All Stars Stunned by Media Snub

Officials of Ghanaian Premier League side Wa All Stars are surprised by the media "black-out"received despite their meteoric rise in the league, lying nine points behind leaders Hearts of Oak in second place.

The Wa-based side are playing in their second season in the top flight and have laid down their credentials of maintaining their premiership status.

All Stars, owned by Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi, have received negative publicity for their surge but always in the news for the wrong reasons.

"I'm surprised at the way we have been neglected by the media. Some are even saying we are helped by referees because we choose the best for our away and home matches," Chief Executive Oduro Nyarko told Ghanasoccernet.com

"We have won four games in a row and still we're not in the spotlight. This is shocking and the media are bias.

"Clubs like King Faisal, Tema Youth, Heart of Lions and lately Chelsea have been covered well but we are yet to enjoy the same positive media coverage," he added.

Wa All Stars have amassed 10 points from a possible 12 in the second half of the league which include a win and an away draw.

"I think our away record is reflective of our strength in the league and we believe complaints by clubs are blown out of proportion," he continued.

"Maybe you can say sour grapes but Ghana is not the only country that the FA President owns.

"Even in Cameroon, Coton Sport is owned by the FA President so what is the big deal. The media will have to be fair to us.

"Anyway, the low publicity has been helpful because the players are not under-pressure but i feel the spotlight will help boost the morale of the young players we have."

All Stars face a difficult task at Berekum Arsenals on Sunday.


My Ultimate Comment:

Obviously, Mr. Oduro Nyarko hasn’t been in this country for long to notice that all news make waves when they evolve around Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko.

Mr. Nyarko has made a great point in this regard and I think its fair enough for journalists like us to give them their fair share of the media spotlight.

I hope my other colleagues would heed to this call because its a Glo Premier League and not one meant for Heart and Kotoko.

Mensah Suits SA Scouts

Ghana youth international Jonathan Mensah has confirmed that he has been approached by South Africa duo Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs after a successful debut season for Free State Stars.

The 20-year-old arrived in Accra on Monday after playing a pivotal role in Free State Stars tremendous performance of battling relegation to finish fourth.

He enjoyed regular playing time at the club and scored two goals as a central defender.

The former AshantiGold player has also attracted interests from some high profile European clubs and was reported to have gone on trial at Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev.

"I think I played one of my best seasons for the club and am grateful to God I did well," Mensah told Ghanasoccernet.com

"I really enjoyed my stay in South Africa and I miss the fans. Because of my performance a lot of other South African side like Sundowns and Kaiser Chiefs are interested in me.

"But I have told them I will decide my future that in the next days."

Mensah has joined the local components of the Black Satellites preparing for a four nation tournament in Venezuela next month.


My Ultimate Comment:


A wonderful chap. Least suprised he is grabbing all the attention in South Africa. If his performance at the Under-20 tournment in Rwanda is anything to go by, then he surely is ready to feature in Europe.

Go Joe!

Chibsah Proves His' Worth The Call-Up

Ghana midfielder Yussif Chibsah has given an indication of what he is capable of doing for the country by hitting top form in Sweden on the night he was handed a return to the Black Stars after a three-year absence.

Chibsah, who plays for top flight Swedish side Gefle, scored all the goals as his club defeated Hamstad 2-0 in the league on Wednesday night, the same night he was called to the national team for the first time in three years.

The former Kotoko player opened the scoring for Gefle on 38 minutes before sealing the victory with a strike just after the hour mark.

The win took Gefle to sixth on the table and the Ghanaian player was named Man of the Match, his third of the season.

Chibsah was among the 32 players called by Ghana coach Milovan Rajeavc ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Mali and Sudan next month.

His performance in the Swedish top-flight is what has resulted in his return to the national team since he last played for the country during a friendly in 2006 ahead of the World Cup.

Last season he was among the top-performers in the Swedish league and was monitored by Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac.


My Ultimate Comment:

You had a clue Chibsah would be recalled into the national team?

Your guess for the goose is as good as mine for the gander. The former national Under-23 skipper has proven critics erroneous about his style of play. He was the chastised one in the Ghanaian team after we failed to qualify from the group stages at the Athens Olympic Games in Greece when the whole team was misfiring.

I am certain he is on a ''redeem'' mission just like Team USA were at the Beijing Olympic Games.

I wish Chibsah all the best in is pursuit to help the national cause.

Laryea and Agogo dropped from 32-man squad

Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has recalled eight players for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and Sudan with Germany-based Dereck Boateng's call as the most-anticipated return for the Black Stars.


