[ 2021-03-12 ]

Covid-19 crisis present opportunity for CK Akonnor to experiment with squad
In 2019 when Caleb Ekuban missed the penalty
against Tunisia in the shootout that eventually
led to Ghana’s knockout of the Africa Cup of
Nations (AFCON), an opening for an overhaul
arose.

It was the first time in six editions that the
Black Stars had failed to reach the semi-final
stage of the continental showpiece, bowing out at
the round of 16.

A giant in African football had fallen and fallen
pretty hard. The exit presented the platform for
vigorous changes to ensure that the nation could
bounce back and compete again.

The wholesale changes rolled out a bit slower than
expected as the first modification saw coach Kwesi
Appiah relieved off his duties early 2020.

His assistant, Charles Kwabla Akonnor took over
continuing in the vein of local coaches.

Akonnor who is 14 years younger than his
predecessor came into the scene indicating a new
generation.

The former Asante coach came in with fresh ideas
ready to change the fortunes of the Black Stars.



Ahead of his debut against Mali, Akonnor said on
the Ghana FA website that he would love to play
attacking football.

“We want to be a team that will attack and play
constructive football, easy-going football, but
with lots of discipline.”

The blueprint was set, but transition is never an
easy journey. Out of the 23 players called for the
last AFCON, 16 of these players have been in and
out of the squad.

Akonnor hasn’t really had the chance to make
immense changes due to the circumstances he’s
faced with delayed qualifiers and a lack of proper
camping.

On the other hand, the lack of international
football activity has given Akonnor and his
technical team the much needed time to scout new
players around the world.

Also, 32 players from the Ghana Premier League
have been camping ahead of the qualifiers giving
Akonnor the chance to review and consider some for
the squad.

The peculiar situation of the qualifiers gives
Akonnor leeway to make experiments he could never
dream of in normal times.

It is very unlikely European clubs will release
their players due to Covid-19 restrictions and
also the need for those players to quarantine upon
return to club football.

Therefore, not opting for big names in this
call-up for the games against South Africa and Sao
Tome can be justified.

In actual fact, Akonnor could even decide to go
with a 23-man squad full of Ghana Premier League
players and will still be vindicated.

All of a sudden, the intensity of scrutiny on
squad selections by Ghanaians drops from the red
zone into the green zone.



After all, even a point in these two games could
be enough to see the Black Stars qualify to the
next AFCON.

Akonnor has a bigger room for slack now and has a
shield he can use to defend his callups. He needs
to maximise this opportunity and experiment.

He needs to make bold calls and introduce new
talented players he has scouted but the Ghanaian
populace has little idea of.

He needs to drop the big names who have gone past
their best days in the national teams.

He needs to trust players from the Ghana Premier
League and offer them the platform.

To win the AFCON, Ghana will need a big umbrella
of talent to rely on so the country’s threat is
well diversified in major tournaments.

That umbrella could be extended with this
international break. Akonnor shouldn’t see this
as a competitive window, but rather an
experimental one which could possibly yield fruits
in the near future.

Source - Joyfm

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