Football has seen great goalkeepers and defenders who were never rewarded. That is common in football and as a result, in as much as we have seen great goalkeepers and defenders who could have won various individual awards, they were never recognised. As they say, “football never recognises defenders” but it is about time that trend changes.
May I introduce to you one of the players pushing for a change in that narrative; Abeiku Ainooson. The former Kumasi Asante Kotoko centre back, currently with Sekondi Hassacas, is leading the club’s premier league qualification campaign. In two and half months with the “giants of the West” he has won four(MVP) awards in games against New Edubiase FC, Bibiani Goldstars, Venomous Vipers and Star Madrid FC. He has also won the Hassacas player of the month for January 2020 and the Kuntu Blankson ‘Hassacas player of the month” for January 2020. Abeiku Ainooson has also scored three goals so far in the season, played 90 minutes in all the clubs 12 games so far in the league without recording any caution.
Had these numbers been posted by a striker, we will be drooling over them. Yet, we’re sleeping on this because Abeiku Ainooson is only a defender. This is not fair. This cannot be fair and it’s time we begin to change that perception as journalists and stakeholders.
Samuel Abeiku Ainooson to the world!!!
Source: Nana Akwasi Mensah westernsfinest