Also making a return to the national team are goalkeeping duo of William Amamoo and George Owu as well as Bernard Kumordzi, Prince Buaben and Sweden-based Yusif Chibsah in the large 32-man squad.

In-form Russia-based midfielder Haminu Dramani earns a recall after his absence in the previous World Cup qualifier against Benin.

Egyptian league's leading scorer Papa Arko gets his first call-up to the national team while Qatar-based forward Opoku Agyemang also earns his maiden.

Rajevac retained all the key players of the Black Stars including captain Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, John Pantsil, Richard Kingston, John Mensah and Kwadwo Asamoah.

Striker Junior Agogo has once again been left out of the squad as well as Laryea Kingston who is expected to recover before the clash with Sudan on 20 June in Omdurman.

The Serbian coach called the large squad to enable him see some of the new players and absentees at first hand before a final squad is named for the two WOrld Cup qualifiers next month.

The friendly against Uganda will be used to judge whether some of the new and old faces can make the trip Mali.


Goalkeepers: Richard Kingston (Wigan Athletic, England), William Amamoo (Etasaalat, Egypt) and George Owu (Al Masry, Egypt)

Defenders : John Paintsil (Fulham, England), Samuel Inkoom (Asante Kotoko, Ghana), Harrison Afful (Asante Kotoko, Ghana), John Mensah (Lyon, France) Jonathan Mensah (Free State Stars, South Africa), Jonathan Quartey (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa), Eric Addo (Roda JC, Holland)

Midfielders : Daniel Yeboah (Heart of Lions, Ghana), Rahim Ayew (Eleven Wise, Ghana), Isaac Vorsah (Hoffeinham, Germany),Moussa Narry (Auxerre, France), Stephen Appiah (Unattached), Michael Essien (Chelsea, England), Anthony Annan (Rosenborg, Norway), Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan, Italy) Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy), Bernard Kumordzi (Panionios FC, Greece) Rahim Ayew (Eleven Wise, Ghana) Prince Buabeng (Dundee United, Scotland) Yusif Chibsah (Gefle, Sweden) Dereck Boateng (FC Koln, Germany) Opoku Agyemang (Al Sadd, Qatar) Haminu Draman (FC Locomotiv Moskva, Russia)

Strikers: Asamoah Gyan (Rennes, France), Mathew Amoah (NAC Breda, Holland), Samuel Yeboah (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel), Prince Tagoe (Al-Ittifaq, Saudi Arabia) Joe Tex Frimpong (BSC Young Boys, Switzerland), Papa Arko (El Geish, Egypt)


My Ultimate Comment:

I can afford a smile, sit back in the sofa in my living room and be content with the players coach Milovan Rajevac has called up to face our difficult encounters with Mali in Bamako and Sudan in Khartoum in the South Africa 2010 World Cup and Angola 2010 Qualifiers.

Some of the calls were long anticipated and its only proper that we welcome them in our national football pride again. Derek Boateng has proved not just on a single occasion how effective his partnership with Michael Essien in the middle of the field but on several occasions. You might be quick to remind me that he isn’t on form like he did when he played in the 2001 Under-21 World Cup in Argentina but watch his last couple of matches in Israel and for FC Koln in the German Bundes Liga. Quick feet, a great eye for the killer passes and a startling idea about the game.


My bets for this squad would be Rahim Ayew who plays for Sekondi based Eleven Wise and Kwadwo Asamoah who is fast turning to be the most sought after player in the Italian Serie A. They have shown immense talent on the ball and I am only hoping that Milo gives them much playing to prove to the nation that they are valuable assets.

I have my own doubts over certain players but its only proper that I give my support to the national cause towards the ''South African 2010 Dream''.

Guess you are happy with this squad, Yaw Obeng!

Mensah To Fight For Stars Place

Black Stars Deputy captain, John Mensah will have to battle for a place in the team when invited for subsequent matches.

The 28-year old has been plagued by consistent hamstrings since featuring for the Stars in a 2010 World Cup/African Cup of Nations qualifier against Lesotho last October, and Stars coach Milovan Rajevac maintains he will have to fight his way through.

Coach Milovan told GNA Sports that Mensah's place in the team is not automatic but dependent on his output at training. "He has not played for sometime as he's been in and out. I will therefore have to observe his current form before making a final decision.

"I have not seen him for sometime and need to observe him critically."

In the Olympique Lyon defender's absence, South Africa-based Jonathan Mensah have served a seemingly perfect replacement through his partnership with Eric Addo.

Milovan was however specific that Mensah still remains a key figure in his plans for the 2010 World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with his vast knowledge and experience.

