Michael Essien's injury: is he irreplaceable?

Ghana’s radio and TV waves are on fire with the news that Michael Essien will not play in South Africa.

That the news is a telling blow is a given. The question is this: how would it affect our play?

Saw it coming
Many comments in the info-sphere in the past few hours show that a great many people were mentally prepared of this, given Michael’s own recent comments. In April, he told the Chelsea website that:

“If I make it for the World Cup then great – if not I have my whole career ahead of me. The last thing I want is to rush back and cause more problems down the line.”

A sound argument, but when he said that, many started feeling that the guy knew he wasn’t in good shape. Essien, as we know him, is a combative guy who does not go down unless he really is hurt. This is such a case.

The debate has been mostly about how unfortunate the whole thing is and crucially, how this would affect Ghana. Would we look back and say Essien’s absence cost us dearly?

Before we go on, take this quick poll:



So who replaces him?
Who in the Ghanaian team can bring what Essien brings to the side? In my opinion, nobody. His box-to-box effectiveness and his careful, accurate, passing as well as his multi-positional play and penchant to move forward and be an auxiliary striker are…well….priceless. I’m sure you agree.

Now, let’s look at the options.

Kwadwo Asamoah
I think the 21-year old Udinese dynamo is Essien-lite, but that’s all he is, Essien-lite. Yes, his passing ability is arguably better than Michael’s but he remains a very attacking minded midfielder. I’m yet to see anyone play Kwadwo as a utility player. That said, I feel he is the nearest to an Essien replacement in the Ghana setup.

Derek Boateng
Talented? Yes. Versatile? Yes. Essien’s kind of versatile? Nope. Derek is a good player whose form this past season with Getafe has been blistering, but he is miles away from being Michael. Derek is a good distributor of the ball and like Essien, can hold on to play if need be. But when it comes to strength and bull-like play, you have the wrong guy.

Bernard Yao Kumordzi
Think Nwankwo Kanu of Nigeria of Patrick Vieira of France. Perfect clone. A midfielder based in Greece with Panionios. The 25-year-old has also represented Norrkoping in Sweden and Egaleo in Greece having started his career in Ghana.

His tall and languid (not tall and lazy as some say) nature endears him to some brand of coaches, but he cannot replace Essien. Simple as that. A littel more about him: Bernard made his international debut for the Black Stars against Brazil in March 2007 and scored his first goal against Iran soon afterwards.

So what do we do?
Essien’s exclusion is now known, but we do not know if he may be taken in a Beckham-esque capacity to motivate the team. That would be a waste of space, because Essien is a very shy man, in terms of telling colleagues what to do and dictating play. He is not the Appiah kinda leader, sorry.

If Essien is dropped altogether, then it means that an extra seat on the plane needs to be filled. The bottom line is this we have to move on. And the coach knows it.

“There are other young and hungry players who will be equally passionate to play.”

The next few days would be very interesting. Who would/should Milovan put in Essien’s stead and how would it affect the team? Or are we even overblowing the issue?

Let’s hear you, while you vote as well.

Kwadwo Asamoah needs a nickname

At the rate at which he is getting mentions in the Italian press and with the rave reviews he is getting, Udinese's Kwadwo Asamoah has reahed the stage in his career where it would be safe to give him a nicky.

Ideas, anyone? His latest move is to have scored the first of six goals blasted past Cagliari at the weekend. Here's the video highlights of the game.



Ok then I propose 'Il Racer.'

Yeah, dumb.

Don't forget that Asamoah has thus scored 2 goals in 20. He also wears the 20 jersey (inconsequential, yeah I know that!)

Anyway, the other goals came from Simone Pepe, Antonio Floro Flores, Giovanni Pasquale, Fabio Quagliarella and Odion Ighalo (from Nigeria). For Cagliari, Robert Acquafresca converted a penalty and Andrea Parola also struck.

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Erasmus Kwao asks: Can Ghana get to South Africa?

My colleague Erasmus Kwao over at Citi FM in Accra hosts and produces various sports shows on the station. He also occasionally does punditry for Metro TV in Accra. Here are his views on Ghana's chances of getting to Rainbow Land in 2010, written after the Ghana - Benin game two months ago.

Various interpretations have been given to the Black Stars’ performance in their 1-0 win over Benin in the World Cup qualifier at the Baba Yara Stadium on March, 29 2009. The Stars were put on the back foot for long periods in the match but were fortunate to run away with the victory courtesy the first minute strike by Prince Tagoe.

In the aftermath of the match, some have openly questioned the commitment of the players to the national cause and head coach Milovan Rajevac has not been spared either. The Stars showed promise when they were training for the game but their performance during the match kept most people guessing what might have happened.

A former Chairman of the Ghana Football Association Ben Koufie was alarmed about reports which suggested that the Minister of Youth and Sports had clashed with Sulley Muntari over the thorny issue of winning bonuses five clear days to the match.

There were early signs which suggested the players were going to demand an increase in winning bonuses, which stood at $8,000 but I think the issue could have been dealt with much better between the two sides, albeit diplomatically

Another ex-Stars striker Augustine Arhinful is however quick to point out that despite the fact that the Minister did not help matters with his heavy handedness, the players were not likely to be affected by the row since they earn more than what was being offered at their clubs.
It’s true that the players stand to benefit more than the nation in the overall analysis if they qualify for the second successive occasion.

Their market values could skyrocket just as it did in the immediate aftermath of the 2006 World Cup in Germany and that is enough personal motivation. There is no denying the fact that money was one of the factors which influenced the Stars’ qualification to the last World Cup and it clearly showed in the way the Stars went in for challenges for the ball, during the competition.

