By Akyereko Frimpong-Manson
The reward we get from a disappointing Nations Cup campaign is revelation and truth.
Unusually from a team engulfed in total disappointment and paucity of success, John Boye and Jordan Ayew can hold their heads high.
The general moods among Ghanaians lack any element of feelgood and dipped in deep cauldron. Thoughts of missing out on the finals evoke a depressing sense of failure and frustration among the Black Stars contingent as well.
Goran Stevanovic, the Serbian tactician whose tenure expires in next January ahead of the odd year Nations Cup which kicks off in South Africa, has had his tactical disposition and style come under media scrutiny.
Though the 45-year-old is not an A-listed manager like Fabio Capello or Guus Hiddink, yet the former Partizan Belgrade is suffering furious castigations from local press equally measuring to the flaks Capello received when England crashed out of the 2010 World Cup.
‘Plavi’ possessed a sadly impassive face, with high-cheekbones, pale lips and hooded eyes that gives a clear notification of pain him as his charges allowed Mali to nick revenge in the bronze medal game.
Claiming a heartwarming comfort from a discomfort involves a lot of head scratching.
The second half of the 2-0 triumph over Mali in the second Group D fixture could stand apart.
The fractious affair with Tunisia also provided a testament of the team’s standard of play. But being tagged pre-Nations Cup tournament favourite is indeed a greater challenge and a tougher hurdle.
Football as we know is a game of artistic expression but also of demanding willpower sometimes.
Men who want to succeed in the game need to play above themselves to claim a place in stardom and win hearts.
With leading scorer Asamoah Gyan and his colleague senior players coming under fire for the lackluster showing at the tournament, it is barely easy to congratulate any member of this ‘useless’ contingent as the revered former GFA President, Dr Nyaho Tamaklo, described them.
Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has become one of the talking points of Ghana’s Nations Cup campaign; his net rattling effort against Guinea, the peak of all the memorable moments.
The Udinese man, 21, has provided a competition in midfield that Chelsea’s Michael Essien would struggle to cope with.
Badu's pace, tackling and engineer works in midfield set him apart in the tournament not only among his Black Stars midfield compatriots but across all the 32 countries that participated.
Aside skipper John Mensah’s injury worries, there is more to talk about the Olympique Lyon man in the last four months or so.
Turning 30 by next November, he can afford the salute not for his leadership qualities but for scoring three vital goals within this period for Ghana.
Now to the real deal – John Boye and Jordan Ayew, the legions, the men of steel and valour, the revelation and the truth.
The usual feud and furor mixed with surprises were geared towards Stevanovic when he named the Stade Rennes defender in his final 23-man squad.
But the 24-year-old was included and the reasons had different colours and phases; suspension and injury traumas, Jonathan Mensah, now playing at Evian Thonon in the French Ligue 1, had not have enough playing time this season and had just returned from a month or so injury lay-off. John Mensah’s case, no different.
The Ex Chievo Verona defender have not played a single minute for Lyon expect less than 120 minutes in pre-season friendlies and was also en route to recovery from his usual injury visitations.
Vorsah, the suspended component! The direct sending off he received on the 57th minute in the 2-0 victory over Sudan ruled him out of the opening two game.
So Boye stepped in automatically. After regulation time of the unimpressive win over Botswana, he received a standing ovation.
Then he said: "There is more to come, bring the action on."
Boye developed a character that separated him from all other players on the pitch. He never miscalculated a clearance, developed superior aerial ability and marshalled the defence with a touch of command and authority.
AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini would admire his cleverness and timeliness on the job. If the under-fire Goran Stevanovic retains his place, he must not look beyond the enterprising former Heart of Lions center-half.
A thousand gunshots salute Mr Boye as I prefer to call him.
Jordan Ayew went into the AFCON tournament as the player with the highest number of appearances at club football from the start of the season.
The 20-year-old attacker has flourished at the Stade Velodrome with his imperious and swashbuckling displays.
Even deep into the New Year, there was uncertainty over his inclusion in the provisional squad to be slashed down later on but the last son of the African football legend made the grades though he was unable to turn up for preparation until the last three days due to club commitments.
Jordan Ayew was three years older than his elder brother Andre when he made his Nations Cup debut against Botswana.
The youngster appeared overwhelmed in the game. After observing how victory is negotiated at the Nations Cup from the bench, he began his course on the flanks.
A substitute appearance against Tunisia said it all. Jordan has shown he has all the qualities needed to take football in France by storm.
The world enjoyed a closer glimpse of a young but colossal talent. Jordan massacred the opposition, tore them apart making football easy from the right wing.
The remarkable Jordan was classy and as with all great players, at youth, his signature was in his silhouette and his movement.
At 20, he possesses the qualities that enable him to turn the experienced Karim Haggui’s stupid fouls in fatal errors on the night.