In the after match of the Wales and Ghana game i penned down some few observations about the Black Stars players.
The first half formation was more of a 3-4-3 (or a variation like 3-4-2-1 / 5-4-1 in defensive phases) under coach Carlos Queiroz.
My observations from the game.
Lawrence Ati Zigi. He covered himself in so much glory, making two/three vital saves in the first half. He looks like he is ready to be Ghana’s number one with such a commanding performance.
Marvin Senaya. Boy, the lad is good . Eiii, Otto Addo, he nearly denied us a masterclass, benching the boy for Yirenkyi at right back. Hopefully, he continues like this at the World Cup.
Jonas Adjetey. A defender who is still cutting his onions in the Bundesliga. In the absence of Djiku and Salisu, he has given a good account of himself. A marmouth performance from the Nungua boy.
Jerome Opoku. A consistent performer at the club level easily translated his abilities to NT. He did great with his defensive and organizational abilities.
Gideon Mensah. He flatters to deceive at times, but tonight was different for him. He covered loads of grounds, attacked and defended as his life depended on it . Oh, lest I forget, there’s a World Cup to play so it makes sense now .
Thomas Partey. You love him, right? I also do, but I know you see what I see. He’s not the master controller you know him to be again. A lot has changed about him. Maybe the lack of minutes at the club level could be a factor, but whatever the case may be, we need an option on standby. ASAP
Elisha Owusu. He did what he was asked to do. A bit of this and that . Stretched play for most parts of the game. He gave a good account of himself.
Fatawu Issahaku. No doubt about the talent, but he needs to learn the basic rules of the role he plays. He tends to overdo the simple things . Hopefully, the technical team will see and iron out . They just get past your marker and deliver a cross into the box . Simple ABC metric.
Kamaldeen Sulemana. Charlie, as the days roll by, I’m getting tired of watching him in NT colors. He doesn’t excite me in any shape or form. He has had one two many chances with nothing to show . Maybe he’s not a Desire Doue at 24 years old.
Jordan Ayew. A man who has been there since inception . Divides opinions from all cylinders. I think becuase of his age and the lack of pace to his game, Carlos Queiroz deployed him centrally, but there were some portions of the game where a single pass could have set a teammate on to goal, but he chose either a different pass or held on to the bal for too long. If we want goals in a fast-paced game, he is not an option. Maybe games that we need to control possesion and play on the counter for his ball keeping abilities, he can be the man.
Prince Kwabena Adu. A man noted for goals when in his element. He thrives in those closely knitted battles with the centre backs, but in this game he was used as a wide man and occasionally swapped places with Jordan noneteless his work ethic was there for all to see.
Benjamin Asare. He was barely given anything to snack on, but failed to keep the score in Ghana’s favour. He may have lost the battle for the number one spot to Ati Zigi unless something happens in the loop.
Ernest Nuamah. If you come back from an ACL injury and have been largely sidelined for most of the past season, you are mostly careful about how you approach games, but the former RTD academy graduate looks like he has loads to prove, and tonight, he gave a glimpse of what to expect.
Caleb Yirenkyi. Otto Addo misprofiled this boy, and that would have been a big dent on the boy for the national team. He is explosive , energetic, and athletic. What more can you ask from a potential star?
Alidu Seidu came on in the 75th, and in less than fifteen minutes to end proceedings, he was in the referee’s book. He is always a tackle away from a booking. A defensivley aggressive but attackig wise he lacks a bit of a niche there. Let’s hope for an improved performance.
Kwasi Sibo. The Oviedo has somewhat managed to weave his way through into the Black Stars setup. He is expected to shure up the midfield and give the defesnse that shield, but I saw little to none of what he was expected to do in the game. In the lead up to the team conceeding the equalizer, it fell to him to sniff that danger and cut it off, but he failed miserably.
Brandon Thomas-Asante. A few glimpses of attacking intent, but missed a glorious opportunity to double the lead for the Black Stars. We will need all the goals from him when needed.
Christopher Bonsu Baah demonstrated his ability to contribute to Ghana’s attack from the left wing during the match against Wales. His performance suggested he is a valuable asset for Ghana’s offensive strategies, especially in wide areas.
Iñaki Williams. He came on as a substitute around the 75th minute, replacing Jordan Ayew. He brought his usual pace and athleticism, but didn’t create clear chances or score. No shots or assists recorded in the available reports.
Abdul Mumin. His entry as a substitute contributed to a positive shift in Ghana’s performance during the latter part of the match. He certainly provides a different approach to how the team would want to shape up defensively.
Baba Rahman. A man who negotiated his absence from the team after suggesting the incessant verbal abuse from Ghanaians is back in the squad after almost two years’ absence, but did not cover himself in glory with his return to the national team. If he was aggressive enough to destabilize Neco Williams, he would not have had that freedom to deliver an inch-perfect cross for Koumas to head beyond the reach of the helpless cleansheet merchant Benjaimen Asare.