[ 2013-08-15 ]

Player rating: How the Black Stars fared in the dramatic 2-2 draw in Turkey
Captain Asamoah Gyan came off the substitute bench
to rescue a draw for the Black Stars with a
sensational second-half brace at the Black Stars
rallied from two goals down to draw 2-2 at the
Atatürk Olimpiyat Stad? in ?stanbul on Wednesday
night.

James Kwesi Appiah’s men fell 2-0 behind just
before the half-hour mark with Galatasaray forward
Burak Y?lmaz drawing first blood for the host in
the 7th minute before his club team-mate Umut
Bulut topped up with an intelligent finish.

But Gyan grabbed his 36th and 37th international
goals to stun the home support.

Ghanasoccernet.com runs the rule over the
performance of the STARS and rates how they fared
on the night in Southeastern Europe.

Adam Kwarasey – 6.5

The 25-year-old picked two balls from his net on
his return as some dodgy defending in the
first-half led to the two goals which he cannot be
blamed for. Umut Bulut’s second goal for the
Turks was no fault of his as Rashid and Jonathan
Mensah played it soft on the 30-year-old, allowing
him to flick a neat header through. A Samuel
Inkoom blunder in the 31st minute nearly gifted
Turkey the third goal but the Stromsgodset captain
saved the piledriver to deny Hamit Altintop who
was unmarked. Kwarasey would have been much better
if defending was like what it was in the
second-half.

Samuel Inkoom – 6.5

The right-back’s surging run in the first-half
was impressive. He looked to have regained his
form despite not playing much at club level with
Dnipro. However is only undoing was the entire
poor organisation of the backline which underlined
Ghana’s vulnerability in the first department.
He horribly gave away a pass which needed a
Kwarasey intervention to prevent Ghana from
falling 3-0 behind in the first half. However, he
was workaholic going forward and gave a good
account of himself. He must leave Dnipro and get
regular playing time to ensure future matches.

Harrison Afful – 6

Was an outstanding performer a except his
inability to close down Hamit Altintop at his
territory as the former Real Madrid laid a cross
which was expertly connected home. To be honest he
struggled to contain the experienced player but
should surely be a good lesson for him in
man-marking tricky dribblers.

Rashid Sumaila – 6

Not one of the cherishable partnership between him
and Jonathan Mensah. The two were playing for the
first time and their understanding was a big
suspect especially in the first half. Both men
allowed Umut to pick their pockets and claim a
moral boosting goal ahead of the new Turkish
season. But Rashid improved tremendously in the
second-half as the partnership improved with much
communication and understanding. Many more matches
at club level will surely improve him and help his
cause.

Jonathan Mensah – 6.5

Though he struggled to partner with Rashid, his
experience helped him to handle the Turks attack
as the tie wore on and he established a firm
control. Improved tremendously in the second-half
as the partnership improved with much
communication and understanding. Many more matches
at club level will surely improve him and help his
cause especially as he has started playing for
Evian.

Rabiu Mohammed – 6.5

The 23-year-old Evian boy lasted 60 minutes on the
pitch but made a significant contribution to the
resurgence in the second half with his vital
interceptions and incredible vision. He was good
but the arrival of youngster Chibsah brought a new
dimension. Rabiu has a fight on his hands and he
must excel.

Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu – 6.6

The Udinese man took the armband with Gyan benched
but his impact in the first-half was limited but
was it the normal industrious Badu in full swing.
Lack of activity and regular starting place at
club level had a toll on him. His pace and power
was fine and will need to continue to fight hard
because of the growing competition in the midfield
of the Black Stars.

Wakaso Mubarak – 7.2

The Turks failed to handle his powerful
personality on the flanks as he raided constantly
at ease. His powerful two shots were typical of
the Wakaso we know and if he maintains this level
of play Zambia are in trouble in Kumasi. The main
flaw in his game on the night was his inability to
link up well with the rest of the midfield.

Solomon Asante – 7.0

Came close to pulling a goal back for Ghana in the
37th minute but his effort from an Agyemang-Badu
cross came off a defender. He was slippery and
useful on the flanks and won two key fouls for
Ghana which were both wasted. He needs to work the
ability to be useful to the team when he does not
have the ball. He must work hard in fighting for
the balls and helping out in midfield.

Christian Atsu – 5.5

Not a performance you would normally expect from
Atsu but the 21-year-old looked a bit different.
He struggled to take on the opposition and create
spaces as he usually noted for. Lack of pre-season
playing time affected his sharpness. He must leave
Porto quick otherwise they will kill his talent.

Dominic Adiyiah – 6

Adiyiah’s stature would not permit him to be a
successful lone ranger but that was the role
assigned him by Kwesi Appiah. Asante and Atsu were
supposed to feed him with the balls but he had
little service and had to dig deep in midfield at
times to find his own chance.

*Asamoah Gyan – 9 (MVP)

He shut down the vociferous home crowd with his
stunning brace coming off the bench to replace
Christian Atsu. he was a handful for the Turks and
his presence really shook their defence. The
genius’ first goal was tell timed to fool the
keeper and the second goal was spot on with his
dodgy header. He is Ghana’s key player
undoubtedly. His heroics wins him the
Ghanasoccernet.com PLAYER of the game Award.

Daniel Opare – 7 He justified how regular club
activity can improve a player. The Standard Liege
full-back just 36 minutes to tell Kwesi Appiah why
he deserves place in his team and he did just
that. Asamoah Gyan’s second goal was a product
of his architectural works as his pull-out found
the Al Ain man.

Razak Braimah – 7 – One of the reasons why
coach Kwesi Appiah has been hailed for creating
real competition in the team. His command in the
goal area was superb and he looked more like a
basketball player with the way he grabbed the ball
and scared opponents. His throwing ability in the
best is by far the best among the current four
Ghana keepers.

Kwadwo Asamoah - 8 Despite coming on late in the
game this match could easily pass off as his best
for Ghana since the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite carrying a knock Asamoah played a real
playmaker’s game by disrupting the Turks in
midfield and dribbling with ease. If he replicates
this performance against Zambia, the Chipolopolo
will be slaughtered in Kumasi.

Mahatma Otoo – 5 Not much was seen of the former
Hearts of Oak man since he came on but his speed
eagerness to work with Gyan created opportunities.
He needs more playing time with the Black Stars.

Raman Chibsah – 7 Despite playing his first game
for Ghana the Parma youngster exerted himself with
his ball winning abilities and dexterity if Rabiu
has been hailed for playing so well for Ghana then
he must gird his loins for competition. Chibsah is
officially one of the reasons why Essien will
NEVER be missed. Real talent!

Source - Ghanasoccer

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