Former Ghana international Stephen Frimpong-Manso has advised the Black Stars’ technical team to look beyond Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew for the upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria.
Ayew has been Ghana’s lead striker since 2015 but his struggle to consistently find the back of the net for both club and country has brought his position in the Black Stars under scrutiny.
The four-time African champions, who had a disappointing time at the recent Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon, are set to host familiar rivals Nigeria over two legs on March 25 and 29 in a battle for a ticket to Qatar 2022.
“Our biggest headache is the attack, where Jordan Ayew has proved that he cannot be relied upon to handle it, hence the need for the Black Stars coach to look for other options as we meet Nigeria in our last World Cup qualifier,” Frimpong-Manso, famous for his exploits with Asante Kotoko during his playing career, told the Media.
“Our left-back position is also a cause of worry, and against Nigeria who have sharp wingers, there is the need for the coach to address that area holistically.
“We need reliable defenders at our laterals to hold the wings of Nigeria based on the output of the Black Stars at AFCON.
“We need another look at our left-back and right-backs, so we need to do everything to convince Southampton centre-back Mohammed Salisu, and Brentford’s Tarique Fosu to play against Nigeria.
“Another weakness with the Black Stars is the goalkeeping department where Joseph Wollacott performed below average in the Afcon.
“His output in Cameroun showed that he has to give way to other goalkeepers, and it is Richard Attah of Hearts of Oak who readily comes to mind. If Razak Abalora is in form, he should also be invited to join Attah.”
Interim Ghana’s head coach Otto Addo is yet to announce his squad for the upcoming double header but Ayew is expected to make the roster.
The attacker, who made his Black Stars debut in 2010, featured at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil and at multiple AFCON finals.
Meanwhile, Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council member, Tony Aubyn, has explained why the Black Stars squad which will face Nigeria later this month is yet to be released.
Ghanaians have no idea which players have been invited to take on the Super Eagles with 10 days left before the first-leg encounter which will be played at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium in Ghana on March 24.
By contrast, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has already released their squad on March 4, with the Super Eagles set to host the Black Stars Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Nigeria on March 27 in the second-leg clash.
“The reason why the squad has not been released is a technical decision backed by management,” Dr Aubyn said.
“We recently formed the technical team and the management team and I’m sure they have a reason why and they have their own time lines. It is for a good reason.
“I cannot explain even though I’m in the EXCO. We have given them the responsibility to the technical team,” he continued.
“I believe that the squad will be announced soon and I can’t tell how soon because I don’t know the timeline.”
Ghana have a new head coach in Otto Addo, who is a former Black Stars player, having been appointed last month.