Ghana – Angola preview: the battles vrs the scared hosts

January 23rd, 2010 | by: Gary | View Comments

Ghana have been based in the northern city of Cabinda since day one and have qualified to the quarters which we’ll play in Luanda. Yesterday, the Ghanaian team was scheduled to have a press conference and two people were brutalized. This is not a case of hearsay; it was reported on the BBC’s Sports World programme, was reported by AFP and was carried by the numerous Ghanaian journalists in Angola who witnessed it.

Fiifi Tackie, a good friend of mine who works for Radio Gold (about five minutes drive from my home) was said to have been beaten, slapped and manhandled by the Angolan police when trying to take the lift upstairs to the venue of the press confab. He was then confined briefly before a threat from the GFA that the matter would be reported to FIFA necessitated his release.

Tackie, however, has been saying that he wants to come back home ASAP because he’s been so traumatized.

Earlier, a very well known Ghanaian fan called Obuor had also been beaten with some reports saying he had internal bleeding. The GFA spokesman Randy Abbey said Obuor’s medical bills were about $900. I tell you, the mood in Ghana about these incidents is murderous. It has increased the collective national resolve to beat the hosts with this under-strength team.

Angola, beware.

Flashback

This is one of Angola’s games vs Tunisia during CAN 2008 (which Ghana hosted), Angola was based in the northern city of Tamale, with Tunisia, Senegal and South Africa. According to their own reports at the time and even after the tournament, they were treated like princes. Ghanaians are notorious for their (sometimes excessive) urge to be kind and hospitable.

As a result, the Palancas Negras got into the quarter finals with goodwill and Tamale was sad to see them go. Once there, they were eliminated by a better Egypt team.

Fast track to 2010 and I am compelled to ask if this is the thanks we get for being good to you? Of course, the Angolans have denied all the allegations leveled at them.

“The Ghana team like all the other teams competing in the Africa Cup of Nations are welcome in Angola. There is no question of any intimidatory tactics being used,” an incredulous Jorge Bengue, spokesman for the Angolan police, told AFP late on Friday.

Just like they initially denied that the Togo attacks took place on Angolan soil. Just like they denied that they had deliberately stopped Mali and Malawi from practicing before their crucial games. Just like they deny that it is their fault that the pitches at this tournament are (except Lubango) quite shite. Just like they want us to believe that they have moved on from their violent mentality of war-mongering.

Extreme mind games
We all know that in the run up to big games, players and the managers and even fans say all sorts of things to confuse the opposition all in a bid to gain important psychological ground. But when it starts getting physical then it borders on the ludicrous.

Randy Abbey, Ghana team’s spokesman said: “Football has come of age – these incidents shouldn’t occur in 2010, perhaps in the 80s it would be understandable. This is disgraceful; we’re just hoping that things will improve. But if it’s because they (Angola) are dreading the possibility of elimination, then they better come again because we intend to defeat them and they can assault us however much they like.”

Africa needs a good image now more than at any time in its history. Angola may think they are intimidating Ghana but what they fail to see is that they are intimidating potential investors because for Luanda to be called ‘the most expensive city in the world’ is NOT achievement especially when more than 70% of your people live on less than a dollar a day.

Team news

Now that I’ve got this off my chest (and the fact that the Angolan Embassy here in Accra did not give me my documents for no reason to cover the CAN) let’s talk soccer.

Angola
Angola will see the return of Flavio who has three goals and the mercurial Dede as well. The government of Angola gave $10k to anyone who scored in the group stages as well as a lump $50k for the entire team for every win. Their defence can be suspect as we saw against Mali but it seems Manuel Jose has worked well on that.

Apart from that the Black Stars would be playing against 13 players tomorrow: 11 players + home support + tournament sponsors. Call me cynical but that’s a fact and we need plenty of mental toughness to crash the hosts’ dreams.

Manuel Jose: “In Ghana we reached the same position, but tomorrow is different, we’re playing in front of our home fans, and we have a good chance of reaching the semi-finals. I knew that it was normal with Angola playing at home all the people wanted a team that had the ability to reach the final here in 2010. To get to the final you have to win matches, must play good football – that was my priority.”

Ghana
So what Ghana can do is copy the Angolan style of hitting the ball from distance. We have few players who can do this, notably Kwadwo Asamoah and Emmanuel Agyemang Badu.

Formation-wise I would like to see more of the same of the Burkina game where we won 1-0. Anthony Annan would be back from injury but I’ll prefer that he heals completely before being risked. Eric Addo is also okay from his malaria bout.

In the meantime, coach Milovan Rajevac has been speaking up about our chances.
“I respect Angola. They are a good team, but we shall give our best on Sunday. I have faith in my youthful players and so far they have proved to be good fighters. We are aware of Angola’s home advantage, but that will not intimidate us.”

Kwadwo Asamoah, midfielder: “We played them before in a friendly and know much about them. It will definitely be a difficult match. When we played against them in the friendly, it was the same atmosphere. It had no effect on our play and so will it be this time.”

A win against the Antelopes puts us in position to play Nigeria/Zambia who play later.

Ghana – Angola history
November 1980: Ghana 2-1 Angola
June 1997: Angola 1-0 Ghana
April 2004: Ghana 1-1 Angola
Nov 2009: Ghana 0-0 Angola
Jan 2009: Angola 1-2 Ghana (prediction)