Mensah has not played at his favorite central defense role at the Stade Gerland-outfit, but Milovan remains coy on a similar fate in the Black Stars.

"I have no intentions of trying him for other positions in the Black Stars. His place in the Black Stars will remain in central defense."

The well-built defender nicknamed "Rock of Gibralter" is expected to be part of the squad for the Mali and Sudan clashes next month.



My Ultimate Comment:

He sure must up his game after a poor first season with Lyon, which sees them not winning the French Ligue 1 title for the first time in 8 years.

His vigor level obviously is a big concern to all soccer loving fans as such we urge the medical team of the Black Stars to treat him well to give Seville’s Frederic Kanoute a hell of a time.

I guess John needs a cup of Jago!

Glo Premier League

Here with the standings of the Glo Premier League after final Week 19 matches played over the weekend.

Club P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Hearts 19 12 5 2 27 15 12 41
All Stars 19 8 8 3 17 10 7 32
Lions 19 9 4 6 20 11 9 31
King Faisal 19 8 7 4 17 14 3 31
Tema Youth 19 8 4 7 26 23 3 28
Chelsea 19 7 7 5 18 16 2 28
Eleven Wise 19 7 7 5 20 20 0 28
Arsenals 19 7 6 7 16 21 -5 26
Kotoko 19 7 4 8 25 22 3 25
Kessben FC 19 6 6 6 20 21 -1 24
RTU 19 7 3 9 20 24 -4 24
Liberty 19 5 7 7 21 25 -4 22
Hasaacas 19 5 5 9 17 22 -5 20
All Blacks 19 5 5 9 14 9 -5 20
Ashanti Gold 19 5 3 11 14 20 -6 18
Sp. Mirren 19 3 6 10 14 22 -8 15

Nana Kwesi Asare Snubbed?

According to Sporza, Eredivisie outfits Utrecht have completed the transfer of highly rated left back Nana Asare. The Ghanaian youngster currently plays for Belgian side Mechelen.

The Domstedelingen will part company with current left back Etienne Shew Atjon at the end of this season and were therefore in the market for a replacement. Asare will join Utrecht this summer. The 22-year-old started his professional career at Feyenoord, but never made it to the first team in Rotterdam. He was farmed out on loan to Antwerp and eventually joined his current team Mechelen in 2005.

He quickly developed into an important first team player at Mechelen and his impressive performances didn’t go unnoticed. Belgian giants Anderlecht were also closely monitoring his situation, but Asare preferred Utrecht to the Brussels side. Utrecht reportedly pay €1.3 million for the defender, who has signed a four-year deal at his new club. Nana Kwasi Asare’s joy at clinching a move to Dutch side Utrecht FC has been dampened by coach Milovan Rajevac’s decision to leave him out of the squad that will play Mali in a world cup qualifier.

The left back had a fine season in Belgium, earning a nomination for best African player there in the process before forcing his way into Rajevac’s squads for friendlies against Egypt in Cairo and Benin in a 2010 World Cup qualifier. But the Serbian says he has no plans for Asare in Ghana’s World Cup qualifier against Mali which could invariably also mean he will miss the other game against Sudan two weeks after the Mali game.

“He is a good player but Asare is an attacking left back and for this match, you need a different type of player,” Rajevac told Citi FM. “He is part of the future but not in my plans for Mali.”

Ironically, Rajevac could fall on back to base Asante Kotoko left back Harrison Afful or Samuel Inkoom, two players who have made their name in the game on the back of their attacking qualities from the full back positions rather than their defending.


My Ultimate Comment:

I am not astounded with regards to the calculated improvement of Nana Kwesi Asare.

A fine chap who has the ball obviously glued to his tiny legs and who paces down the left flank as though he is an embodied soul of Madrista legend Roberto Carlos. I am taken aback though by Coach Milovan’s comments. It sure does not help matters when such comments drop out of the mouth of our national gaffe.

On a much lighter side, did he use his interpreter during his chat with Citi? I was just wondering. Anyways, Nana Asare isn’t just one of the brightest spots we have in Ghana but worldwide. He was included in the list of 100 Promising Young Talents by the Italian tabloid ‘Cozza Italia’ not to make up for the numbers but because of his great soccer skills and aptitude. That tells you his maturity with the saint-like game.

What Milovan tells me here is that the Greeks are the dumbest when they laid down the adage ‘the best way to defend is to attack’ during the colonial era. Harrison Afful is having a hard time trying to settle into the Kotoko team after he came back from his parent club, Feyenoord where as Samuel Inkoom has been a poor shadow of himself ever since he made the move to FC Basel.

Milo is surely left with picking Nan, else, we are white washed down the left flank.