After two years of a self-imposed hiatus, midfield strongman Michael Essien is set for a re-union with the Black Stars for the all-important World Cup qualifier against Zambia in Kumasi next week.
The Ghana Football Association’s confirmation of the news yesterday puts a finality to the Chelsea player’s expected return to a team that has largely transformed in terms of personnel between his early days and now.
GFA president, Kwesi Nyantakyi, told Graphic Sports yesterday that Essien’s imminent return was “a surprise gift to Ghana football”, hinting though that talks about his comeback had taken place behind the scenes over the period without the oft-chaotic banter in the media.
The 30-year-old’s availability has strengthened Coach Kwasi Appiah’s arsenal for the Zambia clash at a time when other ‘senior’ players remain on their knees for consideration.
Plagued by injuries in the last four years, Essien’s career for both club and country has hit a jerky path to the extent that all his contributions to Chelsea’s table-topping stint in the English premiership so far has been for bench-warming.
The series of injuries to his knees in particular have proven his undoing as he advances in age and approaches the twilight of an outstanding professional career plied in France, England and Spain.
But while Essien returns, there is no hope for his long-time friend, Sulley Muntari, who remains in the Coach Appiah’s cooler for reported misconduct despite officially apologising last Thursday for his display of insubordination to the coach in the presence of his teammates after Ghana’s world Cup qualifier with Lesotho in Maseru in June.
Also in the squad are Olympique-Marseille star Andre Ayew and AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, both of who wrote to the FA to announce their decision to ended their self-imposed exile, while Belgium-based Frank Acheampong — one of the outstanding players in Ghana’s bronze medal-winning team at the recent World youth Championship in Turkey — has been rewarded with a call-up.
Acheampong made his international debut for Ghana in a 1-1 draw with China in an international friendly match in Xian on August 15,2012.
Goalkeepers: Fatau Dauda (Orlando Pirates, South Africa), Adam Kwarasey (Stromgodset, Norway), Razak Braimah (Guadalajara, Spain)
Defenders: Samuel Inkoom (Dnipro, Ukraine), Daniel Opare (Standard Liege, Belgium), Harrison Afful (Esperance, Tunisia), Richard Kissi Boateng (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), John Boye (Rennes, France), Jonathan Mensah (Evian, France), Rashid Sumaila (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Mohammed Awal (Maritzburg United, South Africa)
Midfielders: Rabiu Mohammed (Kuban Krasnodar, Russia), Yusif Rahman Chibsah (Sassuolo, Italy), Michael Essien (Chelsea, England), Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus, Italy), Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese, Italy), Albert Adomah (Middlesbrough, England), Solomon Asante (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Mubarak Wakaso (Espanyol, Spain), Christian Atsu (Porto, Portugal), Frank Acheampong (Anderlecht, Belgium)
Strikers: Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain, UAE), Andre Ayew (Marseille, France), Kevin-Prince Boateng (AC Milan, Italy), Abdul Majeed Waris (Spartak Moscow, Russia), Mahatma Otoo (Sogndal, Norway).
Story: Michael Quaye
