Comment: Godfred’s AFCON Diary


Entry 2 December 5,2015
Grant breaks Adu Kofi’s heart
Malmo’s midfield stalwart has long wondered why he kept missing out on national team call up despite being one of the most consistent Ghanaian performers in Europe over the past three years. Well he will wonder even harder now after he failed to make Avram Grant’s 26 man pre AFCON party to Spain.A confidant of the player told me Adu Kofi was disconsolate and disappointed at being dropped out.I can understand his pain. He was as in form as any of the contenders for that midfield role and had looked sharp in training but Grant stuck by the trusted troops who saw the team through qualifying.

Bafana Bafana riding a wave of confidence
The national  team of South Africa’s 1-0 friendly win over 2012 AFCON champions Zambia was their 10th consecutive game without a loss since Ephraim Shakes Mashaba took over. It is a truly remarkable achievement considering how low the national team sunk after the 2010 World Cup which it hosted.  Mashaba has the team playing with a fluency and confidence that has been absent since the mighty team of 1996.Pundits have overlooked Mashaba’s boys considering the strength of the three teams in their group but I say they better be wary of an upset.

Unlucky Waris praying for a change in fortune
Abdul Majeed Waris is out for two weeks but is considered important enough to warrant a monitoring programme  before the final team is named. Talk of ill luck though for the young chap. His recent Black Stars history is littered with injuries and rejection. He was dropped from the AFCON 2013 team despite his got form in Sweden,got injured in the first friendly of the team prior to the World Cup where he would have been a shoo in to start along side Asamoah Gyan and now this latest setback.I really do not foresee how he can recover in time physically and mentally to make an impact in Equatorial Guinea but the technical team is bent on waiting it. Well i guess better him than than seeing the sorry sight of Kwesi Appiah.

Injuries already becoming a factor
Sadio Mane,Essaidi Belkalem and Mehdi Abeid have all been ruled out of the tournament with a little over a week and I am getting really frustrated. This AFCON has the potential to be the best with regards to the football and to lose one of the genuine star names in Mane is really big blow.

Not that Ghana fans will be shedding any tears over Mane’s absence considering his enormous threat in an already fearsome Senegalese outfit.I will be praying from now on to avert any further injury to other stars.

For more sports news visit allSports.com.gh

Comments:
This article has 0 comment, leave your comment.