The above caption will surely generate a huge furore among soccer fans. There is nothing that captivates the interest of fans more than intense debate over who is the finest of the greatest players. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continue to dominate world football, leaving soccer pundits and laymen marginalized in their thought as to who the current world best player truly is…
Let us narrow our scope to Ghana. One player who over the years has proven and endeared himself to Ghanaians is Asamoah Gyan. At just 29 years, the Al-Ain forward is Ghana’s all time leading goal scorer, a very great feat indeed.
After making his début for the senior national team on 19th November, 2003 where he scored his first ever goal for the Black Stars against Somalia, the man affectionately called Baby Jet has demonstrated his lethal prowess and currently regarded one of the continent’s finest.
Growing up, I had the rare opportunity of watching some of Ghana’s greats like the legendary Abedi Pele. He was brash, skilful and dexterous to the extent that Edson Arantes do Nascimento popularly known as Pele threw the name “Pele” to him. Pele went further to enlist Abedi Pele’s name in his list of FIFA 100 Greatest players.
Then, in the early 90’s emerged another Ghanaian prodigy called Nii Odartey Lamptey. Again the world best player of all time was so impressed with the Ghanaian that he predicted the young chap will be the player to succeed him. Of course legends like Mohammed Polo, Wilberforce Nfum, Osei Kofi, Tony Yeboah (who is regarded by many as one of the best players to have played in the English Premier League) and the great stars who graced the football pitch with sheer brilliance are worthy of recognition.
But the question is do they have what it takes to be regarded as the best player ever in the history of Ghana football?