Kwadwo Twum Boafo, a leading member of the National Democratic Congress and sports enthusiast has expressed the viewpoint that Ghana’s chances of succeeding at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations hinges on coach Chris Hughton setting up the team to play to the strength of its star man, Mohammed Kudus.
Twum Boafo believes that Kudus holds the key to Ghana’s success at the tournament which will be held in Ivory Coast and that Chris Hughton ought to carve a tactical play that will bring out the best of the West Ham United forward.
In his view, Kudus has never fluffed in a Ghana jersey and that there must be a conscious effort and a tactical approach by the Black Stars to get him into areas where his dribbling and ball-striking qualities will be maximized effectively.
Speaking to GhanaWeb in an interview, the former CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority placed Kudus ahead of any other football talent produced by the country since the iconic Abedi Pele.
He argues that while some talented players have popped up over the year, none of them of had the hunger, determination and verve shown by Kudus in his football journey so far.
“Kudus is a multi-talented and multi-functional player. I don’t want to sound controversial and disrespectful of other talents but I don’t think we’ve had better players play for the Black Stars since Abedi Pele. Mohammed Kudus is a star.
“He has more verve, more aggressive and more of a willingness to succeed than others. Talent is not everything. Kwadwo Asamoah is one of the most talented players I have ever seen. When he was at Liberty Professionals, we tried to get him to play for Hearts but he was already on his way out.
“I think Kwadwo Asamoah will admit today that he underachieved. The Kwadwo Asamoah who took our qualification series in 2014 by the scruff of the neck will admit that despite the successes in Europe, he didn’t not really achieve with the Black Stars.
“Kudus is aggressive and that is the secret behind his success. Everywhere he has been to, there has been the question of who he is going to bench but he always succeeds,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Kudus is set to join his Black Stars teammates on Thursday, 04 January 2024 to prepare for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Kudus and Inaki Williams of Athletic Bilbao are the two players yet to arrive in camp for pre-tournament preparations which are being held in Kumasi.
The Black Stars will commence their tournament on Sunday, January 14, 2024, against Cape Verde before playing Egypt four days later.
They will wrap up the Group B with Mozambique on Monday, January 22, 2024
