Ghana Soccer : Where are our strikers ?

For the past several months, the Black Stars have played in 8-10 games and our goal scoring average is a paltry one goal per game . The player who has been scoring those goals is Asamoah Gyan . Soccer is a team game . The players must play team ball for the team to succeed.It will take much more than Asamoah Gyan to propel Ghana soccer from its current stance to a new and a higher plateau.

How do you go into world cup play having only one man as a striking threat ? What are the other players in the forward line doing ? It was lack of scoring that cost Ghana the recent African championship . There is strong evidence that our goal scroing drought will cost us dearly in the the world cup tournament with an early exit.

In years past, we have had Edward Acquah, Aggrey-Fynn, Wilberforce Mfum , Frank Odoi , Baba Yara and Mohammed Salisu leading the charge at the forward line . All these players can score anywhere from 18 yards out . We simply don't have that type of powerful forward line players anymore. Name me one forward line player on the current squad who can match wits with the players I listed above ?

There is no one on the current squad with the power play of Acquah and Mfum. Also, I do not know a player on the current squad whose soccer abilities rival the cerebral way of playing the game as exhibited by Aggre-Fynn and Baba Yara . And , better yet, tell me if there is a player on the current squad who has the skills to break down opposing defences as Frank Odoi did in his prime ?

The country is simply not producing that type of soccer players any more and I don't know why . Another thing about the old players that I am talking about is that they were, for the most part, all big and tall men and physically strong .Again, the country is not producing the big and tall soccer players any more . Does any one know why that is the case ?

Whatever the case is , we better find a way to start scoring goals . Its the name of the game in soccer . Granted, Australia is not a patsy, as they say in the USA , but a team that concedes four goals to another world cup team should not have given the Black Stars that much trouble . I think we were lucky to get out of that game still alive n the tourney. The Aussies played brilliant football . If we had lost, it would have been tough for Ghanaians to swallow. The German team is a powerful offensive team and they will score . That is a given . The Black Stars better bring their " A " game or we will be sent packing .

I am dumbfounded and confused by our terrible goal scoring record. Are you ?

Nii Molai Pappoe is a Ghanaian resident in the United States.