Q&A: Mensah talks about Ghana and Sunderland

Published on: 15 October 2010

Defender John Mensah, who is the captain of Ghana’s national team, has expressed his worries about their failure to beat Sudan in an African Cup of Nations qualifier in Kumasi on Sunday.

The Black Stars were the overwhelming favourites to win the game but they were held to a goalless draw in the Group I match. The result left the pool wide open as a victory could have enhanced their place at the top of the group.

But with the Ghanaians still without a substantive coach following the departure of Milovan Rajevac, Mensah talks exclusively to MTNFootball about the Black Stars game against Sudan, a permanent coach for the Black Stars and his place at English side Sunderland.

MTNFootball: What went wrong for the Ghanaians in their game against Sudan as you were supposed to win the game?

JM: We went in with full motivation and desire to win. We played our hearts out for country to win but unfortunately it was not to be.

We had some good chances to bury the game but luck was not on our side. We must also give credit to the Sudanese because they came out there and fought. We had beaten them both home and away before the game so they know what we are capable of doing and they came to prevent us this time.

This shows one thing that African football has changed. There are no underdogs in the continent’s game and that is why we did not underrate them before the game. But they have survived the fight in Ghana and we will take the fight to them to Sudan in the return leg.

MTNFootball: Do you think if players like Essien, Muntari, Appiah and Kevin Prince Boateng the result could have been different?

JM: The players you have mentioned are great players for our country. The players we had in camp for the Sudanese game are also equally great and up to task.

We may or may not have had this result with these great players in camp. The players who played on Sunday played their hearts out for Ghana. It was hard luck and we want to assure the fans that we will make up for lost ground in our future qualifying matches.

I can assure Ghanaians that we will qualify.

MTNFootball: There were problems with your bonuses before the game. Is that the reason why the Black Stars failed to shine?

JM: The bonus issue was not the problem. We are a team and united on the course of winning laurels for our country. We came to defend the honour of Ghana and not to fight for money and our only concentration was to win the game.

On the bonus front the authorities met us before the match to assure us that there are efforts to sort out the problem and in human institutions problems arise. We all agreed that that was not a problem.

The most important thing for us to do is to look on how to improve in our future matches to qualify.

MTNFootball: Akwasi Appiah is the caretaker coach for the Black Stars. How do you rate his performance on the day?

JM: He did extremely well. We all know he is very competent and has been with our past coach Milo (Milovan Rajevac). His style of play was not that different from what we had under Milo.

It’s just an issue of us not having the luck to bury the chances. If we had buried the chances we would have been singing a different tune now. Akwasi Appiah is a very competent coach.

MTNFootball: Do you think Akwasi Appiah should be retained as the permanent coach?

JM: We make public our preferences for a coach for the national team but at the end of the day it is the Ghana FA which takes the decision.

The GFA has shown consistently that they make the right choices when it comes to the Black Stars coach and I think the GFA is very capable in getting the right man for the post.

We as players and fans of the national team must give our backing to whoever is chosen and enable the person succeed in the post.

MTNFootball: What must the Black Stars do to revive their faltering Nations Cup campaign?

JM: They say getting to the top is not as difficult as staying there. Because we did so well at the World Cup any team we face will prepare very well to make sure they cause an upset so it is like are targets for many teams.

We are aware of that and we know that it is only through hard work and concentration on the course ahead that will make us triumph.

This is what we will do the ensure that we qualify for the Nations Cup in 2012.

MTNFootball: With you personally, you are returning to Sunderland after recovering from injury. Are you certain you will regain your starting place in the team?

JM: Thank God I have recovered from an injury that kept me out of action for some few weeks.

I was on the bench in our last match before the game against Sudan. That gives me hope that when I return I might play a part in our future matches. It is up to the coach Steve Bruce to decide.

One thing is certain when I am chosen I will give more than 100 per cent.

Source:

http://africanfootball.mtnfootball.com/live/content.php?Item_ID=34738

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