BLACKSTARS FAREWELL GAME: ANALYSIS FROM THE STANDS

a section of tha fans at the stadium

Paa Kwesi and George have a heated argument before the game. It attracts a few guys around the yellow section of seats close to the ambulance.

Paa Kwesi: "Dauda will start in Brazil; we all know that, Kwarasey to me is not too confident".

"John Boye and Jonathan will almost certainly play together, though Akaminko may come in to help", he adds.

George is a bit high, if you know what I mean. He begins to rant all over the place in vernacular.

"You think Dauda can stand CR7's free kicks, and long shots,never,and as for Boye,just the step overs will leave him flatfooted, we stand no chance in Brazil" he says.

Me: "Are you guys even sure these players you're mentioning are going to make Appiah's 23-man squalee at all? “I was trying to get their thoughts on Appiah's selection headache.

Paa Kwesi: “Oh everyone knows who the regular customers are, perhaps Afriyie will be the new guy.He has been impressive for Parma, and if Appiah wants to be fair, he must go to Brazil,Essien can sit on the bench.".

Another guy,Sammy joins the discussion.

Sammy: "it's past six, what are these people waiting for, we did not come here for plenty talk ooo."

He appears disgusted by the shear waste of time with all the introductions and announcements bellowing from the Public Address systems.

The game begins after 6:30 and the flashlights I see from where I sit put together could power the whole country for a week. Everyone wants an experience to live with them, they have to tell a story someday.

Goooaaaaaallllll.........They all scream at Atsu's opener. It is a good goal from an acute angle, high into the roof of the net.

Paa Kwesi: "Exactly what we would do to Portugal and U.S.A in Brazil.Atsu is our Messi ".

I thought to myself,wow! These guys 'mean' the World Cup waaa.

George : "you people think Pepe will stand and watch you go past him to score,hwer...you're joking ."

“I have seen Pepe struggle against quick strikers this season, all he'll do is floor our player, and then we win a spot-kick." says Kweku who just joined.

the teams line up before the match

Who will take the spot kick if we are awarded one?

Some murmured baby jet, and quickly, Sammy began cataloging our set-piece specialists.

Sammy : "Oh, Wakasu,Muntari,Andre can all take the kicks, I’m sure Jet himself has changed his mind about it, he will play them if the chips are down."

The game had only begun; the guys have been impressed with Afriyie Acquah's performance. He looks so assured on the ball, and picks out the right passes.

Goooaalllllllll......Atsu scores again. This time from the rebound of Jordan's shot, which had been parried back into play by Dream team keeper Owu.

George: “These are the only goals they can score, the keeper must be blamed for this one,you don't parry the ball back into play, it is never done."

Sammy ,Paa Kwesi,Kweku all seem to agree with George on this one.

George thinks Jordan will not make Appiah's 23-man squad, but Paa Kwesi disagrees.

Paa Kwesi : " We have only two assured strikers in Gyan and Waris,and just these two can’t play all the games, certainly Jordan will go to Brazil."

Sammy:"Kevin Prince can play up the pitch; he was named as one of the forwards.

But I still think we need Jordan, it may well be his time, and he ended the season at Sochaux on the high scoring six goals."

Kweku's attempt to introduce Richmond Boakye-Yiadom's name into the discussion at this point is brushed aside.The guys do not think he has done enough to merit a call-up.

George lambasts him, and argues,: “Even at the world youth championship in Turkey, he was supposed to have led the team since he had some experience with the seniors, but what did he do? He flopped, so the World Cup is not his game as we speak."

Just when Kweku wanted to add his voice,

Gooooalllll..........Jordan Ayew scores after some good work down the wing by Albert Adomah.He beats his man and plays the cross into the center where Jordan side-foots home.

Paa Kwesi screamed, gooallll,just to say I told you so.

George : "And who is the guy in the 24 shirt,hey boy, what be your name," he shouts.

Not many of the guys know him, and not that they could be bothered. They have not been impressed with his game. I whispered his name is David Accam.

On the evidence of this, the dude should not go to Brazil, Paa Kwesi says.

Sammy : "Where are the senior players,?Gyan,Muntari,Andre,Asamoah and the rest? "

Kweku: " They might come in later, perhaps the coach wants to try the new lads. You can see many of the new guys playing now."

