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| Best Player Not in Stars Camp? |
6/21/2008 |
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What ''sin'' has Derek Boateng committed to be shut out of the National team camp all this while? One wonders why a player of his caliber is not in the Black Stars camp.
Of course, not every player will be offered the opportunity to feature for his native country, but there are those whose exclusion raises eyebrows among pundits and lay people alike.
The brilliant star reached the 2006 World Cup final, the Beitar Jerusalem midfielder is blessed with exceptional fitness, shrewd distribution and the ability to make late runs into the box undetected.
Boateng finished the Israeli league where fellow brilliant Ghanaians as Samad Okocha and Sam Yeboah pursue their professional soccer careers, as the best foreign player and hitting the back of the net five times.
Revelations from the camp of Inter Milan indicates that former Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho is keen on signing him on.
His rich accolade should easily attract the attention of any technical handler, yet he has been distanced from the team since Germany 2006.
And this is what has stirred this writer to advocate for his inclusion into the team to bring his experience to bear on the Black Stars onward march to the World\ Nations cup tournaments.
Thank God that former Asante Kotoko captain Gabriel Issah Ahmed, has been forgiven after ''sinning'' in the Ghana-Zimbabwe clash in Egypt 2006. He has now been given another chance to prove his worth.
I think Boateng should be accorded the same treatment having proved beyond doubt that he has what it takes to contribute his quota as the team hanker for a second successive World Cup appearance.
Many have argued that the void created by Stars'' inspirational captain Stephen Appiah could have been filled with less effort by Boateng.
Again, the man whose exceptional midfield abilities has shot him into prominence in the Israeli league is conspicuously missing in the current Stars'' squad. The team''s backline also needs a major reinforcement and the name that comes handy is Heart of Lions'' sweeper Jerry Akaminko.
Already, the Stars'' technical team has invited Lions'' John Boye and Wa All Stars'' David Addy, I think it is a commendable effort.
Harrison Afful has proved beyond any shadow of doubt that one''s geographical location does little to justify one''s inclusion into the national team.
Afful has become a real testament of what the local players could do if offered a chance. This should urge the Stars'' handlers to invite more local players, especially defenders, as in the era of Frimpong Manso, Emmanuel Amah ''Senegal'', Emmanuel ''Chairman'' Ampiah , Frank Amankwah and Stanley Aborah to take the place of some our foreign-based defenders.
Source: Ghanaian Chronicle
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