Youthfulness alone does not make a solid team, and so the Black Stars of Ghana needs a blend of both the young and old players who are fit and with much experience to build a solid team for the World Cup tournament come November to December, this is according to former Ashanti Gold head coach Ernest Thompson
The Black Stars will soon begin the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in June, during which the yet-to-be-confirmed head coach, Otto Addo would have to raise a formidable team capable of making impact at the World Cup finals in Qatar, first of all to advance from the Group which comprise Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
The Ghana Premier League (GPL) has been beautified by the quality of play from Black Stars players, Sulley Ali Muntari and Samuel Inkoom who have both returned home after having a glamorous careers in Europe and other continents, and have made the local league much more attractive with great performances. Both Inkoom and Muntari have played in the World Cups for the Black Stars as well as the Africa Cup of Nations.
Muntari has played in Europe and have won the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, 2 Serie A titles with Inter Milan, won the FA Cup with Portsmouth and just to mention few. Samuel Inkoom has won the FIFA U-20 World Cup with Ghana, the African Youth Championship, won the Swiss Super league with FC Basel, and has won silver medal at the AFCON with the Black Stars.
Speaking to ghanasportsapge.com, coach Ernest Thompson has advocated that the Black Stars of Ghana needs experienced players, who are tried and tested like Samuel Inkoom and Sulley Muntari in the team to blend with the youth to have a solid team for the assignments ahead.
“Oh yes if you ask me as a coach whether I will recommend that such players should be invited to the Black Stars, yes, we need experience in the team, youthfulness alone does not make a team so solid. Yes we have the youth, they have strength to run 90 minutes and those stuff but sometimes you need experience”, coach Thompson stated.
“In certain types of a game you need a leader who can calm them, who can direct affairs and can control things for the team. So for me the likes of Samuel Inkoom and Sulley Muntari yes, if they are invited to the Black Stars yes, I think it will help so me if I’m to recommend I will say yes, if Asamoah Gyan was very fit why not, I will ask that all of them should be included so that going to Cup of Nations they can be included to start preparing.
“If their fitness level and everything is good then to the World Cup yes, the experience would be needed so when you ask I will recommend they should be included provided the coach believes the system and philosophy he wants to play will suit them, why not”, he said.
