The striker’s job in soccer is so inimitable an art because it's the only position in which players are encouraged to take risks, be greedy, and think attack almost always. It just might not be about the glory and goals but it entails long runs, moving the ball with grit, thinking swiftly and taking a bit of a battering from opposition defenders. There is a set of unique skills - intangibles - that a striker must possess in order to be the finest at his position. This is what suggests that Milovan Rajevac, come May when he assembles his cohorts, would have sleepless nights about his striking options.
Here, Isaac Koufie-Amartey looks at the chaps who must show untainted charm, awesome guts and pure charisma as the right strikers to be at the mundial.
Asamoah Gyan used to be the man with the attack scour through, but the 24-year old seemed to have finished his bullets in Ghana's impressive run to the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. His fertile scoring rate for the Black Stars coupled with his extraordinary strike rate at Rennes in the French Ligue One makes him a plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face choice on Milo’s pages but that hasn’t left him without criticisms. He’s come under the lenses of critics who augur that “he is not a consistent striker and tends to spurn beseeching chances”. His partner Matthew Amoah's patchy fire for NAC Breda in the Eredivisie has all, but ceased, after just one strike post-Angola. He has history and experience behind him even though he has lost touch with the local fan base.
Another striker of worth, Prince Tagoe is back for Hoffenheim, after his harms with the German club. He is looking distinctly sharp, but is still not a serial scorer in the pattern of a World Cup dangerman yet. He has coughed up goals, proved some critics who doubted his soccer artistry at certain crucial moments wrong and shown he hasn’t lost a jot of his goal poaching abilities but it’s how well he manages a 90-minute performance in the Bundesliga that would be the core factor. A strong case he makes for South Africa! Quincy Owusu-Abeyie has shown glimpses of brilliance that once made him a fan’s favourite during his stint with North London-side Arsenal. He has brought some living in a Portsmouth side that looked a pale shadow of the team that won the FA Cup in 2008. Another admirable addition you might say!
The new-fangled striker’s brigade led by Dominic Adiyiah and Ransford Osei are still in the trenches, with little expected from them for a while to come, it seems. The former only recently emerged the world’s most valuable performer and goal king in the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt and the latter winning both accolades at the Under-20 African Cup in Rwanda. They’ve both shown bottle, brilliance and a world-class partnership that’s now the covet of many soccer fans.
Petrojet’s Eric Bekoe has seen some ill luck with Rajevac’s selection mill. Often maligned, he is a chap who counts being top scorer in the CAF Confederations Cup as one of his personal achievements and glory, is technically sound, has good pace, dribbling skills and strength and more importantly, has been a sharp shooter all season in the Egyptian League. It’s left to see if he makes it into the squad in May. A one-time fan’s favourite, Junior Agogo now does not even get a look-in for a 23 man squad with others quick to say “for one wrong move to Zamalek”. Keeping up good performances for Appollon Limassol in the Cyprus Super League could well see a return for the former Nottingham Forest man.
Who earns Milo’s calling rights? Your guess for the goose is as good as mine for the gander.
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