Sports News of Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2023-03-21Dede Ayew, Inaki Williams and three Black Stars players who need Angola game to prove a point
A photogrid of five Black Stars players who need Angola game to prove a point
After the heartbreaking Uruguay defeat in the 2022 World Cup, Ghanaians will get to see the Black Stars play against Angola on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
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Though eliminating Nigeria to qualify for the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar brought some excitement, it ended in tears for Ghanaians as the Black Stars were eliminated by Uruguay for the second time in the competition.
The group stage elimination was painful but the performance of some players gave Ghanaians hope that there is a bit of hope for the team in the future.
However, there are some players who were heavily criticized for their roles in Ghana's World Cup campaign and were blamed for the team's elimination.
These players including those who missed out on the Mundial will have to prove themselves to Ghanaians under new coach Chris Hughton in the upcoming 2023 AFCON qualifiers against Angiola.
Here are the 5 players with a point to prove against Angola
Andre Dede Ayew
The captain has for the past couple of years divided opinions when it comes to his role in the Black Stars. While some say that he is still crucial to the performance of the team, others believe otherwise.
Many of his critics have said that the 33-year-old Nottingham Forest forward has lost his steel and contributes less to the build-up of the team and should not be part of the new team under Chris Hughton.
Despite getting some applause for returning to the English Premier League, Andre Dede Ayew's performance in the ongoing season has done little to speak for him.
He needs the Angola game to still prove that he still has it in him despite being the second-oldest player in the team after Club Brugge's Denis Odoi.
Kamaldeen Sulemana
He was one of Ghana's brightest players in the World Cup aside Mohammed Kudus, Abdul Samed, Mohammed Salisun, and Alidu Seidu despite enjoying fewer minutes at the Mundial.
Kamaldeen's performances in the FIFA World Cup made up for his unimpressive showing in Ghana's 2021 AFCON campaign in Cameroon.
The 21-year-old winger is in a good form since making a move to the Premier League despite the struggles of his club Southampton.
He arrives in the national team on the back of an outstanding performance in the 3-3 drawn game against Tottenham Hotspurs and needs to give Ghanaians a glimpse of what they have been seeing in the Premier League.
Thomas Partey
The 29-year-old, without a doubt, is one of the top midfielders in the Premier League and the world in general but has not been able to replicate that performance in the Black Stars consistently.
Thomas Partey, since making his Black Stars debut has featured in four major tournaments for Ghana namely 2017 AFCON, 2019 AFCON, 2021 AFCON, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup and he finished the aforementioned tournaments with heavy criticisms about his performance.
Thomas Partey, however, came to the party in the FIFA World Cup playoffs against the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Ghanaians are awaiting to see that same player in the qualifiers against Angola.
If he doesn't step up his performance, Thomas Partey will be seen as a top player at club level but an average midfielder in the national colours.
Inaki Williams
The Athletic Bilbao striker is still yet to prove to majority of Ghanaians that he is the man to replace the legendary Asamoah Gyan and replicate what he did in the Black Stars.
Inaki Williams despite leading the lines for the Black Stars in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar did little to silence his critics as he couldn't score nor assist his teammates in the Mundial.
The 28-year-old Spanish-born striker has so far featured 6 times for Ghana against Brazil, Nicaragua, Switzerland, Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Though others have argued that the style of Otto Addo didn't suit him as the team was mostly focused on defending, Inaki Williams needs to find his scoring boot in the doubleheader against Angola to restore public confidence.
Majeed Ashimeru
He is a player many admire and believe he has the capabilities to excel in the Black Stars jersey.
Many including former captain and all-time top scorer Asamoah Gyan have gone to war for him in the past over his exclusion from previous Black Stars squads.
For many players in the Black Stars, they only need to perform to satisfy their coaches and the fans but Majeed Ashimeru needs to justify why many fought for his inclusion in the team by proving that he is Black Stars material.
The 25-year-old Anderlecht midfielder has only made two appearances for the Black Stars and needs the Angola game to cement his place in the Black Stars under new coa
