Is Emmanuel Hayford not good enough for the Ghana U23 team? Hayford was not in the list of 29 players selected, before it was trimmed to 18, by former Kotoko coach and player Malik Jabir to represent Ghana in a friendly game against Nigeria to unveiling (inauguration) ceremony of a new stadium in Nigeria.
One of the finest players in the set-up of the team that finished THIRD in the 2013/14 Ghana Premier League cannot even make it into the national U-23 team, the Black Meteors. Can you believe that?
The Hearts of Oak midfielder just turned 21 and he is eligible to play for the Black Meteors (Ghana’s National U23 team).
Emmanuel Hayford, Hearts’ joint-topscorer in the league last season with 6 goals, has been overlooked by national team selectors since he burst onto the scene last season with the Rainbow club.
The diminutive midfielder scored a spectacular brace on his league debut for Accra Hearts of Oak on the opening day of the 2013/14 season against Edubiase at the Bekwai Gyamfi Park in a 2-0 away win.
Hayford missed the league clash with Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium and his absence on the day was amongst a myriad of factors that contributed to the Hearts defeat.
But on his home league debut, he scored a scintillating opener with a ferocious strike from just outside the box against Hasaacas, bringing his tally to three goals in three matches.
Spectacularly, all of his first three goals were scored from outside the 18-yard area.
He got his fourth league goal against Hearts of Lions in Kpando, charging through midfield, to finish off a one-on-one with the keeper.
Despite his fine form, Hayford was mischievously overlooked for the CHAN tournament by Maxwell Konadu and the Ghana Football Association.
Without much surprise, we witnessed a Ghana midfield struggle in South Africa as they rode their luck into the finals where they lost to Libya.
The former Amidaus midfielder became a target of opposition players and a victim of reckless tackles, which epitomized into cold assault when he Kabiru Moro kung-fu tackled him after he had scored the opener against Medeama in Tarkwa.
The pocket Hercules, despite missing a lot of games, due to the wicked tackles from opponents in the league, returned to score the opener against Bechem United in Accra.
He was without a doubt one of the finest performers in last season’s league, to all who had the privilege and pleasure of watching him in action.
However, he has once again been criminally snubbed by the technical handlers of the national U23 team.
What makes it even more perplexing is the fact that players who play for Kotoko reserves, yes RESERVES oooo, and even Division 1 players from Yeji Juventus, Dreams FC, Gold Stars, etc., are deemed better than Emmanuel Hayford.
It is laughable because even if you ask the FA to draw a list of the 30 best players in the league last year, Hayford would be in the Top 20.
So how come, Hayford is not even in the list of the so-called “Best 29” under 23 years?
Are we selecting players on merit at all, or rather from the ‘special’ teams they represent?
Or is it that, a stranger in Jerusalem might even want to ask: must you pay to represent your nation?
Hearts have two players in the Black Meteors squad that will play Nigeria tomorrow. But Richard Yamoah and Vincent Atinga were selected because of their performances with Hasaacas and Dwarfs respectively.
Emmanuel Hayford, keep doing your thing.
Your work shall speak for you and they will look on it and despair.
Remember, Emmanuel Hayford, Hearts fans are behind you 100%. Our midfield dynamo and generalissimo
heartseleven 