Arsenal legend Robert Pires has said that Michael Essien was one of the best African players who had graced the Premier League stage during his time at Chelsea. The former Ghana international spent nine years at Chelsea between 2005 and 2014 and in this period, he went on to win two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, one League Cup and the prestigious Champions League crown.
Speaking to Pulse Ghana, Pires was full of praise for the former Blues star and admitted that the Ghanaian was very competitive whenever the Gunners in the centre of the park, he said: “I played against him sometimes and he was very strong, very competitive and a very good player with impact, especially in his position. He had good technique too. You know if you play for Chelsea then it means you have quality and Michael Essien had talent and that's why he was successful at Chelsea.”
Ghana assistant manager Ibrahim Tanko has refuted suggestions that Jordan Ayew and Andre Ayew have been problematic and a bad influence on the squad. Both players have been missing from the Ghana squad for the last 12 months and it is down to a poor disciplinary record. It is reported that both players have created a lot of problems for managerKwesi Appiah, as they are frequently found guilty of not adhering to the camp rules.Tanko has dismissed those reports and has claimed that both players should be back into the national team fold very soon.
Both players possess a lot of quality and it is extremely difficult for a small nation like Ghana, who are just trying to find their feet in world football, to cope without such players. Even though Ghana have been on a strong set of results over the last year, the team recently fell to a loss against Kenya in the African Cup of Nations qualifier. The setback raises concerns about Ghana’s ability to reach the finals. Ghana have also been struggling in terms of scoring goals with the team not managing more than 2.5 goals since beating Congo back in September 2017.
Ghana international Jordan Ayew is pleased to be moving in the right direction with Crystal Palace this term. The marksman joined the Eagles on a season-long loan from Swansea City before transfer deadline day last month and he has since managed to beat Christian Benteke to claim the centre-forward position.
On Saturday, Ayew played just his second game in the Palace shirt but he managed to provide the assist for Wilfried Zaha, who netted the winner in the 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town. Speaking after that game, he said: “I am pleased because we won; the most important thing is the three points. I have been working really hard since I joined the club.
Ghana favourite Michael Essien has backed Thomas Partey to take up the country’s leadership role on a permanent basis after making immense progress over the past few years. The midfielder has transformed into one of Atletico Madrid’s regulars over the last few seasons and Essien feels the 25-year-old is now ready to lead the national side on a permanent basis.
Speaking to TV3, the recently-retired midfielder is quoted as saying: “There are good players in the team but I think Partey is doing great and he can lead the team. He is doing wonderful with his Club and the National team as well, he
captained the team on a few occasions and I think he will be a good leader.”
Ghana coachKwesi Appiah claims that Senegal and Nigeria have the potential to be a surprise package at the World Cup. Unlike in the last few editions of the World Cup, African teams are not the strongest this year’s tournament. This is due to a mixed run of form for teams like Nigeria. Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco are the other representatives from this continent. The group stages have produced a mixed draw for the African teams; Senegal are in a group containing Japan, Colombia, and Poland. Meanwhile, Nigeria are up against the likes of Iceland and Argentina in the group matches.
A major absentee from the World Cup is Ghana, who have been a steady force when it comes to major international competitions throughout the world. However, there has been an alarming dip in the quality of the Ghanaian national team and this resulted in the team failed to qualify for the World Cup 2018 in Russia. If Ghana had reached the tournament, they would have created a record of reaching the World Cup in succession as they were a strong presence at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Back then,Kwesi Appiah became the first local coach to help the national team reach the finals of the competition.
Inter Milan manager Luciano Spalletti has hailed Kwadwo Asamoah as the complete player after he made the switch from Juventus. The Ghana international joined the San Siro outfit on a free transfer after his contract expired with the Old Lady and he has since penned a three-year contract with the club.
He said: “Why can’t we do well this year? We’ll manage to build a team that’ll allow us to be on the heels of the strongest teams. Taking into consideration our new arrivals and the work put in by the club, there is now a different appeal as to why players want to come to Inter.Asamoah is a complete player, he's perfect for sides who want to make steps forward. He already knows what to do.”
Ghana League Club Association (GHALCA) boss Kudjoe Fianoo has shocked the football community when he resigned from an interim five member committee set up by the government. The committee was tasked with overseeing the football administration in the country as part of a restructuring attempt.
Fianoo explained that he opted to separate himself from the activities of the committee to avoid possible conflict between the association he chairs and the work of the said committee. He was appointed the general secretary of the committee that included Abedi Pele, three-time African Player of the Year. Football legend Rev. Osei Kofi, journalist and lawyer Eva Okyere were also members. The committee was chaired by the chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of CAN 2008 Dr Kofi Amoah.
Schalke 04 manager Domenico Tedesco has hinted that Chelsea loanee Baba Rahman could make an appearance for the club before the close of the 2017/18 season. The Ghana international has not featured for the German outfit since sustaining a serious knee injury in January 2017 and he could still make a strong comeback with another year left on his loan contract.
Speaking to reporters, Tedesco confirmed that Rahman has returned to full fitness after his lengthy absence from the game and he is hoping to have the Ghanaian involved at the earliest possibility, he said:"Baba is getting better and the stability of his knee is looking good. He's completing a lot of sessions."
Ghana international Jordan Ayew believes Swansea City have enough quality within their ranks in order to preserve their Premier League status for another season. The Welsh outfit are currently 17th in the league standings with 33 points and they have three more games left before the end of the campaign.
A disappointing qualifying campaign that produced just one win from six matches ensured Ghana would not be taking part in this summer’s World Cup tournament in Russia.
As the Black Stars now turn their attention to Africa Cup of Nations qualification, which continues in September, five other African nations (Nigeria, Egypt, Senegal, Morocco, and Tunisia) have a World Cup to look forward to. But which nation will prevail as the continent’s leading representative?
