By Akyereko Frimpong Manson
Follow Akyereko on Twitter: @Akyereko
Ghana international midfielder Anthony Annan has been talking about Schalke 04's chances of securing an automatic spot for next season's Uefa Champions, the defeat to Real Madrid and Ghana's chances at the 2014 World Cup.
The 27-year-old made an injury return in mid-season and has managed a handful of games for the Royals Blues including a last-minute action against Uefa Champions League finalist Real Madrid and expresses his readiness to compete for a place in Ghana's midfield for the 2014 World Cup.
But in the Bundesliga, Schalke are in the race to finish for an automatic place in the Champions League with Bayer Leverkusen breathing down on their necks. Annan is quite sure of his side's chances of securing the spot.
"It's possible I think we just have to win one of out two games and we will secure the spot."
Since returning from a long-term injury lay-off, the midfield fan belt has appeared in four games in all competitions for Schalke but is eager to improve his statistics with the remaining two games of the Bundesliga.
"I want to play so I will keep working hard at training and see."
In one of his debut appearances of the season, the former Hearts of Oak playmaker came off the bench to play against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabao in a game that rounded up a 9-2 aggregate win for the Spanish titans. Annan's introduction in midfield solidify Schalke as they played better than the first-leg which he did not play. Annan explains playing against Madrid was a special moment he had faced them in the past.
"It's always great to play against Madrid but I had already played them some years back when I was at Rosenborg in Norway but I was happy that I started playing after my long injury with the Madrid game."
Coincidentally, Annan's home country - Ghana and the country where he plies his career now - Germany are both busily discussing the same group at the 2014 World Cup, Group G. Germany, Ghana, Portugal and the USA are all drawn in the same group. Annan has got a fair measure of idea about the group with his experience against Germany and USA at the last World Cup in South Africa almost four years ago.
Aside Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo who is hogging all the headlines in the group, there are also discussions in Germany about their superiority. The Black Stars' last meeting against the Nationalelf came at the last FIFA World Cup in 2010 where they managed a narrow victory over the West Africans in the last group game.
"You know they are one of the football nations talking about football and they think they are the best."
Despite Annan's lack of activity at club level, there is a valuable experience under his belt after playing at four consistent African Cup of Nations tournaments and being at the last edition of the 2014 World Cup. He feels he is ready to compete for a place in the team.
Annan is in the Schalke squad to face Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday.