John Mensah can’t match Ronaldo, others — Razak
Former Ghana international, Abdul Karim Razak, has kicked against the inclusion of former skipper of the Black Stars, John Mensah, in the squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, insisting, the player has outlived his usefulness.
Advertisement
“Under no circumstance should John Mensah be considered for selection because he can’t compete with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Claudio Reyna, Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger who would be paraded by the teams in the Stars group.
“For the Stars to survive their tough group, they need youthful but robust players who are also combative,” Razak contended in an interview with the Graphic Sports.
Reacting to comments from some soccer analysts that John Mensah’s experience was crucial to the backline of Ghana as he would come with some experience, Razak, who was Africa’s Best Footballer in 1978, argued that if experience alone was crucial to the team then he, together with Opoku Afriyie, Mohammed Polo and Kuuku Dadzie should also be considered in the Stars final squad.
He was also disappointed over what he described as the over-reliance on Michael Essien and Sulley Ali Muntari, saying the duo lacked the needed power and tenacity to oil the Stars midfield as they did at the last two editions of the World Cup.
He said for Ghana to progress from the group stage, there was the need to beef up the team with squad players who are hungry for honours.
“We need more youthful players in our squad, that is why we must focus on the players who qualified the team for the World Cup
“For me, Brazil 2014 should be for players such as Jonathan Mensah, John Boye, Rashid Mohammed, Jerry Akaminko, Harrison Afful and Daniel Opare.
Other Trending Stories
Our midfield should include the likes of Kwadwo Asamoah, Agyemang Badu, Mohammed Rabiu, Christian Atsu and Dede Ayew, while skipper Asamoah Gyan, Prince Kelvin Boateng and Majid Warris form the striking force.
While commending Coach James Kwasi Appiah for being the first Ghanaian coach to qualify the Black Stars for the World Cup, he said the coach could make history for himself and the country if he steered the team past their 2006 and 2010 achievements.