Appiah longs for Mensah’s influence

Black Stars coach, Kwasi Appiah, says one of his greatest wishes ahead of the World Cup is to see a return to action of former defensive stalwart, John Mensah, as he would provide the needed quality lacking in the team's centre back.

Mensah has been out of the national team since the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea mainly due to recurrent injuries which have denied him first team action at club level.

The former Sunderland and Stade Rennes player, who is currently out of contract and is recuperating from a surgery, is hopeful of returning to club action and a comeback to the national team soon. 

However, his next destination remains unclear even though the experienced defender with 73 caps for the Stars is determined to secure a club and make an audacious return to the national team.

But Coach Appiah, who recently declared  that only players with clubs and are who were active would be considered for selection into Ghana's World Cup squad, told the Graphic Sports in Bloemfontein, South Africa, that he was hoping his General Captain would get a club soon and return to action in order to boost his return to the national team.

"John Mensah is a player I'm praying that he gets a club and returns to action because his experience and quality are invaluable," Appiah said as he jetted into Bloemfontein for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) group clash between the Black Stars and their Ethiopian counterparts at the Free State stadium.

"If you look at the records, the Black Stars hardly lose matches or concede goals when John Mensah is playing. And often when we concede goals we do so when he [Mensah] has been substituted," admitted Appiah.

 The Stars coach is concerned about the lack of consistency at the heart of his team's defence due to injuries which have at different times hit his trusted centre-backs Isaac Vorsah, Jonathan Mensah and John Boye, compelling the coach to experiment with defensive pairs (Boye and Jerry Akaminko or Akaminko and Rashid Sumaila).

At the World Cup in Brazil, Appiah knows he needs a solid defence to deal with threats from group rivals USA, Germany and Portugal led by FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, the coach insists any player who is without a club would not be considered for selection, and with that time seems to be running out for the much-travelled Mensah, nicknamed Rock of Gibraltar, who captained Ghana at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The reliable defender made a cameo appearance for French side, Stade Rennes, a year ago after joining them from Lyon, who released the injury-prone player in July 2012 after failing to hold down a regular place at the camp of the former French champions.