That, I thought was a solid point, however the big guys were going to come on at some point, nobody wants them to pick up knocks.

Gooallll...Atsu completes his hat trick, with a goal of the highest quality. A raking long ball over the top from midfield is taken on the chest by Atsu,in the area and the technique to allow the ball ran across his body, is particularly impressive, and he finishes past a hapless Owu....

There was no argument that Atsu is one our go-to guys for goals heading for the tournament. The guys concluded.

The passing sometimes was breath-taking, the dream team had not given up, and they kept playing.

George : " So these local guys can't challenge the Black Stars and give them pressure? We want to know if we can survive against the big-wigs".

Paa Kwesi is dissatisfied with George' s comment, and says,"Germany,Portugal and U.S.A are also analyzing us, they know what we can do, these days in football, you cannot underrate anybody, everyone can play the game, even Tahiti came for the Confederations cup and played against the big guys,Spain,Uruguay and co without fear."

[There was one more goal to come before the break.Middlesbrough winger, Albert Adomah provider of the second, takes an Atsu pass in his stride, nutmegs his marker, before scoring the team's fifth.Gooaalllll……]

Sammy thinks that goal was a good one.

"The Middleborough winger is a sure bet to make Brazil, he has had a good game capped off with that goal. He has not had a game which has left us completely blown away since his first black stars call up, but it's been good."

Paa Kwesi: "he was the top scorer for Middleborough he scored some 15 or so goals. He can be one of our goal getters don't you think?"

[Ref signals the end of the half,and as the players made for the tunnel,Castro ft Gyan's "Odo Pa" screamed out of the speakers,and the announcers called for the music to cease, remember the ban on drumming and noise-making in Accra???]

After recess the Dream team looked buoyed .They passed the ball better, created more chances, and gave substitute Fatau Dauda something to think about.

George: “So Fatau is going to the World Cup with this? Then CR7 will get a hattrick against Ghana ", he said this on the back of two rush clearances the keeper made while he came off his line. Only some poor finishing by the white guys kept the net unshaken.

Paa Kwesi who earlier seemed Dauda will start in Brazil is unconvinced at the keeper's performance.

" Yieyyy Fatau is rusty, his balls up field are poor, his decision to commit himself under less pressure is worrying. This is what you get when you don't play football for months.Fatau is always in suit in the stands looking on as Pirates play, but trust Appiah to play him, he trusts him better."

The guys did not hesitate to boo him anytime he had the ball.

Waris,Afful,Wakasu,Boye,Rabiu,were all on in the second half.

Boye and Afful are sure starters,Kweku intimates.

"Boye can be the leader at the back, he is showing it now, calling out instructions to his mates. As for Afful,he is one of our most assured and trusted. Can play at left or right back".

Not long after though,Schlup (who had an average game) came off, and Afful who started the second half at right back, switched to the left.

Kweku was spot on, with his thoughts.

At this point the game appeared a bit more competitive. The dream team upped their game, and was attacking the stars' area often.

Not too many of the guys like Opare.His coming on did not particularly attract any cheer, his first action was to head the ball into touch for a throw in, under absolutely no pressure, and you can imagine the reaction of the fans.

Sammy:"Rabiu has been great. He and Acquah are marshaling the midfield well.Waris is doing a lot of running up field but cannot get an opening to shoot."

Kweku: " Muntari must come on now, his long balls are needed. Maybe Gyan may not play this game."

[Oyiwa !!!!!!!!! Penalty awarded the dream team, for a handball in the area of the black Stars. 

[Dauda calls for the fans to cheer, but that did not stop the ball from hitting the back of the net.]

The rest of the game played out as waves of substitutions slowed things down.Muntari,Andre,Asamoah,and Gyan had all been brought on.

Not too much action until the dying minutes.Gyan was brought down a few yards off the penalty area.

[Up stepped Muntari,and beautifully placed the ball into the net.

Goooaaaallllllllll.....]

Paa Kwesi,Sammy,and Kweku believe if Muntari replicates some of this set-piece techniques at the mundial,it may get us a few goals.

[The game ends 6-1, and the fans enjoyed themselves. My friends are hoping Ghana makes it past the preliminary stages.]

They seem impressed with what they saw, except Fatau's situation which rightly so, has been the concern of many Ghanaian fans.