[ 2014-06-27 ]

Portugal vs Ghana: Five things we learned about the Black Stars
It was a case of what might have been for Ghana,
as they crashed out of the World Cup after being
defeated by Portugal in Brasilia.

What might have been had the Black Stars not been
placed in Group G, one of the tournament's Groups
of Death?

What might have been had they kept their nerve and
remained resilient in the second half against
Germany? What might have been had Kwesi Appiah had
the bravery to build his team around the big
performers, rather than the big reputations?

Perhaps most poignantly, what might have been had
the Black Stars' final group stage against a
lacklustre Portuguese side, when all that was
required was a win, not been overshadowed by the
controversies of the day ?

There has been good and there has been bad for
Ghana this summer. Here's what we learned from the
Black Stars' final match of the summer.

Build the Team Around Kwadwo Asamoah:
It was notable that Ghana's only attacking moment
of genuine class against Portugal came on one of
the rare occasions that Kwadwo Asamoah deserted
his left-back role and sought to influence the
proceedings in the final third.

Admittedly, Asamoah has thrived as a left-sided
wing-back for Juventus , but for the Black Stars,
his many creative talents ought to be utilised in
more advanced areas.

He should be the rock upon which Ghana are built.
We knew it before the World Cup, and after the
misdemeanours of Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley
Muntari, plus the limited influence of Emmanuel
Agyemang-Badu and Mohammed Rabiu, we now know it
more than ever.

Starting with September's Cup of Nations
Qualifiers, Ghana need to place Asamoah at the
centre of the action and use his ability to drive
through the heart of the park, as well as his
vision, creativity and technical prowess.

Here is a worthy successor to the great central
midfielders of Africa's (and Ghana's) past.

Time for a Meritocracy:
Ahead of the Black Stars CAF Qualification
play-off double header against Egypt, no fewer
than five high-profile players returned to the
squad after long periods of (to varying degrees)
self-imposed international exile.

It was no coincidence that, with a World Cup on
the horizon, Michael Essien , Kevin-Prince
Boateng, the Ayew Brothers and to a lesser extent,
Sulley Muntari, saw fit to reaffirm their loyalty
to the national side and return to the fold.

How could the manager, Kwesi Appiah, refuse the
services of such a celebrated collection of
players? He couldn't, and all five were shoehorned
back into contention.

This approach cannot help team morale,
particularly when the return of these players
means the omission of stalwarts such as Richard
Kissi Boateng, Solomon Asante and Mohamed Awal.

Similarly, it fosters a climate of player power,
where the egos rule the team and the manager and
federation are held at the whims of the big names.
Regularly, over the last few days, Ghana's moves
just break down when players see fit to go it
alone, to take wild shots, or to attempt to
trouble the keeper when a team-mate is better
positioned.

It cannot go on, particularly when the stars bring
no guarantee of success or when their volatile
characters disrupt the side as much as Muntari and
Boateng have done.

Hope on the Horizon:
Stephen Keshi's Nigeria provide a perfect template
of how a team-centric approach can work for an
African powerhouse. One could even argue that
beyond the 'stars,' Ghana actually have more
talented players at European sides upon whom they
can construct their future.

Some of these 'green shoots' were present in
Brazil, although their lack of playing time was
frustrating.

Majeed Waris was injured in the pre-tournament
friendly against South Korea and wasn't called
upon for the first two matches. Recalled against
Portugal, he struggled to assert himself and
missed a gilt-edged chance in the second half.

He will improve, however, and should he find a
positive club environment for this coming season,
Ghana can expect great things.

Afriyie Acquah is a central midfielder who seems
to have the lot, and despite their relative
experience, it has been a surprise that Kwesi
Appiah has opted for Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and
Mohammed Rabiu this summer.

Acquah received a run out against Portugal and
should grow to become a permanent fixture in the
national side, particularly following the likely
departures of Boateng, Muntari and Essien.

Christian Atsu is already a regular first-teamer,
but will only get better over the coming years.

African Stereotypes Can't Be Shaken:
Normally, I rebel against the lazy journalism and
cheap stereotypes you often find rolled out when
the discussion turns to Africa's national teams.

Unfortunately, however, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and
Cameroon have all, to varying degrees, lived up to
these stereotypes over the course of the summer.

The Elephants demonstrated a naivety in offensive
positions and an inability to manage the closing
stages of a game. They would have advanced past
Greece had they kept their heads and employed a
bit of hard-nosed pragmatism in their final group
match.

Similarly, Ghana were far too keen to score a
third against Germany, and in the process, sent
too many men forward. When the Black Stars did
attack, they too often lacked cohesion and chose
to go it alone rather than thinking about the
moment within the context of the match and the
tournament as a whole.

The continent's goalkeepers have often been the
brunt of jokes from superior others, and while
Vincent Enyeama and Rais M'Bolhi have impressed at
Brazil, Fatau Dauda was a little hapless against
Portugal.

The Orlando Pirates man did, admittedly, make a
few smart saves during the match, and his reflexes
are excellent, but he was at fault for the
Portuguese winner.

Throughout the match he demonstrated an inability
to hold authority over his area and flapped at a
succession of high balls.

The final stereotype that was unhappily fulfilled
by both Cameroon and Ghana was that of the African
teams disputing bonuses and being plagued by
infighting.

Cameroon imploded spectacularly in their 4-0
capitulation against Croatia, while the Black
Stars did, mercifully at least, keep their
disagreements to the team hotel.

It was an unfortunate poetic justice, however,
when John Boye was pictured kissing a bundle of
dollar bills on the same day that his comedic own
goal pushed qualification for the Last 16 a little
further away from Ghana.

As far as Kevin-Prince Boateng goes, rarely has
the image of a pampered, out-of-touch,
self-seeking footballer been encapsulated better.

This trio of complaints should not become the
caricatures they once were, but the 2014 group
stage has confirmed that familiar failings do
remain.

Gyan Among the Continent's Greats?
Having equalled Roger Milla's record for goals
scored by an African player at World Cup finals,
Gyan went ahead and broke it by heading home
against Portugal.

While the striker's club career has been carried
off into the wilderness of the Garden City of the
United Arab Emirates, he remains an electric,
explosive campaigner in the context of the
national side.

He was a match-winner for Ghana at both the 2006
and the 2010 World Cup, rising to the big-time
occasion and proving himself to be a very able
goal-scorer.

Few would doubt that he could feasibly become only
the fourth player to score at four different World
Cups in four years' time in Russia, when he will
be 32.

Despite his performances for the Black Stars, Gyan
is rarely considered on the same level as Didier
Drogba, Samuel Eto'o, George Weah or Milla
himself.

Should this new record now usher him into that
elite echelon of African strikers?

Source - ghanasoccernet.com

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