Ghana appoint Ayew captain
Nov 11, 2014
If Cranes needed a bit of ‘Lady Luck’ to revive a campaign marginally on its deathbed, they seem to have that in their grasp this time.
By Fred Kaweesi
Nations Cup qualifier
Saturday, 4pm
Uganda v Ghana
If Cranes needed a bit of ‘Lady Luck’ to revive a campaign marginally on its deathbed, they seem to have that in their grasp this time.
At least as of now, considering that Uganda’s Nations Cup opponents Ghana will for the first time in the current campaign battle without three of their most influential stars.
On Monday, Ghana confirmed that Asamoah Gyan, Kwadwo Asamoah and Jordan Ayew would not make the trip to Kampala.
In brief, the Black Stars will have to negotiate their way out of Namboole without two of their best creative assets —Kwadwo, Jordan and the country’s top marksman Gyan.
Kwadwo and Gyan are ruled out with injury while Jordan will be suspended for the game on Saturday.
Cranes must win to revive any hopes of making the 2015 Nations Cup finals. The three are however expected to travel with the rest of the team.
Andre Ayew has replaced Gyan as team captain. However, all said, confidence will not be an issue in the Ghana camp and why should it be? The Black Stars, offensively at least, are packed with experience and world class talent.
Although they struggled in the 1-1 draw against Cranes in Kumasi, they have since rejuvenated into a more formidable side with a creative fulcrum that will include Mubarak Wakaso (Celtic, Scotland), Emmanuel Agyemang- Badu (Udinese, Italy), Abdul-Majeed Waris (Trabzonspor, Turkey) and Atsu Christian (Everton, England). Ayew, Waris and Badu have the priceless knack of being in the right place at the right time.
If Ghana wins on Saturday, they will qualify for the Nations Cup finals for a fourth successive time since hosting the tournament in 2008.
That will however not come that easy, as Cranes are currently riding high on confidence, particularly after their 3-0 emphatic win over Ethiopia on Sunday.
The Cranes even swept past Ethiopia without first team stars Denis Onyango, Denis Iguma, Godfrey Walusimbi, Geoffrey Kizito, Khalid Aucho and Luwagga Kizito.
Goalkeepers: Fatau Dauda (Ash-Gold), Adams Stephen (AduanaStars) and Razak Braimah (MirandesFC, Spain)
Defenders: Yaw Frimpong (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Harrison Afful (Esperance FC, Tunisia), Awal Mohammed (Maritzburg, South Africa), Baba Rahman (FC Augsburg, Germany), Jeffery Schlupp (Leicester City, England), John Boye (Erciyesspor, Turkey), Kwabena Adusei (Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa) and Jonathan Mensah (Evian, France)
Midfielders: Emmanuel Agyemang- Badu (Udinese, Italy), Rabiu Mohammed (Krasnodar, Russia), Mubarak Wakaso (Celtic, Scotland), Atsu Christian (Everton, England), Asante Solomon (T.P. Mazembe, DR Congo), Gyimah Edwin (Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa), Afriyie Acquah (Parma FC, Italy) and Andre Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France)
Strikers: Jordan Ayew (Lorient, France), Abdul-Majeed Waris (Trabzonspor, Turkey), David Accam (Helsenborg, Sweden), Emmanuel Osei Banahene, (Al Orobah, Saudi Arabia).
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