Stars aim at Mexico revenge
Coach Kwasi Appiah will attempt to make history against Mexico today with a new-look side from the one that walloped Ethiopia 5-0 in a recent AFCON 2019 qualifier in Kumasi.
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All things being equal, the unpredictable Kwasi Appiah could start today’s game at the NRG Stadium in Houston with four new faces as a way of giving other players a chance to prove themselves in his rebuilding agenda.
After the team’s final training in the US yesterday, the Graphic Sports gathered that US-based Jonathan Mensah, who has been absent for sometime now, would be making a return to the team to partner the likely skipper John Boye in central defence. Other returnees in the starting line-up would be Frank Acheampong, Abdul Majeed Waris, as well as one debutante midfielder, Isaac Sackey, who plies his trade for Alanyaspor in Turkey.
The Graphic Sports can also reveal that the probable Stars line-up for today’s encounter will be Richard Ofori, Harrison Afful, Lumor Agbenyenu, John Boye, Jonathan Mensah, Isaac Sackey, Ebenezer Ofori, Frank Acheampong, Thomas Agyepong, Majeed Waris and Raphael Dwamena.
That means skipper Asamoah Gyan would be rested for Saturday’s clash with the USA in Connecticut, while the other members of the young Ghana team, including home-based goalie Addo Joseph, Winful Cobbinah, Nicholas Opoku and Samuel Sarfo will be seeking for an opportunity to prove a point.
For the records, Ghana are yet to pick a point against the Mexicans who snatched dramatic victories in their two previous international friendlies in 2003 and 2008. That is what Coach Appiah will seek to overturn with his makeshift Stars side against a new-look Mexico whose first team meet Germany in the second semi-final match of the ongoing FIFA Confederations Cup at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia, tomorrow.
In a chat with the Graphic Sports yesterday, Coach Appiah said the Stars were preparing feverishly for the unkown Mexican side, while his assistant Ibrahim Tanko, revealed that the full complement of the Ghana squad was in camp ready for the game.
Interestingly, no member of Appiah’s team featured in the first encounter in Texas which ended 1-0 in favour of the Mexicans, while US-based Harrison Afful is the only survivor of the Stars side which lost 1-2 to Mexico at the Craven Cottage in London nine years ago.
The second friendly is one that former Liberty goalkeeper, Patrick Antwi, would want to forget in a hurry as his howler gifted the Mexicans a late match winner.
However, today’s third encounter offers some newcomers a fine opportunity to make a mark and capture permament places in the Stars set-up, especially at a time Coach Appiah is seeking to build a formidable squad for the next decade.
Obviously, a good result today would inspire the Stars to go for a fitting revenge against the Yankees in the second international friendly at the Pratt & Whitney Stadium in Connecticut on Saturday.