Kickoff (Cape Town)
9 August 2008
Ghanaian interest in the French top flight will be unusually high this season with four members of the senior national team the Black Stars bidding to make their mark in a league that has traditionally been favourable to Africans.
Striker Asamoah Gyan, defensive rock John Mensah and midfielders Dede Ayew and Mousa Nary will all be seeking to impress with some of the country's best known clubs as the league gets underway this weekend.
In seeking to impress and win honours, they will also be seeking to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Abedi Pele and the current star of Ghana football Michael Essien who both left their marks on French football in the best fashion before moving on.
Making a mark is exactly what Asamoah Gyan will be hoping to do. The young striker, hero of Ghana's fine World Cup showing in Germany has taken too much flack for his young over allegations that he simply cannot score goals with the national team
It knocked his confidence but he has made the move from Italy where he spent five years at Udinese. Yet he hardly made his mark on Italian football and is hoping the switch to France with Stade Rennes will do his career a world of good.
And there are many backing him to thrill French football.
"His style will fit in nicely with France. He is talented, knows how to keep the ball and is skilful which is what the French admire. There he can express himself but he must have the killer instinct in front of goal if he wants to make a name for himself," former Olympique Marseille star Abedi Ayew Pele said.
Killer instinct has always been Gyan's problem. He has got outrageous skills sometimes, has a delightful touch and pace plus ball control that has impressed many. Yet the finishing has not been there and he knows it, pointing out in a recent interview that he recognizes it is the one area he needs to work on.
And after being out since the Nations Cup with injury, he will need to work his way back into full fitness. Rennes and his many fans with the national team hope when he gets off the blocks properly he will be discussed for all the right reasons.
John Mensah has earned the respect of French football after two seasons at Stade Rennes. But this season will be time to win trophies with serial French champions Olympique Lyon. They club will be chasing their eight straight title which means they are public enemy number one this season while Mensah is just desperate for his first major title in club football.
Marseille will be one of those clubs seeking to dethrone Lyon and hoping to play a part in that will be Dede Ayew whose father Abedi was part of the last Marseille team to win a major trophy in 1993.
Dede though must first work his way back Eric Gerets first team, something that is not beyond the youngster but one that will take extremely hard work.
Moussa Nary has made the move from Etoile du Sahel to Auxerre in the hope that he will win more trophies after bagging the African Champions league in his final season in Tunisia.
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