The Black Stars are
to play the Zambian national side in their last Group D encounter in order to
advance to the third and final round of the qualifiers in the African zone, to
the 2014 FIFA World cup.
The game slated for
Friday,
6th September, 2013 is going to be a tough one for the Black Stars who are
favorites to qualify.
Though the
Chipolopolo’s may be a strong side, the Black Stars ahead of the cagey
encounter have got an upper hand, topping the statistical index ahead of this
game.
To the Zambians the
Stars need to employ a strategy that would be good defensively and in attack
like the 4-4-1-1 formation in order to beat their Zambian opponents.
The 4-4-1-1 formation is an adaptable system
that gives teams’ strength in midfield and plenty of width. The role of central
midfielders and full-backs, particularly, can change depending on how much
emphasis a team is putting on defense or offense.
The
system 4-4-1-1 is going to be effective for Kwesi Appiah’s side because it can
be adapted based on whether the team is setting out to attack or defend.
It is common in this system to have one striker playing high
up the field capable of holding the ball up and laying it off for the oncoming midfielders, or a more nimble striking partner like Majeed Waris, who would be
deployed as a withdrawn striker capable of running on to balls and finishing
chances but with his absence Asamoah Gyan should be in that
role, as he feels comfortable combining both creative and goal scoring
abilities. And this is evident because, he's scored 6 goals in his last 4 games
(i stand to be corrected) for the Black Stars in that role.
The
withdrawn striker, capable of playing in the 'hole' (the area behind the main
striker) would also use his creative skills to set up those around him,
primarily his strike partner which I would prefer Mahatma Otoo.
Whichever
front two combinations Appiah chooses to field, the player who is not a big
target man or a withdrawn creative player, is likely to be a goal scorer, with
the nose to sniff out score chances in and around the penalty area.
In this formation,
the main striker would not lack support as he has four players including the
withdrawn striker whose job would be to set him up. If the players behind the
main striker on the day are of genuine quality, the formation can be a dream
for the striker as he should receive plenty of balls into the penalty area,
making the Zambian defense porous and posing more trouble for them to contain.
It is important to note that the
front-man on the day becomes a strong physical specimen as, regardless of the
support from midfield, he will need to hold off strong defenders like Mbola as
he looks to carve out chances for himself or teammates.
In the middle of
the field the system would allow Kwesi Appiah’s side to have one defensive
midfielder and another whose job is to get forward and join the strikers in the
penalty area.
A huge burden
will be placed on the central midfield to augment defense and attack, so Rabiu
Mohammed and any other selected midfield partner roles are going to be key.
The complexity
of this position will be such that Rabiu Mohammed has to sit just behind the
centre circle and will be primarily required by Kwesi Appiah to break down
Zambian's attacks and beef up the defense
when the team is on the back foot and act as an extra member of the defense.
Now to complement the efforts of Rabiu Mohammed
in the middle, a true all-rounder that plays at both ends of the field,
literally filling in everywhere will be needed. Usually in possession of
exceptional stamina with remarkable defensive and offensive skills, Agyemang
Badu should be an option here.
However,
whenever we want to surprise our opponents, the midfielders can take turns in
going forward. With five men attacking I bet you it’s going to be difficult for
the Zambians to keep up with as it’s going to be hard to pick up advancing
midfielders who are making late runs into the box, or passing the ball between
them to make space.
The winger's prime responsibility on the day would be to take
on the Zambian full-backs and get the ball into the strikers. They can also cut inside and pass to teammates but if they
are instructed to cross the ball by their coach, they would have to do so from
a wide position.
However having a
winger like Christian Atsu or Solomon Asante would be a plus to the team
because they both have the ability to beat opposing defenders before crossing
into the penalty area for the strikers and advancing midfielders, thus making the defense more vulnerable.
When on the back foot, it would be
imperative that the wingers support the full-backs, or there is a risk that,
that flank could be badly exposed especially when you have a full back who
likes to surge forward like Samuel Inkoom.
It is going to be the
job of the full-backs to defend against opposition attackers, particularly
wingers like Chisamba Lungu. It is important that they stop the supply line for
the striker, so must be strong and careful with their tackles.
The
onus is on the two wing-backs to make regular forays forward and give the team
attacking width.
The
team's full-backs can also be a major attacking weapon. A full-back with pace,
power and good crossing ability such as Harrison Afful is going to be a real
asset on the flank as Ghana can pull Zambia’s players wide and provide
ammunition for strikers.
Often
when the Black Stars have a corner, the full-backs need to remain near the
half-way line in case the opposition launches a rapid counterattack. This is
because the central defenders will likely be up for the corner because of their
height, while the full-backs can use their pace to foil the counterattack.
At the heart of
defence the center-backs would be expected to repel the attacks of the opposing
team, primarily by tackling and heading the ball out of the danger zone. The
center-backs could adopt the zonal marking, man marking or even both form of
marking under Kwesi Appiahs instruction.
The
central defence of the Stars requires strength, bravery, concentration and an
ability to read the game on the day because
Rainford Kalaba and Katongo can be tough customers.
While
their teammates' passing may be expansive, they generally need to keep things
simple, distributing short passes.
They need
to "shepherd" or channel opposition attackers into narrower or more
crowded avenues of approach.
It
is also imperative that together with the fullbacks, they implement an
effective offside trap when necessary.
Meanwhile
with the return of John Boye from injury the team is set to have a strong
defensive pair.
As
the last line of defence, whoever keeps the post must be able to make quick,
athletic saves, be well composed and have good vision (ability to see
build-up play ahead to others or ability to see a pass or awareness of players
around his box).
If
the Black Stars play with composure the formation will ensure good strength in
numbers when defending as well as attacking, and makes it hard for the
Chipolopolo’s to counterattack.
All
Ghanaians look forward to Kwesi Appiah’s side to make it to the next round come
September.
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