Polo – “Build a team around Ayew Bros., Partey & Kudus & Ghana can win AFCON 2021”

1978 AFCON winner with the Black Stars, Mohammed Polo has charged Head Coach CK Akonnor to build a strong team around the country’s best performing and top players in Europe and Ghana will win the 2021 AFCON set to be staged in Cameroon next year.

The Ayew brothers, Thomas Partey, and Ajax teen sensation Mohammed Kudus are currently the nation’s top performers in Europe and Polo believes if the Black Stars Coach builds a core around these players they’re more than capable to win the trophy.

The Black Stars haven’t won the AFCON since 1978 and hope to end their drought at next year’s showpiece.

“He [Akonnor] has to assemble players who have the ability to conquer Africa once again to prove that the sleeping giant of African football is wide awake,” Polo, who won the Afcon title with Ghana in 1978, told Graphic Sports newspaper.

“In every tournament, coaches build their teams around some core players, so in this tournament, Akonnor should build his players around the Ayew brothers, as well as Thomas Partey and Mohammed Kudus who have proved that they could be relied upon in such tough competitions.”

“Under no circumstance should Akonnor allow officialdom to interfere in his team selection because he will be the one football fans will criticize if anything goes wrong.

“[Former Ghana coach] Kwasi Appiah had that opportunity but he could not break the jinx, hence the need for Akonnor to do so at the next tournament in Cameroon when the best in Africa assemble to fight for honors.”

“Since many of our players are playing outside Ghana, Akonnor should devise a system of monitoring their performance so that he would know who is in top shape to merit invitation for the tournament”

“But some locals such as Gladson Awako, Abdul-Ganiyu Ismail, and Razak Abalora who have proved themselves should also be offered the opportunity to be at the tournament.

“He [Akonnor] should select the best from the locals and foreign-based players and ensure that even his substitutes can turn things around to give Ghana her fifth continental trophy next year.”