The Senior National team the Black Stars this evening engage the Greens of Libya in a crucial penultimate match in the ongoing world and nations cup qualifier.
The Black Stars must win to book a place in the final stage of the qualifiers, but that won’t come without a fight.
Two key factors make this match a cliff-hanger. First it marks the real beginning of Coach Milovan Rajevac’s two year romance with the Ghana Football Association.
Secondly, it also marks the much anticipated return of influential captain Stephen Tonado Appiah after a 10- month long injury lay off.
These factors in many respects can affect the outcome of this match. For coach Rajevac nothing short of victory will be acceptable, especially when his appointment was met with disapproval by some football enthusiasts. It is a time to prove critics wrong.
For the stars, a resounding victory will just be the gift for the skipper who has been the lynchpin in the stars set up.
But for the Libyans, these factors mean very little or nothing at all. Even though the Black Stars won the first leg by a comfortable 3-0 drubbing, the Libyans were messy in front of goal, and lost the opportunity to punish the stars for woeful defending.
So far they have proven impregnable at home, winning all their home games and set to add the stars to their list of casualties.
With John Mensah, Asamoah Gyan and other key players out due to injury, and intimidating Libyan fans ready to set the roof to raptors, the greens may appear favourites, for the duel.
But Coach Rajevac, says he has an antidote for the fluid Libyan side.
He will deploy a relatively new 4-3-2-1 tactics and hope the stars will respond positively.
Both teams are pegged on top of the group with 9 points, but the stars lead with a superior goal aggregate.
A victory to either side will ensure a forceful step into the next phase of the competition, and that I believe both side are well aware of.
Probable Line up for the stars: Goal Keeper- Richard Kingson.
Defenders- John Paintsil, Harrison Afful, Jonathan Quartey, Issah Ahmed.
Midfield- Michael Essien (capt), Anthony Annan, Sulley Muntari, Laryea Kingson.
Striker- Haminu Dramani, Manuel Jnr. Agogo.
Author: Nathan Gadugah
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