Accra Hearts of Oak talisman SUlley Muntari did not make coach Samuel Boadu’s final squad list that traveled to Dormaa for the Ghana Premier League match Week 20 encounter against Aduana Stars, and there has been varied reasons given by sections of the media and on social media platforms for his absence.
As usual, ghanasportspage.com deems it fit to get the right reasons behind his exclusion from the traveling squad list so as to feed our able readers with the most credible information. Despite the uncertainties as to whether the former Inter Milan man made the trip to Dormaa or not, we would like to emphasise that he didn’t travel with the team, and Hearts of Oak will play the match against Aduana Stars on Sunday without the 37-year old midfielder.
Since his arrival, Muntari made his debut for Accra Hearts of Oak against Accra Great Olympics on February 2, and had his first start against RTU in Tamale on the 13th of February. Muntari has since started every single game for Hearts of Oak, including the GPL outstanding league game against Asante Kotoko on February 20. He also started for Hearts of Oak in their 1-1 drawn game against coach Maxwell Konadu’s Legon Cities, started against Asante Kotoko on March 4 in the President’s Cup as well as the GPL game against WAFA last Sunday, 6 March where he scored Hearts of Oak’s winner from the penalty spot.
Speaking to a Hearts of Oak official, name withheld, it has been explained that the technical team of the club made the decision not to include the 37-year old in the squad list for the game in Dormaa, basically to afford him the opportunity to have a rest so as to maintain and restore energy.
Across the globe, it clear, that few players of his age are able to play week in week out, and even those who do, managers have to manage them to ensure that keep in shape and ready for the most crucial moments.
Several social media posts including media speculations have said, that the Champions League winner asked for his name to be excluded from the traveling list because the journey is too far, and that since the is no airport in Dormaa to make him go by air, he can’t make it. However, to set the records straight, the player made no such request as the club explains, that his exclusion was purely a decision of the technical team to rest the player.
“Much as he [Muntari] has been playing so well, he needs to be managed to ensure he is always available whenever it matters most”, the source told ghanasportspage.com. “The technical team decided not to include him in the squad list basically to rest him for subsequent games, not for any other reasons being peddled around”, the source added.
Aduana Stars will host Accra Hearts of Oak at the Nana Agyemang Badu Park in Dormaa Ahenkro on Sunday at 3:00pm.
