For supporters of clubs, the sight of a new striker lining up for their team at the start of a new season is a tantalising prospect. New signings always get fans excited, but when there is a new No.9 in town, that sense of anticipation is heightened even more.
Unlike with a defender or midfielder, everyone will instantly look at a striker’s goal tally and from that they will interpret whether he is a success or not.
The new Ghanaian season has seen plenty of fresh forwards joining various clubs in the top-flight division. Stephen Mukwala joined Asante Kotoko SC, Francis Andy Kumi swapped Kotoko for Bechem United and, perhaps most intriguing Kofi Kordzi is leading the line for Maxwell Konadu’s Legon Cities. Hearts strengthened the depth of their team with the acquisition of Cameroonian forward Junior Kaaba from Fauve Azur Elite FC.
He scored 11 goals, 5 assists in 20 games for his club prior to arrival at Hearts. Those statistics deserve extra credit when you consider just how average Fauvre Azur Elite FC were in the Cameroonian league, and how much of their success was down to his individual brilliance. He was very instrumental in club beating the drop.
But that's where the Junior Kaaba story takes a turn. Kaaba has found it very difficult settling in in his new club. From action hero to Greek tragedy, the 23-year-old has suffered a monumental fall from grace ever since he arrived in Accra. Kaaba made such a fanfare of his arrival at the club, that it was inevitable if he didn’t immediately live up to expectations, there would be murmurings and discontent. Shameful really.
The poor forward is only 23 years of age, and with the possible exception of the very best to have had a bright start to their Hearts career, is still some way from the player he will become for the Phobians. He isn’t the first Hearts of Oak player to have an inauspicious start to his Hearts career, and he won’t be the last. The likes of Mahatma Otoo, Kwame Kizito and Samuel Affum all struggled to adapt to a new environment.
Kizito, for instance, had a rough two seasons, only to come good with great displays in last season, just as a majority of fans- rather than a minority of ultra-critics-were starting to seriously question him. Leonard Tawiah and Moro Abubakar had a similarly uninspired start to their Hearts careers.
Kaaba needs to feel his way into the team, finds his level, remains free of further concerns and then explodes into life. There have been plenty of times where players far more established and far older than Kaaba have needed more time to adapt and a manager with a greater tactical palate to help them.
He needs to be eased into the system and allowed to develop a new set of skills. “The Hearts way,” if you prefer. There’s an oft-repeated suggestion that the player is a perfect inclusion in the Hearts setup and that he has the necessary attributes to succeed.
Aside from his on-pitch exploits, he’ll also need incredible mental strength to get through the ordeal of his first season at one of the biggest clubs on the continent.
It’s entirely understandable that he’ll have a torrid start to his Hearts career considering his background.
He needs to feel his way into the team, finds his level, remains free of further concerns and explodes into life. There have been plenty of times where players far more established and far older have needed more time to adapt with a greater tactical palate to help them.
Fans can be too quick to raise arguments in fueling pub banter, and the media too quick to make a story up just to fill column inches, but Kaaba must be shielded from that negativity.
By: Godfred Budu
