Izuchukwu Okosi
Veteran Ghanaian coach JE Sarpong is hoping that the Black Stars of Ghana will have the best players available for the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoffs against Nigeria in March and insists invitations must be fair.
Ghana will rekindle rivalry with Nigeria on March 25 and 29 for a place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Sarpong described the Ghana versus Nigeria like a local derby between Hearts of Oak versus Asante Kotoko in the Ghana Professional league.
“A Ghana versus Nigeria game is just like (the domestic rivalry clash of) Hearts of Oak versus Asante Kotoko,” Sarpong told Oyerepa FM on Ghana.
“We need to approach the match with all the best material available.
“Players playing in top leagues with good form should be those invited for the two-leg tie. No agency call-up,” Sarpong stressed.
Barring any injury setbacks, Ghana will bank on players like Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, Southampton centre-back Mohammed Salisu, Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew as well as the team captain, Dede Ayew.
Ghana Football Association executive council member Frederick Acheampong, however, remains unfazed.
“We are playing Nigeria which will not come easy but I am confident of the chances of the Black Stars,” said the former Ashanti Gold executive
“In 2006, the Black Stars exited the AFCON at the group phase but went to the World Cup in Germany and made Ghana and Africa proud.
“The team did not perform in Cameroon but I am confident the Black Stars will beat Nigeria and qualify for the World Cup. I am confident the team will make an impact in Qatar, ” Acheampong
Ghana have qualified for the World Cup on three previous occasions, going on to reach the quarter-final of the 2010 championship in South Africa.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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