The vintage winger of yesteryear is hard to come across in the current day and age.
The emergence of the ‘inverted’ wide man has altered our perceptions of the winger. Such players are no longer expected to hit the byline and cross at will - that’s now the job of the marauding full-back - but are instead tasked with cutting onto their favoured foot and creating or scoring from a more central position.
With the next football season just around the corner, the transfer market is now looking like a necessity rather than a possibility for Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko. Ghana’s footballing giants did not have the luxury and struggled for depth last term. One area the two clubs need to reinforce is the wing position.
So, to give the clubs a hand in their hunt for new wingers, we decided to draw up a shortlist of options they could target ahead of the new season. Lest I forget, we built this list without Derrick Fordjour and Theophilus Anobaah, two of the best wingers in the country.
Emmanuel Annor (Bechem United)
Only 20 years old, Annor has everything you'd want in a winger already and he's only going to get better too. A glorious talent blessed with a host of flicks, tricks and touches designed to bamboozle opposing defenders.
However, that's not to say that Annor is a mere individualist. For while his greatest talent—that of dribbling—is indeed a solo pursuit, the purpose was always clear and it is often the best option for him at that particular moment. In that respect, Emmanuel Annor always plays with smart intelligence and a clear picture at the forefront of his mind.
Capable of playing on either wing, with two good feet and an equal propensity for both ducking inside or driving to the byline, he is a nightmare for defenders to second guess when the ball is at his feet.
But it is his off-the-ball movement—a horizontal movement to create overloads or find space and vertical running which stretched and exposed teams in behind—which makes him such an important member of the Bechem United team.
Nafiu Sulemana (Tamale City)
Just because they failed to survive the drop doesn't mean they lack prize footballing assets in their ranks. In fact, they have players who could easily play a part for the very best in the division—some from a starting role, others perhaps in a more rotational one. One of such is Nafiu Sulemana.
He can beat players at will with his pace and dribbling and has a keen eye for goal as well and he was always willing to try and make something happen for his sides.
The former Inter Allies and Legon Cities man is a brilliant dribbler of the ball; he can create goals, score goals and has an impressive work rate. Though he tends to play from the left, the right-footed Sulemana is more than at home on that particular flank, looking to drive at defenders before either coming inside onto his favoured foot to shoot at goal or play one-two's with a frontman or to utilise his pace and dribbling ability on the outside and swing crosses into the box.
Stephen Diyou (Nsoatreman FC)
The diminutive Diyou is known for his valiant work-rate, bursting past defenders on the wing and providing sumptuous crosses into the attackers. Quick, direct, and someone who liked to stretch opposing defences both from a horizontal and a vertical perspective.
While he is very much an orthodox winger, the Nsoatreman FC star has added different layers to his game in recent months, showing a greater willingness to offer an option tucking in off the flank, as well as occasionally looking to break closer to his strikers.
He also has the happy knack of arriving in the penalty area at just the right moment to complete moves which had built up on the opposite side of the pitch.
Ishmael Dede (Dreams FC)
As silky and talented as they come, Ishmael Dede makes football look easy such is his vision and quality on the ball. Yet, the Dreams FC man does not earn the public admiration of the Ghanaian football community that he deserves.
He is a player with wonderful grace and style about him, the ability to either bamboozle defenders through a piece of technical brilliance or to simply storm past people with impressive acceleration. His dribbling is fantastic; he is an intelligent passer and had a solid knack of evading strong challenges while keeping possession.
His ball retention and ability to weave out of tight situations makes him a key player in the Dreams FC setup. He has the capabilities to carve defences open at the drop of a hat, and vision in the final third (or indeed anywhere) that stands head and shoulders above most of the wingers at the time.
Emmanuel Appau (Bibiani Goldstars)
The only left-footed player in our list, Emmanuel Appau has matured considerably this season, improving his final ball and becoming much more consistent under the tutelage of Michael Osei. He is now one of the finest wingers in the game whose brilliance has been masked by some popular players in the division.
He has been, in an otherwise remarkable year for the Miners, consistently outstanding. His reading of the game, confidence in possession, and speed makes Appau the perfect winger for the modern game.
It's not just his left wand that dazzles. His extensive repertoire of skills can bamboozle even the most experienced defender, cutting either outside or inside and laying off for a teammate with measured precision.
Alex Aso (Legon Cities)
Elegance, finesse, vision and touch were areas of the game that he excels in, with his eye for goal another symbolic feature of the danger he poses from the flanks. He is incredibly quick and brilliant on the ball. His close control and a burst of acceleration are enough to give any full-back nightmares. He has excellent movement and always carve out chances for himself, but like the vast majority of players, he looks so much more dangerous when he has confidence coursing through his veins.
He is a delight to watch at full flight. Whether he is cutting inside from the right to curl shots deliciously into the top corner or theatrically winning his side penalties, the tricky winger is absolute box office.
Daniel Awuni (Accra Lions)
The nimble-footed player is as versatile as they come, playing on the right, the left, or even in the middle - and he never looks out of place or uncomfortable.
Equally, he never kicks a fuss over the fact that he may not be playing in his preferred position, instead, he works tirelessly to help his side. This attitude mixed with his ability on the ball (and goal threat) makes him a truly outstanding footballer.
At 17, he makes the lives of many full-backs a living hell with his incredible on the ball ability; terrorising defences with his blistering pace and superb crossing ability. It's actually hard to see where Awuni can improve from here. He isn't overly selfish in front of goal (obviously), nor is he afraid to take a shot on (also obviously), while his ability on the ball makes for majestic viewing.
Whether it's beating his man, finding the pockets of space, linking up with teammates from wide areas or caressing the ball into the far corner, he can do the lot.
