With the 2014 Brazil World Cup in the minds of football loving fans and people who have the passion in the game here in Ghana, all await in patience for Dr. Akwesi Appiah to release his thirty 30-man squad for the mundial. One may ask: does any local player qualify to be in the World Cup squad?

Though many football loving fans here in Ghana will say they prefer foreign-based players to be in the world cup squad, one should also bear in mind that you cannot see the best out of someone when you have not given the person opportunity to operate or to do something.

Taking the world cup into consideration, Ghana has some local players who made their debut to the mundial in 2006 in Germany and 2010 in South Africa in which some of them proved to the world what they can do and what they have for Ghana.

For instance, four local players were sent to the world cup in Germany 2006, Goal-keeper George Owu who was then with Ash-gold, Daniel Quaye who was then with Accra Hearts Of Oak, Sheilla Illiasu who was then with Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Habib Mohammed who was then with King Faisal Babies. Habib Mohammed did massively well by showcasing his talent on that big platform, as a left-footed player. He did so much well at the tournament to the extent that he took over the number (3) position from Emmanuel Pappoe even though that was not his permanent position. He featured in matches against Czech Republic and the United States of America which helped Ghana proceed to the next stage of the 2006 Mundial.

The 2010 world cup in South Africa which was hosted on the African soil saw two local players in the final squad - Goal-keeper Stephen Ahorlu who was with Hearts of Lions by then and Lee Addy who was then with Bechem Chelsea. Lee Addy is another defender who was able to showcase his talent to the world when he was also given the chance to feature in matches against Serbia and Australia.  His performance gave credence to the fact that local defenders are able to do creditably well at the world cup stage when they are giving the chance.

We all know that the defence of the Black Stars is not all that good and even some of the defenders are suffering from injuries, for example Isaac Vorsah and Daniel Opare.

The one and only dependable defender Samuel Abeiku Anooinson of Asante

Kotoko and the Local Black Stars team, will make the Black Stars and Ghana as a country more good than harm if he is sent to the 2014 world cup in Brazil.

He is set to be a versatile defender who trades in the four positions at the defense (Positions two, three, four and five) as compared to some defenders who only are capable of playing one or two positions. Abeiku Anooinson played very well at the just ended Championship of African Nations (CHAN) in Libya which saw the Libyan's lifting the trophy for the first time.

Abeiku Anooinson was able to play both at the lateral and the central defence at the tournament in matches against Congo, Nigeria and Libya, which saw him having the man of the match in two matches - Nigeria and Dr. Congo - and helped Ghana to place second at the tournament. His efforts culminated in him being part of the final squad which was made out of the CHAN tournament.

There are a couple of versatile local players like him that Dr. Akwesi Appial can rely on in Brazil.

 

 Adu Benjamin

 Ghana Institute of Journalism.