There were early signs which suggested the players were going to demand an increase in winning bonuses, which stood at $8,000 but I think the issue could have been dealt with much better between the two sides, albeit diplomatically. But that is not all.

Milovan Rajevac is also at fault for the poor display. To start with, the decision to play right full back Samuel Inkoom on the left full back position despite the availability of fit Harrison Afful and Belgium based Nana Kwasi Asare was unpardonable.

The Serbian rationalised his selection saying he needed a quick player to deal with the threat from Benin. He added that Inkoom played according to his instructions when clearly the Kotoko defender struggled with the pace of the Benin attackers and found it problematic kicking the ball with his left foot.

The Serbian also gave a half fit Stephen Appiah and a non committal Sulley Muntari too much time on the pitch while emerging players like Kwadwo Asamoah was given too little time to perform.

The Serbian trainer would need to make some bold decisions and introduce competition in the team in order to bring out the best in the players because he would have no excuse if he fails and Ghana fails to make it to South Africa 2010.

Asamoah could be his bait for such a revival. The 20-year-old has proven with his 16 appearances for Udinese that he could fit into various roles in the midfield, both defensive and offensive.

On the way forward, it’s still baffling that the GFA did not send any scout to watch our next opponents Mali draw 1-1 with Sudan in Omdurman. Rajevac and his assistants are now on a scouting mission in Europe to spy on the individual players at their club sides - amazing.

The ball is in your court, GFA and Milovan Rajevac.

Agree with him? Lemme know your views. But here's his blog anyway.
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Small posts and the probable making of Kwadwo Asamoah.

Many many nations have vast storehouses of football talent. Ghana, it must be said, is no exception. Especially in the midfield. Someone once said that Ghana has the most promising talent in midfield because of the hugely popular 'small posts' which is played across the country.

This game is played on any strip of land of any size, with two teams, a ball and make shifts posts made from wood, different pairs of shoes or whatever is suitable for the demarcation. And then the game begins.

Whoever wins a game of 'small posts' is most likely to be largely successful because it has an identifiable playmaker. He (or she, as is sometimes the case) is responsible for co-ordinating the movement of the ball from the back to the front.

And it is because of this reliance on the midfielder that, I feel, that Ghana has produced more players in that position than in any other. Maybe, this model may be true for many African nations as well because it seems the continent is awash with players in this position.

Past and present

From 'small posts' have come legends in the Ghanaian game today. Going further back, Karim Abdul Razak was one of Africa’s premier midfielders during the 1980s, whereas former Marseille and Torino playmaker Abedi Pele, the ‘African Maradona’, is an undisputed legend of the game.

Stephen Appiah and Sulley Muntari have both starred for top Italian clubs Juventus and Inter, respectively, while Chelsea’s Michael Essien can currently claim to be one of the world’s best enforcers.

And maybe, Ghana may be having another one.

Kwadwo Asamoah

Until just a couple of months ago, Kwadwo Asamoah was quite a nobody. The 21-year-old had moved to Torino on loan in January 2008 from Swiss side Bellinzona, and then on loan again to Udinese last summer.

For years, he played 'small posts' and 'gutter to gutter' in the Ashanti region. And then he moved to Liberty Professionals where I first met him and had an interview with him in 2007.

Until January of this year, Asamoah had yet to make his Serie A debut, and anyone dedicated enough to study squad rosters would probably have written off the youngster as a nonentity.

Finally, he made his debut on January 11, as a second-half substitute in the 1-1 home draw with Sampdoria. He has since been a virtual ever-present, starting 13 matches, and scoring one goal – a superb effort during the 3-1 win over Fiorentina last season.

In the space of just three months, Asamoah’s transfer value has risen from a five-figure sum to at least €15 million. Every major Italian club, particularly Inter and Juventus, are said to be interested in signing the starlet, while it is surely only a matter of time before Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger, and other Premier League giants, start passing over a few admiring glances.

In many ways, Asamoah is the complete modern midfielder. He has explosive pace, everlasting stamina, bull-like strength, and moves tirelessly from box-to-box. Yet, unlike your Essien or Muntari, he also possesses some exciting technical skills. Asamoah dribbles and surges past opponents, passes the ball well, has good awareness, and possesses a sweet left foot.

If you had to compare him to a player, you would say he is a mix between Edgar Davids and Manchester United’s Anderson, only less robust and defensive-minded than the former, and not as tactical as the latter.

Juventus and Inter both desperately need a top-class midfielder this summer, and they could do a lot worse than Asamoah. He may only have three months' top-class experience under his belt, but there is no replacement for raw talent, and Asamoah certainly has the makings of a really special player. He is also very versatile, as he is so complete and supple, and could probably fit into any tactical system.

If he were not, Udinese coach Pasquale Marino would not have fielded him on such a regualr basis, for the starlet to have given him 6 Uefa Cup goals and 19 Serie A goals in total.

At next summer’s World Cup, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has already vowed that an African nation can make it to the semi-finals. Ivory Coast are perhaps the best equipped to fulfil this prophecy, but one should not rule out Ghana.

The Black Stars may be lacking a bit of quality in defence and attack, but in a year’s time their midfield will be able to hold its own against most teams. Essien, Muntari and Asamoah have the potential to form a fearsome trident. Were Mario Balotelli to follow Anthony Baffoe’s advice and pledge his allegiance too, then Ghana really could cause a stir in South Africa.

With a player who scored such a good goal against Sudan and did it again with Mali, Ghana may yet have a key.

One can only hope that his injury situation is not so dire and that maybe his estimated 1-month layoff would be better. So that he can give us more of these!