Ghana's fortunes rest midfield trio Appiah, Essien, Muntari

By Mawusi Afele May 15, 2006, 7:38 GMT

The national team of Ghana prior to a World Cup 2006 qualifier against South Africa in Johannesburg 18 June 2005. Ghana was drawn in Group E at the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany together with Italy, USA and Czech Republic.Standing from left: Michael Essien, John Pantsil, John Mensah, Stephen Appiah, Gabriel Issah. Front from left:George Owu, Frimpong Asamoah, Daniel Edusei, Kingston Laryea, Matthew Amoah, Sulley Ali Muntari. EPA/Chris Ricco

Accra - As the names of players who made the final list of the squad to fly the Ghana flag at the country's debut in the World Cup in Germany begin to sink, soccer fans believe the fortunes of the team rest on the midfield.

The trio of Captain Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien and Suley Muntari, fans say, can dictate the pace of the game on a good day. They have been joined by Otto Addo who plays for German club FSV Mainz.

And they may not be wrong. Appiah, who plays with Fenerbache in Turkey, Essien, a key midfielder with English champions Chelsea and Muntari who is a well-known face in the Udinese team in Italy have distinguished themselves.

'We are looking up to them; after all, they have given their all to their clubs and we expect them to die for Ghana,' said Paul Ayeh, a soccer fan.

When the trio clicks, the team would perform well and they did deliver the goods during Ghana's qualification for the World Cup.

The defence would revolve around veteran Samuel Osei Kuffuor, who spent several years playing for top German team Bayern Munich, but is now with Italian first division side As Roma.

Kuffour fell out with Djukovic, but he has since been rehabilitated and has been a regular face. He will be aided by John Mensah (Stade Rennes, France), John Paintsil (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Hans Adu-Sarpei (VfL Wolfsburg, Germany) and Issa Ahmed (Randers, Denmark).

The attacking machinery, which has hardly clicked since the qualification, would revolve around Matthew Amoah (Borussia Dortmund, (Germany), Asamoah Gyan (Modena, Italy), Razak Pimpong (FC Copenhagen, Denmark) and Alex Tachie-Menson (St. Gallen, Switzerland).

As expected, the team attracted mixed reactions from soccer fans who expect a better performance than in the disastrous outing in the African Nations Cup in Egypt where they could not go beyond the group stage.

'I expected such a reaction,' said Ayeh. 'There are 20 million coaches in Ghana and each has a favourite player assessed by a different yardstick.' (Ghana's polulation is about 20 million).

Four local players - Dan Quaye (Accra Hearts of Oak), Shilla Illiasu (Kumasi Asante Kotoko), Habib Mohammmed (Kumasi King Faisal Babies) and George Owu (Ashantigold) - joined 19 foreign players in the first 23 players.

Ghana's Serbian coach Ratomir Dujkovic said his yardstick was regular first team players, good physical condition, high tactical and technical knowledge and patriotism.

Soccer fans have flayed Chelsea star Essien for his absence during the Egypt tournament because of an injury and accused him of lack of patriotism.

But Essein, the most expensive African player following his transfer from Lyon at the beginning of the just-ended English Premier League season, pleaded innocent and pledged to be available for the national side.

He has since featured for Ghana in a 0-0 friendly against Mexico and his current form gives Ghanaian fans hopes of a good first appearance on the world stage.

Two popular coaches in Ghana, who have at one time handled the senior national side called the Black Stars, have called on the population to rally behind the team and the coach.

'What we can do is to back the list because we cannot reverse it. Everybody must support the list positively,' said Sam Arday.

Jones Attuquayefio added his voice saying the list must be respected by all.

The two coaches are among three assigned to monitor and report on the three teams Ghana plays in the group stage - Italy, Czech Republic and the US.

Dujkovic has his eyes set on going beyond the group stage although he acknowledges the stiff group in which Ghana falls. From there, he said, he would take the matches as they come.

The Serb, who became a hero in Ghana after the West African state qualified for their first World Cup, came in for strong criticism after the poor showing in Egypt. Many angry soccer fans called for his head, but the GFA took the blame and renewed confidence in him.

The FA has been trying desperately to arrange friendly matches for the team. It has so far played three in which it drew two against Mexico and German club Stuttgart and lost one to French club Nice.

Dujukovic used the Stuttgart and Nice matches to give the opportunity to players on the fringes to prove their worth.

Three new friendlies have been lined up for the team with Turkey, Jamaica and South Korea as it fine-tunes its preparations for Germany 2006.

Fred Pappoe, Vice President of the GFA, said Ghana would play Turkey in the German city of Dusseldorf on May 25. They would then play Jamaica in the English city of Leicester on May 29 and wind up with a match against South Korea in the Scotish city of Edinburgh on June 4.The team would leave for their Austrian base on May 17 to begin their final preparations and depart for Germany on June 5.

Team:

Goalkeepers:

Sammy Adjei (Moadan Sports Ashdod, Israel)
Richard Kingston (Ankaraspor, Turkey)
George Owu (AshantiGold, Ghana).

Defenders:

Addoquaye Pappoe (Ashdod Tel-Aviv, Israel)
John Painstil (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel)
John Mensah (Stade Rennes, France)
Issa Ahmed (Randers, Denmark)
Sammy Osei Kuffour (AS Roma, Italy)
Hans Adu Sarpei (Vfl Wolfsburg, Germany)
Dan Quaye (Hearts of Oak, Ghana)
Habib Mohammed (King Faisal, Ghana)
Shilla Illiasu (Asante Kotoko, Ghana)

Midfielders:

Stephen Appiah (Fenerbache, Turkey)
Michael Essien (Chelsea, England)
Sulley Ali Muntari (Udinese, Italy)
Haminu Dramani (Red Star Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro)
Eric Addo (PSV Eindhoven, Holland)
Derek Boateng (AIK Solna, Sweden)
Otto Addo (FSV Mainz, Germany)

Strikers:

Asamoah Gyan (Modena, Italy)
Matthew Amoah (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
Razak Pimpong (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)
Alex Tachie-Mensah (St. Gallen, Switzerland)

Standby:

Philemon McCarthy (Fetteh Feyenoord, Ghana)
Aziz Ansah (Asante Kotoko, Ghana)
Yusif Chibsah (Asante Kotoko, Ghana)
Baffour Gyan (Dynamo Moscow, Russia)
Baba Adamu (Krylia Sovetov, Russia).