"Key player" Essien can help Ghana beat Germany - Boateng.
Ghana and Schalke midfielder,
Kevin-Prince Boateng, has expressed delight at the return of Michael Essien to
the Black Stars World Cup squad, after a cruciate ligament injury forced him
out of the team in 2010.
Describing Essien as a “key player”,
Boateng suggested that the Ac Milan midfielder’s absence at the 2010 World Cup
in South Africa adversely affected the Black Stars.
The 27-year-old former German youth player
was speaking to Goal.com in Germany.
He said with Essien’s return, the
Black Stars are strong enough to beat Group G rivals, Germany, and qualify from
the group – which also includes USA and Portugal, and has been described as the
‘Group of Death’.
Boateng said: “It is very
important that Essien is back. He was a key player we lost. That way our
midfield will get much stronger, I believe. Thus, we also have a chance to win
against the Germans. Already at the last World Cup, we were one of the few teams
that caused problems for Germany.
“We are even stronger than
2010. We have more experience and it is very important that Essien is back,
that gives us a real boost.”
Playing down widespread description
of Group G as the ‘Group of Death’, Boateng said “every group is a group of
death”, adding that Ghana were prepared to take on the big teams.
The former AC Milan star, however,
stressed the need for the Black Stars to take their first opponents, USA, as
seriously as they would take Germany and Portugal, who are considered Ghana’s
main threats in Group G.
“Every group is a group of death. We
have two very, very strong opponents. But you also mustn't underestimate the
USA. But that's why you are qualifying, to be able to mess with the best. It is
nice that this already starts in the group. I am looking forward to it,”
Boateng said.
Asked if Ghana could do better than
they did in South Africa, he said, “I don't know. I don't want to set any
goals. I don't want to say I want to reach the semi-finals or like our
President said: 'Becoming world champions.”
He added: “If we play disciplined
and concentrated game we have the chance to be better than 2010. There are a
lot of factors. We need to win the first group match against the USA. You can
only do that with discipline. And that's what we need.”
Boateng went on to heap praises on
Coach Kwasi Appiah, who he said, “has a totally different approach to the
team”.
“He was born in Ghana, speaks the
language. He likes having a few older players around that help him a bit. He is
a young coach, didn't coach many teams yet. And I believe, this synergy in the
national squad is very good,” he said of the coach.
Touching on expectations among
Ghanaians that the Black Stars will win the World Cup in July, Boateng said
such a feat would be a tall order.
“We have to become world champions
(is what people in Ghana think)! That is very clear, they want us to become
world champions. The whole continent awaits that time that an African team will
win this title. These are the hopes in Ghana. Everyone is praying for this and
then let's see how far we will go. You want to make the country happy but it's
not that easy to become world champions.”
The Black Stars open their World Cup
campaign against the USA on June 16.
Ghana
and Schalke midfielder, Kevin-Prince Boateng, has expressed delight at
the return of Michael Essien to the Black Stars World Cup squad, after a
cruciate ligament injury forced him out of the team in 2010.
Describing Essien as a “key player”, Boateng
suggested that the Ac Milan midfielder’s absence at the 2010 World Cup
in South Africa adversely affected the Black Stars.
The 27-year-old former German youth player was speaking to Goal.com in Germany.
He said with Essien’s return, the Black Stars are
strong enough to beat Group G rivals, Germany, and qualify from the
group – which also includes USA and Portugal, and has been described as
the ‘Group of Death’.
Boateng said: “It is very important that Essien is
back. He was a key player we lost. That way our midfield will get much
stronger, I believe. Thus, we also have a chance to win against the
Germans. Already at the last World Cup, we were one of the few teams
that caused problems for Germany.
“We are even stronger than 2010. We have more
experience and it is very important that Essien is back, that gives us a
real boost.”
Playing down widespread description of Group G as
the ‘Group of Death’, Boateng said “every group is a group of death”,
adding that Ghana were prepared to take on the big teams.
The former AC Milan star, however, stressed the
need for the Black Stars to take their first opponents, USA, as
seriously as they would take Germany and Portugal, who are considered
Ghana’s main threats in Group G.
“Every group is a group of death. We have two very,
very strong opponents. But you also mustn't underestimate the USA. But
that's why you are qualifying, to be able to mess with the best. It is
nice that this already starts in the group. I am looking forward to it,”
Boateng said.
Asked if Ghana could do better than they did in
South Africa, he said, “I don't know. I don't want to set any goals. I
don't want to say I want to reach the semi-finals or like our President
said: 'Becoming world champions.”
He added: “If we play disciplined and concentrated
game we have the chance to be better than 2010. There are a lot of
factors. We need to win the first group match against the USA. You can
only do that with discipline. And that's what we need.”
Boateng went on to heap praises on Coach Kwasi Appiah, who he said, “has a totally different approach to the team”.
“He was born in Ghana, speaks the language. He
likes having a few older players around that help him a bit. He is a
young coach, didn't coach many teams yet. And I believe, this synergy in
the national squad is very good,” he said of the coach.
Touching on expectations among Ghanaians that the
Black Stars will win the World Cup in July, Boateng said such a feat
would be a tall order.
“We have to become world champions (is what people
in Ghana think)! That is very clear, they want us to become world
champions. The whole continent awaits that time that an African team
will win this title. These are the hopes in Ghana. Everyone is praying
for this and then let's see how far we will go. You want to make the
country happy but it's not that easy to become world champions.”
The Black Stars open their World Cup campaign against the USA on June 16.
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