion is that while Adiyah may be an asset in four years; this world cup may have come too soon for him.
Kevin Prince Boateng was obviously trying to avoid an injury prior to the world cup, and yet he managed to put up a decent performance. I have seen this guy perform several times in the premiership. He is a fighter and a winner and when the whistle goes in South Africa, he will be ready. Ghanaians should have no fear. Derrick Boateng also did very well in the second half. He has the physic and touch to be a big influence in midfield. I did not see him tackle, but again, who wants to get injured before the world cup. Good player.
Thank God Mensah went through the match without injury. He forms a solid rock with Vorsah. Paintsil and Inkoom will have to compete for the right full back and whiles Addy huffed and puffed in left back, he may find it difficult to completely displace Sarpei. The coach will have to work in these last few days on the quality of our crosses. Whiles our full backs overlap beautifully, the quality of crosses leaves much to be desired.
The quality of the opposition meant that Adjei was hardly ever tested. On the one occasion he was called on to deal with a cross, he fumbled badly. Yet, most times he looked confident and composed. He has built some muscles that make him look more matured. My personal opinion is that this guy should be maintained in the post for Ghana. We have a week to build him up physically and mentally. He is tall, young, intelligent and a quick learner. With the right support, he will deliver the goods. Richard Kingson has done his bit for Ghana but it is time to face reality and send him packing to the bench.
In the last ten minutes of the game, it was obvious, that the players, impressed by the kind of reception they had got were eager to reward us with a goal. They fought very hard and when it finally came, it was a delightful shot from Quincy that sent the stadium into ruptures. We all run unto the pitch to hug our heroes after the game and bid them farewell and Ghana should rest assured, that Ghanaians in the UK have not let them down. We went to the stadium in our numbers to wholeheartedly receive the boys. We built their spirits, motivated them, blessed them and sent them out to battle on behalf of our country. And from what I have seen, trust me when I say, they will not disappoint.
My starting line up;
========================Adjei======================================================
Paintsil ====== === Mensah=============Vorsah===============Sarpei=================
=================Annan======Prince Boateng=========================================
Quincy =================Kwadwo Asamoah===================Ayew======================
======================Asamoah Gyan=================================================
Papa Appiah
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