Let new call-ups to Stars feel the exposure!
Whether to call them the main Black Stars or the second string team has been an identification struggle for many Ghanaians of Coach Kwasi Appiah’s team currently engaged in some international friendly matches in the United States.
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Of course, some of the regular players are absent from this trip, while some irregulars are being given their dream shots, much as others, debutantes, so to speak, must be anxious for their baptism.
But whatever the composition of the team, nothing can take away the claim that it is the Ghana Black Stars who will be playing against their American counterparts, The Yankees, in Connecticut tomorrow.
Indeed, it was the same Black Stars that lost 0-1 to their Mexican counterparts in the first friendly of the American trip last Wednesday night.
But we should be quick to point out that even for the Mexicans, they can brag that they achieved that victory without their entire regular team which is playing in the Confederation Cup tournament in Russia.
Therefore, as the Stars meet The Yankees, themselves virtually dominated by local-based players, it should be a game of equal pedigree, so that we will be spared any excuses about the absence of regular players if things do not go well for the Stars.
After all, the main essence of friendlies is to give vent to young and talented players to showcase their prospects to readily fill the shoes of retiring or injured ones.
Moreover, for all the teams involved in these friendlies, there are continental and World Cup qualifying ties confronting them in their respective continental groups.
This is why we are not too much bothered by the results of such friendly matches once the scores are not embarrassing to us after, arguably, good performance by the team.
What, perhaps, we are wont to frown on is when young players who are itching to get exposure or experience from such trips are made to be mere tourists, even though some may argue that that aspect of the trip is also a kind of experience.
But that is beside the point. Our concern is that those players who had not donned the Black Stars jersey before this call-up must be made to have a feel of it in a real match situation.
Indeed, it is needless to suggest that those players picked from the local league are given their debut in the upcoming game against The Yankees, since they were largely anonymous in the first match against Mexico.
We think there must be a justification for carrying them along and not that Coach Kwasi Appiah just wants them to make the number.
After all, if The Yankees’ coach, Bruce Arena, is parading his local-based players against the Stars tomorrow night, why would Coach Appiah not want to face him with a side that also includes the three outfield local players in his team?
We wish the Stars good luck!
