Michael Essien in a dilemma over playing at Africa Cup of Nations
Posted On Wednesday, 17th October 2012
Real Madrid star Michael Essien is one of Ghana's key players
Real Madrid midfielder Michael Essien is weighing up whether or not to play in the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in January after Ghana booked its place in the competition.
According to a report in Marca, the biggest selling sports newspaper in Spain, Essien is in a dilemma over the tournament which ends on 10 February.
The Ghana coach, James Kwesi Appiah, is desperate to convince his fellow countryman to take part in Africa’s flagship tournament.
But the midfielder, who is only just regaining his verve after two serious knee injuries, owes a lot to Real Madrid who rescued him from a torrid time at Chelsea.
He will miss eight matches for Real Madrid if he accepts to play for the Black Stars and they reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
If he leaves for South Africa, he could lose his position in the team and also lose out in the chance of getting a permanent contract with the Spanish giants at the end of the loan spell.
Crucially as Essien has not gained his full form, leaving for the tough Nations Cup tournament could be risky as he could suffer another injury again.
Now the ball is in Essien’s court who will have to decide whether or not he wants to go in the coming weeks.
Essien, who suffered two serious career-threatening injuries while playing for Ghana, was flogged off to Real Madrid on loan as he lacked playing time with Chelsea after recovering from the injury.
If the midfielder accepts tio play for Ghana in South Africa, Mourinho would lose his charge for roughly a month, assuming Ghana reaches the final.
If the Black Stars were to be knocked out in the first round, Madrid’s number 15 would wave goodbye to the competition between 27-30th January, depending on which group they are drawn in.
In the worst case scenario – in other words, if Essien is called up and Ghana reaches the semi-finals or better – the Chelsea loanee could miss up to eight matches for his club.
This figure could drop should Madrid fail to qualify for the Spanish Cup semi-finals, which clash with the same stage of the Cup of Nations.
The bad news for Mourinho is that, whatever happens, if the midfielder goes to South Africa he will definitely be unavailable for the Spanish Cup quarter-final and the league trips to Osasuna and Valencia, two of the toughest away fixtures of the season.
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As a coach I will rather take charge and dropped names from my squad. Not because we have more experience players who can play. But rather those players are not psyched up to don the jersey. Any player that had suffered two serious injuries playing for Ghana is not psychologically ready to play period. Allow Essien to build his future and save him for the world cup.
I will advise he stays at Real Madrid, after all, the worldcup is just around the corner, hopefully when we make it, we will need his experience.
He shld be granted time Get back ur form @ess.
LET ESSEIN BE 4 NOW,HE WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE WORLD CUP QUALIFYING STAGES THAN 4 THE AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS,EVEN MUNTARI AS WELL.
If called he should be able to honor the invitation.also he needs to talk it over with his coach to know if his place is guaranteed in the team,afterall we all know they will not keep him after the season…
For me I believe we should allow Essien to continue with his progress at RM. There is no need to bring him for the African Cup. Mourhino has done him a favour by taking him to RM. It’s only proper that he plays there consistntly for at least a year. 2 out of his 3 main injuries were from matches for GH, yet people just talk about him anyhow. We should just pla without Essien and Sulley.
*plan without Essien and Sulley
Im proud of all the comments so far by my fellow brothers, I agree let the ess miss this one its better he battles for a mainstay at real madrid rather than go AFCON and suffer the consequences later, we need him more for the world cup.
GOOD LUCK ESSIEN & BS
Let him come play if he wants. We will still beat you as always. I suggest that you reserve him for the World Cup so that you guys can have a stronger team when we come through for the no-so decisive last qualifying match because we would have already gone through by the time we come to Accra. I see you guys dropping points in Khartoum and even Maseru
YOU ARE A BABOO.AN UGLY LOKING APE.MOTHER FUCKER.
You all did well good comment.
@master watever!! Are u God to predict the future? Is better for u think abt urself nd stop passin that comment
@master dribber..u r a joke,do u know the last time essien played for us…
This shouldn’t be a dilemma, as much as we LOVE Essien, he shouldn’t play in the nations cup. He’s need time on his career.. He’s rather needed in the WC.
I THINK OTHERWISE.it is best ESSIEN comes to play at the AFCON. What are we waiting for. It is unheard of that any country will omit their best midfield foot from a tournament of such calibre just because of the reasons you people are giving. FOOTBALL CAREER IS SHORT AND IF ESSIEN IS IN GOOD FORM NOW, WE NEED HIM PERIOD. HOW CAN YOU PEOPLE SAY WE SHOULD REST HIM FOR WORLDCUP AS THOUGH YOU ALL KNOW WHERE HE WILL BE OR HOW HE WILL BE FARING AT THE TIME. This reasoning my fellow Ghanaians is wrong!!!!!
I’m shocked at all the comments.Who even needs Essien in the black stars anYway.Even at real madrid he doesn’t go in for tackles how much more the black stars.I even thought the guy had retired.Please, he is a spent force.No more essien for ghana.Let the young ones who qualified the team go and enjoy themselves at the tournament.Trophy or no trophy.
It is better for Essian to fully recover and assume his usual and known form back in the days instead of thinking about de African cup. Morhrinho has better intentions for Essian which he shouldn’t let it go wasted.
Not bad at all. Essien and Sulley can miss out. Kwesi Appiah should call KP Boateng, Abayie and frimpong
I WOULDNT CALL SULLEY. WAT DID HE DO AT AFCON 2012. PLUS HE IS COMING OFF AN INJURY. I DONT WANNA HEAR KP BOATENG NOR FRIMPONG….AA MUST CALL ABEYIE TO PLAY THE 7. ESSIEN, THIS IS UR LAST CHANCE TO WIN AN AFCON TROPHY. U WILL COME N PLAY AND U WILL LEAD GH TO WIN THE TROPHY…WHETHER U LIKE IT OR NOT.
he shud forget abt da afcon n focus on madrid,we shal need him at da world cup
To Tiger if u say that KPB’s name again i would actually find your house and slap the stupidness out of your brain. This goes to all those people calling KPB aswell. No man is bigger than a team let alone country so please stop the KPB talk
Ha ha ha ha…..i like this comment.Just hate the sight of that loser.
If Essien thinks he is guaranteed a permanent contract from RM then he should stay & miss the AFCON.Otherwise,he should come to AFCON because it could afford him the platform to showcase to the world that he has fully recovered & through that he will get a new team if Mourinho decides not to sign him.
No! Ess relax and come for the world cup. It is best for country and u. We need u in top form so pls relax
Let’s be real, Essien’s form and fitness at this point in time doesn’t warrant any invitation to the Black Stars. If he wants to come, he is welcome. Otherwise, he needs space and time to get back to his hey days. A call up for Gyimah and Frimpong will not only take their confidence to another level but will in no small way beef-up our defense against the big Ivorian strikers.
U ARE COMING. WHETHER U LIKE IT OR NOT….
Essien is not even guaranteed a starting position for RM……the coach is just trying to save his career….we all can see that he is finished…..and can never be the same again after going under the doctors knife severally