In fact, not since Bayern Munich legend Samuel Osei Kuffour has a Ghanaian defender's career really captivated the attention of his countrymen. Kuffour—or 'Tuga', as his countrymen affectionately call him—was one of a kind, a defender and then some.
For a decade or so, he established himself as a regular for one of Europe's more glamorous sides of that era, Bayern Munich.
Even at a club illuminated by the talents of Giovane Elber, Stefan Effenberg, Lothar Matthaus, Roy Makaay and Oliver Kahn, Kuffour held his own courtesy of a no-nonsense style that rendered many a potent forward faint-hearted.
And he knew when—and how—to push upfield, too, with two of his goals for Bayern standing out for special mention. The first, scored at the age of just 18 years and 61 days during a match against Spartak Moscow, made him the youngest defender of all-time to score in the Uefa Champions League; the other, a strike which won Bayern the Intercontinental Cup in 2001, was even more memorable.
Little wonder, then, that Kuffour's time with Die Roten yielded so much, among the lot, six Bundesliga titles and a Champions League crown.
Such stellar feats at club level were sprinkled with moderate achievements for his country: Olympic medals, international glory at youth level, and a sole World Cup appearance that, for reasons better explained another day, ended in ignominy on a personal note.
A handful of the defenders who have succeeded Kuffour—the likes of John Mensah, John Paintsil, John Boye, Samuel Inkoom, Daniel Opare, Harrison Afful and Jonathan Mensah—have done fairly well for themselves in Ghana's colours. However, the aforementioned collection, with respect to club football, lack sufficient sparkle, courtesy of injuries, poor career moves, lack of playing opportunities, etc.
Put simply, none of them has yet proved the complete package we've sought since Kuffour's exit from the scene.
Thankfully, however, we need not wait any longer.
It appears the real deal, complete with all the glitter and potential of a latter-day Kuffour, is finally here: Abdul Rahman Baba.
One stocky and fiery, the other lankier and seemingly phlegmatic in temperament, there is much to compare and contrast regarding the trajectories Kuffour and Baba have travelled along.
Like Kuffour before him, Baba caught the eye with his performances for a Bavarian club, only a smaller one and over a shorter period.
Obviously, their playing styles and roles were very different; unlike Kuffour, Baba, in the mould of the modern full-back, has more style and finesse to his game, blending graft with grace. He has proved in Germany's top two divisions that he has it in him to make a name for himself, especially when armed with the remarkable statistics that marked his one-season stay at FC Augsburg last term.
And Baba's relatively brief stint representing Ghana has also been rewarding, having helped the senior national team to silver at this year's Africa Cup of Nations, as well as hitherto playing a similarly immense role as the U20s finished third at the Fifa World Cup in 2013.
His transfer to English champions Chelsea on a five-year deal this week (worth up to a speculated £21m) —the most high-profile for a Ghanaian defender in recent memory—is quite comparable to that career-defining step-up which took a 17-year-old Kuffour from Italy's Torino to Bayern in 1993.
Perhaps one notable difference is that Baba is better primed to break into the starting line-up (only Spaniard Cesar Azpilicueta is above him in the Blues' current pecking order) than Kuffour was back then. The latter spent considerable time as an understudy, as well as a period out on loan before being considered ready enough for a guaranteed berth in Bayern's first team.
That aside, most other aspects—like the largely unheralded entry, for instance—are almost identical.
Oh, and never mind the trivia that Kuffour's age when he signed for Bayern corresponds to Baba's jersey number at Chelsea!
From Kuffour, Baba can draw inspiration to confirm the long-held hypothesis that Ghana is able to produce top-class defenders who can rub shoulders with the sport's best at all levels.
Black Stars fans will now be watching on to see whether he can emulate his veteran compatriot and lift the Champions League…
Source: Goal.com
No comments:
Post a Comment