Candid Corner: It’s not insurmountable A palpable feeling of uncertainty appears to be hanging over this country since Monday in the aftermath of the announcement of Ghana’s opponent in the World Cup play-off. Quite understandably, some Ghanaians have developed goose bumps after being hit by the reality that our opponents in the play-off are the Pharaohs of Egypt, seven times Nations Cup Champions. The widely-acclaimed most successful African side will be battling the Black Stars for the single slot in Group D. For sure, it’s not for nothing that Ghanaians are now tempering their high hopes of a third conservative World Cup Appearance with measured caution. Suddenly, the road to Brazil 2014 is looking long and difficult. There is no disguising the fact that this is going to be our toughest qualifier, given the stakes to both Ghana and Egypt. Qualifying for the World Cup for the third time running will, doubtless, be a very big boost for Ghana football, having twice fired the imagination of the World in 2006 and 2010. Egypt, on the other hand, has had to bear the pain of missing out on the World Cup since 1990, not to talk of how it has surrendered its supremacy in the Nations Cup. It is, therefore, on a mission to rediscover its place of eminence in continental football. This is what is going to define the battle lines in the play-off. Without doubt we have a very difficult task ahead of us, but we need not throw our hands up in despair. We can still make it to Brazil provided we go into the two-game decider with the right kind of tactical approach. Player for player, the two countries may be evenly matched, but the Egyptians can be said to be more tactically disciplined than the Black Stars, even as their country continues to reel under the havoc of political instability. We can overcome Egypt and laugh all the way to Brazil, but the truth must be told over and over again that the performance bar of the Stars will have to be raised considerably higher than we’ve been seeing of the team since the 2012 Nations Cup. Our games have largely been devoid of that extra quality that in the recent past separated us from other countries. We can talk about the brilliance of our players as individuals, but the missing link has almost always been the inexplicable failure for them to translate that into cohesive teamwork. Very often some of our players succumb to the temptation to impress as individuals instead of embracing the inherent good in team play. When thrown into a destiny-defining combat with a time–tested side like Egypt, it certainly takes more than ordinary performance to conquer it. From defence to attack, quality must reflect in our play to ensure that we are not overrun by a dangerous opposition. In the last qualifying game against Zambia’s Chipolopolo, one was often left bewildered by the stray passes of the Stars and the ease with which the Zambians penetrated our defence. For God’s sake we can’t afford that luxury against the Egyptians. With the strengthening of the midfield, and the attack in particular being more effective in front of the opponents’ goal, the Stars should be equal to the big task. That’s not beyond the team. At the end of the day, however, the game will be won or lost from the bench. That’s the truth, and it will be up to Coach Kwasi Appiah, his Assistant, Maxwell Konadu, and the rest of the team to pass the litmus test. Source: The Mirror
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 05:02:31 +0000
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