President of the Bolga based Premiership side Abdulai Alhassan has denied claims that the club’s prodigy Rahim Alhassan who netted brace in his premier league debut match against Accra Hearts of Oak was at the Ghana U 17 [Black Starlets camp only to be dropped later.
The 16-year old boy came from the bench to strike twice for his side in their Ghana Premier League week 13 3-3 stalemate with the Phobians.
Reports emerged in the local media on Wednesday that the Tamale Utrecht Academy boy had been dropped after failing Magnetic Resonance Imaging [MRI] scan but the team’s chief says the said report ‘’is a cooked one and should not be treated with all seriousness”.
‘’Rahim Alhassan was never invited to the Black Starlets camp ahead of the African Youth Championship in Gabon.’’
‘’If the Coach is indeed monitoring youth football in the country this young boy Rahim Alhassan would have been invited to join the team.’’
He however expressed disappointment in the technical handlers of the Starlets team for not giving the youngster opportunity to showcase his talent at the continental level.
”Wayne Rooney scored in his debut game for Manchester United at the age of 16 and trust me if England had any youth tournament at that time he would have been handed an invite.”President of Bolga All Stars Abduali Alhassan told sportsworldghana.com via phone call.
”For a young guy like Rahim to score against a club like Hearts in his debut game is an incredible achievement but here is the case he’s been snubbed.”
”I’m surprise neither the coach [Paa Kwesi Fabian] nor the technical team has called to inquire about him” Club President Abdulai Alhassan who doubles as Northern Regional football Association chairman added.
Ghana has named a 25 man provisional squad for this year’s African U17 championship which will be staged in Gabon later this month.
The team, which leaves for Gabon on May 5, 2017 for pre-tournament preparations, will be pruned down to 21 before the tournament begins on May 14.
Ghana U17 25 man provisional list:
Goalkeepers:
Michael Acquaye (WAFA), Danlad Ibrahim (Asante Kotoko), Kwame Azziz (Mandela Soccer Academy),
Defenders:
Bismark Terry Owusu (Mandela Soccer Academy), Kingsley Owusu (Dreams FC), Najeeb Yakubu (New Town Youth), Nana Kwame Antwi (Accra Young Wise), Rashid Alhassan (Aduana Stars), Razak Yusuf (FC Tanga), Faisal Osman (Kumasi Young Vipers),Gideon Acquah (Accra United), John Otu (Dreams FC)
Midfielders:
Isaac Antah (Accra Young Wise), Idriss Mohammed (Cheetah FC), Simon Asamoah Appiah (Wa All Stars), Gabriel Leveh (Tema Youth), Sulley Ibrahim (New Life FC), Emmanuel Toku (Cheetah FC), Edmund Arko Mensah (Wa All Stars), Samuel Monnie Andoh (Zein United).
Strikers:
Eric Ayiah (Charity Stars), Mohammed Aminu (WAFA), Kwadwo Opoku (Attram D’Visser), Nathaniel Onyina (Sporting Club), Patmos Arhin (Mandela Soccer Academy).
