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Search Of Strikers For Stars |
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One of the challenges that the just-ended Africa Cup of Nations has thrown to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) is how to unearth enough local strikers to feed the Senior National team, the Black Stars. |
To a large extent, the nation has reliable goalkeepers, a solid defence and a strong midfield. But the same cannot be said about our attack, which, perhaps, is the most important component of every football team.
Ghana abounds in football talents, and a serious programme to build a winsome football team which could face all teams on the African Continent and even in the world would not be a problem.
This reminds us of the days of Edward Acquah, Wilberforce Mfum, Akwasi Owusu and many others, who could score goals whenever they were in the penalty area, at a time when the national team could take on any African or world reputable team and make light works of them.
The task of combing the country from East to West, North to South in search of football talents is however not easy. But the task could be carried out through the 16 premier league clubs and the first division teams.
The GFA must therefore encourage those football clubs to widen their nets to recruit as many football talents as possible and groom the qualified ones to fill the striker-vacuum in the Black Stars.
Today, football has become a gainful enterprise. People who own strong teams as well as players in those clubs have become wealthy. The game also provides a lot of entertainment to the spectators. People who want to build football teams or play the game must therefore work extra hard.
Ghana has only two years to build a stronger team to participate in the 27th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola and at the same time take part in the prestigious World Cup competition in South Africa, the first on African soil.
The GFA and the football clubs must not lose any time; they must gird their loins and start putting their acts together in order to attain what the country could not achieve in the 26th edition of the tournament in Ghana.
A careful look at the performances of the 16 nations which participated in the tournament has revealed that there is no small team on the continent today. Even Namibia has surprised other nations. All that it needs is experience. After that it would take its rightful place among other nations in football on the continent.
The Black Stars cannot afford to record anything lower than the third-place they won in the last tournament. If anything at all, the team should move to the silver or the eventual gold position.
Since 1982 when the Stars won the Africa Cup, the prestigious position has eluded them for the past 26 years. Ghanaians are not happy with this sad situation.
The GFA must put measures in place to salvage the country from the uncomfortable present position in African and Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) rankings.
The responsibility for the growth of the game in the country must not rest with the local football governing body alone; the supporters must continue to play their part as they did during the three-week period.
Source: daily guide |
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