We’ll go all out!
The Black Stars have taken their destiny into their own hands, vowing to go all out to ensure qualification to the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup following Uganda’s 1-0 win over Egypt in Kampala yesterday.
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The vital home win by the Cranes of Uganda shot them to the top of Group E and threw the race for the single slot wide open, reviving the Stars’ hopes of a possible qualification to their fourth successive Mundial despite the poor start.
Now third with a single point, Ghana can rise to the top of the table with a back-to-back victory over the Red Devils of Congo in their double header at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi and Brazzaville today and next Wednesday respectively.
So far, the mathematics in the Ghana camp has been quite interesting, with the vice chairman of the Black Stars Management Committee, Wilfred Kwaku Osei (Palmer), leading the campaign for the much-needed turnaround.
Hours to today’s crucial encounter, the mood in the Stars’ Gulden Tulip camp has been that of high expectation, with the Stars psyching themselves up to right the wrongs which haunted them until the Uganda lifeline yesterday.
The absence of striker Raphael Dwamena has been buried in haste but head coach, Kwasi Appiah said their prayers were with him to get his medicals right.
Deputy captain, Andre Dede Ayew, summed up the mood in camp thus: “We’ve prepared well because we know it’s a very important game.”
“We want to win the three points at home and prepare for Wednesday.Anything short of a win means we are out of the World Cup.
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“We’re going to give of our best to win the next two games. We’re going to do everything to win all our games,” he assured Ghanaians.
Ironically, yesterday central defender, John Boye, became the third player to be ruled out of today’s game due to injury, after Raphael Dwamena and Isaac Sackey.
While Serbia-based Richmond Boakye-Yiadom was quickly drafted into the team by Coach Appiah, no immediate replacement was made for Boye as the Stars have a go at the Congolese in front of their favourite Oseikrom fans.
Boakye-Yiadom returns to the team after a long absence to complement the efforts of Ghana’s all-time top scorer, Asamoah Gyan, Dede Ayew, Thomas Agyepong, Christian Atsu, Ebenezer Ofori, Thomas Partey and others to tear apart the Congolese.
In defence, Coach Appiah is likely to partner Daniel Amartey and John Boye at the rear, while Harrison Afful and Agbenyenu Lumor will feature at the right and left back respectively, with Richard Ofori in post.
Meanwhile, interest in today’s match has not been as high as the previous one against Ethiopia which saw even training sessions attracting almost a full stadium.
However, the situation might change, especially where today is a holiday, coupled with the revival of the hopes of Ghanaians towards qualification after the fall of Egypt.