Sports
Player selection, a coach’s headache
A statement attributed to Black Stars Assistant Coach, John Paintsil, regarding player selection has sent tongues wagging and teeth gnashing.
In a media interview, Paintsil hinted that there could be ‘a lot of surprises’ when the final Black Stars list for the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament is announced.
No matter how one looks at it, it is clear Paintsil only stated the obvious and come June 1, when the final announcement is made by the technical team, some would be happy; others would be disappointed.
Trying to step into the shoes of the coach, Otto Addo, one realises that selections for such high-profile tournament is the most difficult part of preparations.
Over the years, it has been shown that a player’s participation can be on merit. There have also been circumstances when a player’s selection is ill-deserved but on what basis is that conclusion reached?
There is an interesting analogy in Ghana’s World Cup selection history with Otto Addo being a major beneficiary at a time fans may think he didn’t deserve it.
The German born did not play in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers for Ghana, but was later included in the final squad for the World Cup tournament in Germany. Despite not featuring in the qualifying campaign, he played a role in the squad’s preparation and was part of the team that represented Ghana at the World Cup for the first time.
He did no wrong; neither did the selectors. Such is the nature of football. The ‘Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop’ theory clearly applies.
And for a technical team that has been working so hard to put together a proper representation at the football showpiece, this theory could be revisited, putting Paintsil’s comments about shocks in proper perspective.
Otto Addo has indicated that the technical team will cast its net wide to identify the best talent to put together a formidable team, irrespective of where they are based.
In the game of football, no player’s spot is guaranteed. In cases where players maintain consistent performances, he can be unfortunately ruled out by injury like it has happened in the case of Salisu Mohammed.
There were other players as well that started the qualifiers. Mention can be made of players like Dennis Odoi and Tauriq Lamptey.
Others lost their positions through poor performances and because there was no time to wait, new players are selected to fill the gaps.
There are also players that peak at the right time, making it difficult for the selectors to ignore them.
All of these developments can have dire consequences on the structure of the final team and fans must, therefore, view Paintsil’s clue as one that serves as a timely reminder of the harsh realities under which teams are managed, rather than looking at it as intimidation.
Top coaches all over the world have stated how it is impossible to please their players just because on a match day, only 11 players can start.
Otto Addo will face the same situation in his bid to assemble the best.
Ghana has been drawn into Group L alongside Panama, England, and Croatia. The Black Stars will kick off their campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, face England in Boston, and conclude the group stage against Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia.
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Ghana Premier League side, Nations FC, may have suffered the drop in the just ended Premier League and are destined for a fresh campaign in the Division One League (DOL).
But they stand a huge chance of remaining in the elite stage of the game as they face Dreams FC in an epic MTN FA Cup final at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium tomorrow at 6pm.
Dreams FC have been there before; going ahead to taste the honours in the 2022-23 season after defeating King Faisal.
Coming from a season that saw them crawl from the initial stages of the league to finish on a respectable fourth position, they come in as strong favourites to double their honours in the nation’s second top football competition.
History favours them in this regard. On their first final, they conquered and based on this, connoisseurs of the game have tipped them to make it ‘two-on-two.’
But Nations FC have been empowered by the age-old adage that “He that is down need fear no fall.”
Nothing can be worse than suffering relegation and exiting the limelight as far as exposure is concerned.
But the FA offers a decent opportunity to make them stay relevant.
Conquering Dreams FC would not just make them MTN FA Cup champions. It will grant them the prestigious slot to represent Ghana in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) second tier club competition- the Confederations Cup.
With Dreams FC harbouring the same ambitions, the stage is, therefore, set for a final that promises to be explosive and uncompromising.
The situation of Nations FC might have come to many as a surprise, considering their promising start to the season, with their defence especially, marshalled by Black Stars defender, Razak Simpson, and colleague central defender, Raymond Grippman, earning a lot of reviews.
But despite the struggles they endured at certain times of their campaign, the MTN FA Cup always provided slices of good fortunes as they managed to navigate their way to the final.
Road to the top
Nations FC began the MTN FA Cup competition on a promising note, enjoying some good runs with a win over DOL Zone Two side, Ebony FC, in the Round of 64.
That landed them in a tricky encounter with another high-flying Zone Two candidate, AshantiGold SC, a side that eventually won the title from the zone to qualify to the Premier League, but escaped.
At the round of 16 stage, they encountered and defeated Ghana Premier League side, Swedru All Blacks, 2-1 to gain progression to the quarter final stage where they edged Berekum Chelsea on penalties.
A dicey semi-final awaited them against Aduana FC in Swedru. It was a game Nations was given little chance to escape considering Aduana FC’s form but once again, they conquered to secure a final berth.
In total, the Abrankese-based club have scored eight goals and conceded only two throughout the competition, making them one of the strongest defensive sides in the tournament.
For Dreams FC, they defeated Division One League Zone Three side, Semper Fi, 2-1 to progress to the next stage of the competition where they accounted for Division Two side, Asanska FC, 2-0.
That handed them a quarterfinal berth where they faced Inter Allies and drew one all before winning 4-3 on penalties.
The happiest moment in their success story was a 3-2 semi-final win over GPL winners, Medeama SC.
With that feat, Dreams have been touted as potential winners as the match comes at a time the Nations FC side may be psychologically down over the weight of the challenge they face in the next season.
However, the competition has gain notoriety for not following any form guide and outcomes mostly coming as major surprises.
In this regard, Dreams may be tipped as favourite candidates but though Nations are wounded, the stakes could revive an insatiable desire to apply the brakes to turn the dreams of Dreams FC into a nightmare.
Support
The support from MTN Ghana has no doubt improved competition among the clubs with the attractive incentive packages for participating clubs.
MTN Ghana, which is celebrating 30 years of operations in Ghana, formally became headline sponsors of the Ghana FA Cup in the 2010/2011 football season after the competition had returned from an eight-year hiatus.
The first edition under MTN sponsorship was won by Nania FC, who defeated Asante Kotoko 1–0 in the final at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Since then, the competition has been known as the MTN FA Cup, with MTN renewing its sponsorship several times — in 2013, 2017, 2020 and again for subsequent seasons.
By Andrew Nortey
The Black Stars have opened camp in Cardiff ahead of next week’s international friendly against Wales.
The team is being taken through training drills by head coach Carlos Queiroz.
Thirteen players trained at Dragon Park on Monday, with others expected to join the squad on Tuesday.
They include Ernest Nuamah, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Jordan Ayew, Caleb Yirenkyi, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Elisha Owusu, Gideon Mensah, Marvin Senaya, Jerome Opoku, Benjamin Asare, Joseph Anang, Solomon Agbasi, and Alidu Seidu.
The Black Stars will train in Cardiff for one week ahead of the international friendly against Wales on Tuesday, June 2, before traveling to the United States of America.
Coach Carlos Queiroz will use the period to assess his players before naming his final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Twenty-six players will be submitted to FIFA on Monday, June 1, as mandated by the competition regulations.
The Black Stars are drawn in Group L with Panama, England, and Croatia. They will open their World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto before facing England and Croatia in their other group matches.
