Kingson aims at last four place to reach target

By: Rexford Tetteh

Black Stars General Captain, Richard Kingson has revealed in an interview that guiding the Black Stars to reach the last four at his year’s World Cup in South Africa remains his number one priority and biggest ambition in his playing career Richard Kingson is seeking to realize his dream of recording 100 international caps and more for Ghana.

He will set an unprecedented international caps record in the history of Ghana Football should he achieve this feat.

Kingson currently reigns as the most capped Ghanaian international player with 89 Caps which was reached at the Nations Cup tournament in Angola last January after Ghana lost in the finals by a lone goal to Champions Egypt.

“My target is to record hundred (100) international caps and beyond and set an unprecedented record in Ghana football”, he said

The Wigan Athletic goalkeeper’s romance with the Black Stars dates back to 1996 when he was named alongside Simon Addo and Nanabanyin Crenstil as the three goalkeepers for Ghana in the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. He has since participated in five Africa Cup of Nations, namely 1996, 1998, 2000, 2008 and 2010.

According to the former Accra Great Olympics shot-stopper the current Black Stars team has what it takes to be among the last four team at this summer’s World Cup judging from what the team demonstrated during the Africa Nations Cup in Angola despite missing some key players.

“The current Black Stars team demonstrated to all that we are a world class team during the African Cup and that should tell the world what we can do in South Africa when all our players are fit”.

“ I believe a greater number of my colleagues have gained enough experience at the international stage and should the likes of captain Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari, John Mensah, John Paintsil and Michael Essien be in top shape, then we should aim at reaching the last four”, he added

Kingson is confident that Ghana’s Black Stars will be the team to play in the finals should an African team qualify for the finals of this summer’s football bonanza “All six teams, Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and host South Africa are true representatives for the continent but should any of the six qualify to play in the finals on July 11th 2010 then take my words, it will be the Black Stars” Kingson said.

Kingson, who was voted the man-of-the-match in the Stars quarter-final game against Nigeria in the Angola Nations Cup tournament, has also been voted as an All-Star goalkeeper for the second time running during the Angolan competition by a team of the tournament technical study Group (TSG)

He was voted together with Egyptian goalkeeper, Essam El-Hadary.