This is some white baloney! First he comes off with a late introduction into the team, has a Chelsea doctor coming down to monitor his situation, would miss our first game againt the Hawks. Now that's something up the sleeves of the 2008 BBC African Footballer of the Year Award. The coach should probably have dropped Essien too from the squad (I call his inclusion because we are left with little experience in the team), because it's becoming clear that he doesn't want to feature in the tournament after he wrote a letter to GFA & the coach asking why his buddy (Muntari) was axed. Essien intentions are very obvious. This kind of game must cease; how can you report to camp two days prior to a major tournament, citing bias reasons for your delay? All this indiscipline and ungrateful players must be dropped to allow the youngsters, determined, disciplined and the hungry ones to take up the mantle. At least, they sent pundits and betting power houses the wrong turn during the Under-20 mundial in Egypt by winning the ultimate laurel. A look of confidence they show, are passionate and hungry to make history!
Ghana midfielder Michael Essien will miss the Black Stars opening African Cup of Nations clash with Togo on Monday even though he had a full training session with Chelsea yesterday.
According to reports in the English media, Essien will definitely miss the Black Stars clash with the Hawks because he has yet to regain full match fitness.
The revelation seems to come from his English side Chelsea but Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac and Black Stars doctors will decide whether to leave out Essien for the game.
Even though the enforcer is doubtful for the Togo clash Chelsea sources told the Times he is aiming to be fully fit in time to face his Chelsea team-mate, Didier Drogba, when his side meet Ivory Coast four days later.
The influential midfielder took part in a full session in the snow at the club’s training ground in Cobham, Surrey on Wednesday but will join Ghana in Angola.
Essien (27), will be accompanied to Angola by a Chelsea doctor on Saturday who will be monitoring his progress to ensure that he doesn’t suffer from any further strains.
The midfielder is yet to regain full match fitness after tearing a hamstring in a Champions League match against Apoel last month, but he hopes to play some part in the tournament.
Essien’s prolonged absence is compounded by the fact that John Obi Mikel is also in Angola with Nigeria, leaving Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti with a shortage of defensive midfield players.
Ghana will have to finish among the top two in Group B where they face Togo, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso to be able to advance to the second phase of the tournament.
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