More Opt For Ghana - Takyi Joins Bandwagon
A bold decision by Black Stars coach Goran Stevanovic to hand a starting role ahead of experienced Richard Kingson in Ghana’s last two matches, particularly last Monday’s friendly against Brazil, seems to have boosted the confidence of players of Ghanaian lineage to switch nationality and pledge their international future to the Stars.
Following Kwarasey’s impressive performance in last Monday’s game, and the assurance by Stevanovic that the former Norway under-21 goalie was part of his long-term plans, Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong dumped England last Monday and pledged his international future with Ghana. The following day it was announced that St. Pauli midfielder, Charles Takyi, had joined the bandwagon by renouncing his dream of playing for Germany in favour of his fatherland.
Unlike Norway-born Kwarasey who made his long-awaited debut against Swaziland in Accra after FIFA approved his nationality switch in July, England-born Albert Adomah made his Ghana debut as a substitute last Monday in London assured by Stevanovic of more playing time in future. Adomah, on the other hand, did not play for England at youth level.
The emerging trend of players with Ghanaian roots switching nationality even after playing for their adopted Europe countries is likely to continue as the Serbian coach infuses younger blood into the team as part of his rebuilding plans toward next two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Frimpong’s decision to turn his back on England in favour of his country of birth after watching Ghana play Brazil, was music to Stevanovic’s ears and that of John Paintsil.
Stevanovic said of Arsenal’s combative midfielder after last Monday’s decision: “I am very interested in him.” “He is a good player and plays for Arsenal...they are a good club.”
“I wanted to speak to him to give him my vision of the future of the game,” the coach told reporters last Monday.
Paintsil, who captained Ghana against Brazil, believes Frimpong’s career will be better enhanced in Ghana colours than with England. the move. “If he decides to play for Ghana he will have a chance to come and improve. He is from Ghana. We have lots of young players coming up. Frimpong is one of those and he would be good for the team.”
Born in Accra before moving to north London five years ago, 19-year-old Frimpong made a u-turn after meeting GFA President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, at a London hotel ahead of the Ghana-Brazil match. After pledging his allegiance to Ghana, the Arsenal star posted a message on his Twitter page: “I have done my part for the love of the country [England]. Now let’s wait and see the outcome……”
That decision was on the cards after Frimpong pulled out of the England under-21 team assembled for Euro 2013 qualifiers with Azerbaija and Israel last week, claiming a foot injury. However his late withdrawal was viewed with suspicion having indicated recently that, “I have always told my family that if Ghana calls me, I will personally ride my own bicycle from England to Ghana [to play for the Black Stars]”.
The midfielder had made six appearances for England’s under-16 team and a similar number of caps for the under-17 side between 2007 and 2007. He was promoted to the under-19 team last year.
Nyantakyi says the GFA has been furnished with documents by both Frimpong and Takyi for onward dispatch to FIFA to process their application for nationality switch.
“It is out of my hands how long they will take, but with my experience [of these matters] I expect no longer than three months, and it will probably be shorter than that,” the GFA president said.
Like Frimpong, Takyi, an attacking midfielder, represented Germany at the under-15, under-16 and under-17 levels between 2002 and 2002 and made a total of 17 appearances.
Courted by the GFA since February, Takyi was born in Accra in 1984 but relocated to Germany where played for Tennis Borussia Berlin, Hamburg SV, SpVgg Greuther Fürth and St. Pauli in the lower division (Bundesliga II). Last season he helped St. Pauli qualify for the Bundesliga, scoring 12 goals in 55 matches. He currently plays alongside Ghana-born ex-German international, Gerald Asamoah, in the German top flight.
This week Plavi, as Setevanovic is affectionately called, gave the strongest possible warning that no player was guaranteed a place in his team and he would not hesitate to drop any player who is inactive at club level. Kingson and Anthony Annan were the first casualties, and with the red carpet being rolled for Kwarasey and Frimpong, and hopefully for Takyi soon, there will be strong competition for places in the Stars under the no-nonsense Serbian who has sidelined AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng for his lukewarm attitude towards the national team.
Boateng, who was born in Germany to a Ghanaian father and a German mother, was another success story of a player who featured for the youth side of a European team before making a successful nationality switch.
The 24-year-old midfielder played 41 times for the German Under-15, Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 national teams, scoring eight goals.
After turning his back on Germany just before last year’s FIFA World Cup, Boateng had a sterling tournament in South Africa 201 where he scored a memorable goal against USA, and as a result earned a dream transfer to Italian giants AC Milan where he is a key player.
In 2008 Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, a former Dutch youth player, began the new development when he completed his nationality switch and featured for Ghana during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
Months earlier former Ghana coach Claude Le Roy had tied down Olympique Marseille Black Stars midfield star Andre Ayew to prevent him for playing for France, his country of birth. Similarly, his talented younger brother Jordan, also eligible to play for France, made his Ghana debut last year under Milovan Rajevac to ward off French interest in the teenage star.