Veteran Coach Joseph Emmanuel Sarpong has shared his view on 18-year old Felix Afena Gyan’s call up into the Black Stars over Hearts of Oak 20-year old star Daniel Afriyie Barnieh ahead of the clash against Ethiopia and South Africa.
Afriyie Barnieh was part of the squad that against Ethiopia and South Africa in the first two games under ex-boss CK Akonnor. Afriyie Barnieh is yet to kick a ball for the Black Stars.
It’s shockingly that Roma’s 18year-old Felix Afena Gyan has been handed a call up into the Black Stars after featuring in just two games for AS Roma in the Italian Serie A while Barnieh is performing according to some comments from the fraternity.
Afena-Gyan signed for Serie A side Roma on 13 March 2021, and was assigned to the primavera squad immediately.
On October 2021 he made his Serie A debut for Roma’s senior side against Cagliari before featuring as a substitute in Roma’s 2-1 defeat to AC Milan on 31 October 2021.
According to the ex-Great Olympics boss Barnieh is on form but the newly appointed Black Stars coach Milovan knows why he handed the youngster a call up and it was basically to introduce him to the team.
“It’s a work that you have given a to a white man and he has scouted his players, he will hand a call up to those who will give him the results so I don’t blame him. He want to build the team and also qualify.
“He might seen Barnieh’s performance but maybe it is not time for him to call him. The qualification is important to him and after the qualification he may even try to call other people to join. Don’t forget that we have African Cup so anybody can come inside.
“When every coach is doing a call up there is a position that he would always want to heat because I have said before that we don’t have solid attack and scoring goals is very hard for us but this is the time to end that. If someone plays a top class football and keeps scoring then you have to invite him into the game.
“Afena playing just only two games for Roma doesn’t matter. He is not going to rush him into the team but ii is the matter of introducing him to the team gradually. Maybe he can come off the bench to score. That’s my view.” Coach Sarpong told Isaac Ganyo Tamakloe of ghanasportspage.com
Afriyie Barnieh and Afena Gyan
The Hearts of Oak talisman, Barnieh scored the final two goals against Uganda in the grand final of the Africa U20 Championship for Ghana to lift the trophy as a captain on 6th March 2021.
Check the audio below
Source: ghanasportspage.com
