Admittedly, there was something eerily familiar about Avram Grant ‘s latest Ghana squad.
His 23-man selection has drawn criticism among Ghana fans for being too conservative and for rewarding the same old tired faces without testing the depths of the nation’s talent.
Is there any truth in the suggestion, and does a manager who has been praised for his consistency of selection and for fostering a meritocracy, deserve criticism for now staying true…perhaps too long…to those same players?
Initially, it’s intriguing that this criticism of Grant comes after the key headline to emerge from his squad to face Mozambique is the return of two fan favourites in Alfred Duncan and Adam Kwarasey.
Both players were named originally in Grant’s squad to face Canada, with Kwarasey dropping out and Duncan not making it onto the pitch for his return to the international scene. Their return demonstrates a sustained desire on the part of the manager to include the pair in his plans, and should come as no surprise even if they are yet to play a minute under the Israeli coach.
It is intriguing therefore that any scant praise for Grant has come on the back of two inclusions which everyone ought to have seen coming, and don’t be surprised to see Kwarasey, following his fine form in Major League Soccer, make his first appearance since the opening game of the 2014 World Cup.
Duncan continues to shine in Serie A for surprise package Sassuolo, and the double-header against Mozambique may represent his best chance of establishing himself in the side, with Kwadwo Asamoah still looking on from the outside, and the likes of Kevin-Prince Boateng, Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien firmly part of the national side’s past.
Those who complain of nepotism, and it could be easy, at a glance, to see why they do, perhaps overlook the fact that two Grant stalwarts, Solomon Asante and Fatau Dauda, have both been dropped.
The former has missed just one call-up since Grant took over —against Canada— and has started three of the last five games, coming on as a substitute in the other. He demonstrated his fitness earlier in the month in an impressive performance against FC Lupopo, having struggled with a thigh injury, and having stuck with players with fitness problems in the past, it seems strange that Grant would drop Asante now.
For Dauda, even less loyalty been shown, and the Ashanti Gold keeper’s sub-par performances in the Caf Champions League appear to have cost him the faith of Grant, who has stuck with Richard Ofori alongside Kwarasey and Razak Brimah.
This is the first time the former Orlando Pirates stopper has missed a call-up since March 2014…it’s a hell of a way to demonstrate nepotism!
Admittedly, much of the squad is familiar, with nine of the 23 being present for every single one of Grant’s matches in charge. However, it’s hard to question the inclusion of too many of them, due to their performances under Grant, their club form, and particularly in the case of the defenders, a lack of suitable alternatives.
As expected, Christian Atsu returns to the squad after steadily returning to prominence at Malaga, while Frank Acheampong—who hasn’t featured since the friendly victory over Togo—comes back into the squad after his recent purple patch with Anderlecht.
Phil Ofosu-Ayeh hasn’t made the cut, and it may be something of a surprise that Grant isn’t choosing to look at another right-back— Dennis Appiah has been mentioned— although those who suggest that Samuel Inkoom is back to his best after just seven showings, three yellow cards and one red one in the Turkish top flight are somewhat wide of the mark.
Admittedly, it’s easy to see why Mohammed Rabiu is a target, as he has steadily oscillated between irrelevance and inadequacy for Ghana, but those lamenting his inclusion ignore the fact that he’s having a fine campaign in Russia, having averaged 3.2 tackles per match, 3.3 interceptions per game and winning an average of 2.5 headers each outing he makes.
There have been times when it might have been the right call to drop Rabiu, but not now, even if Godfred Donsah is a tantalising prospect!
While I certainly would have liked to have seen a few other names called up— guys like Johnatan Opoku, Mitch Apau, Lloyd Sam, Nana Asare, and Kwadwo Poku– it’s important to remember that Grant, with his extensive background in club management, may be more prone to treat the Black Stars like a club side, sticking with the same group of players, trying to foster a tight-knit unit, and a strong team spirit, rather than constantly shuffling his pack.
I’m a big admirer for example, of Gideon Baah, but when Grant knows he has Abdul-Rahman Baba and Jeffrey Schlupp to call upon against Mozambique, why would he consider a tertiary left-back?
Ghana fans must trust that when the time for change comes, Grant will be ready with his finger on the trigger. But now, with the Black Stars enjoying an eight-game undefeated streak, having lost only two of their last 14, can you really blame the coach for sticking with his ‘tried and tested’ ahead of a competitive double-header?
Sometimes, it feels as though people just need to grumble for the sake of it!
