Edwin Gyimah looks like he has been to hell and back. His face has a scar that runs down his forehead. But how the Ghanaian looks is the least of his problems.
He recently dodged the Grim Reaper when he paid him a visit in December. Gyimah’s car was “taken” while the Orlando Pirates utility player’s life was spared after surviving a car accident in Obuasi, Ghana, before linking up with his countrymen for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Gabon.
“It’s a miracle that I am here,” Gyimah said with a big grin. “It’s not easy to be in a car accident, recover from it and within three days be in the national team and in the final squad. I am just happy I made it here. I am strong-minded. As long as that accident didn’t affect my body, just a scratch on my face, I was okay with it.”
Ghana defender Baba Abdul-Rahman isn’t okay. He flew to Germany on Thursday so that his club Schalke could assess him after he picked up an injury against Uganda in Port-Gentil.
The Black Stars still managed to register a 1-0 win against the Cranes without Abdul-Rahman. The leftback’s knee injury should give Gyimah some hope of making it into the Ghanaian line-up as the Black Stars will be forced to shuffle their back four.
Gyimah is often a back-up player for his national team. His versatility, able to play in central defence and in central midfield, makes him an asset in a tournament.
It’s because of that that Gyimah was in Ghana’s squad in the last Afcon. He didn’t play a single minute in Equatorial Guinea but still picked up a silver medal after the Black Stars lost in the final to Ivory Coast in penalties.That’s more than what he got, which is nothing, with the Buccaneers in 2016. Instead, the Ghanaian had a fallout with former Pirates coach Muhsin Ertugral at the airport in Cape Town.
That bust-up saw Gyimah being side-lined before he made his way back to a struggling team. Ertugral then abruptly resigned after the club’s 6-1 loss to SuperSport United, sending Pirates’ chairman Irvin Khoza a resignation letter at 3am.
“It’s part of the game,” Gyimah said. “I didn’t feel anything (after Ertugral’s resignation). We resolved that issue.”
Khoza said Pirates will name a new coach in January on the day he confirmed accepting Ertugral’s resignation. August Palacios has served in the interim since November.The Ghanaian will start a new chapter with that new man in a year that Pirates are desperate for some success as the club celebrate their 80th anniversary.
Former Free State Stars coach, Giovanni Solinas, has been widely tipped to be announced as the Buccaneers’ new manager.
“The club situation is different and when it comes to the national team, it is different. The guys are in pre-season and playing some friendly games. Things will get better,” Gyimah said. The Black Stars are also looking for greater impetus in terms of their performance after an average display in their 1-0 win from Uganda.
Importantly, though, the Black Stars collected three points and will look to do the same tonight in Port-Gentil against Mali to advance to the quarter-finals.
* Ngidi is in Gabon courtesy of SuperSport