If there was anything surprising about Dreams FC this weekend, it was the fact that they kept a clean sheet.
Yeah, stranger things have happened. I know. You see, Dreams FC has many things, but not a miserly defense. Last season, they conceded 44goals in 34 matches. That number was only better than Elmina Sharks who conceded 57 goals and – were ultimately relegated, and Real Tamale United who conceded 48. Yet, they went to Bibiani of all places and beat Gold Stars by a goal to nil.
Here, they looked anything but vulnerable. Perhaps it was the clarity of the directives from their fire-brand coach, Ignatius Osei-Fosu. It was a simple 4-3-3, with one destroyer; McCarthy Ofori and two creators; Dana Blessing and Simba Sylvester.
McCarthy showed glimpses of the form that made him a central figure of the Black Satellites in 2020 before his injury. He screened the defense; stopping anything within five yards of him, and distributed with a surgeon’s precision. The surprise choice, however, was Dana Blessing. For a team that places a premium on size and physicality as much as they do a technique, midfielders like Blessing do not always get a look in.
Dana Blessing, more than anyone else, has suffered because of this status quo. The diminutive midfielder only played a combined one hundred and five minutes of football last season. He lasted ninety minutes against Medeama SC and a fifteen-minute cameo against Real Tamale United. Yet, Ignatius Osei-Fosu thrust him into the deep on the opening day of the season. He took the opportunity well, proving he had the heart for tough contests, and without doubt, the mind. Perhaps more importantly, his goal gives him confidence and the credibility for his style to be trusted.
Dreams players join Blessing to celebrate the winning goal. Photo credit: Dreams FC
Dreams were not overly adventurous. More controlled and measured in their press than Ignatius’s teams usually do. Perhaps it is because they are not yet at the level to press or play high-octane football for ninety minutes.
Either way, setting up in a manner that masks the team’s weaknesses, while creating the platform for their players to thrive, is the whole point of coaching. And Ignatius got that right.
It was a good performance all around and if Dreams are to do well this season, the sort of pragmatism exhibited by Osei-Fosu would have to be a common theme. Osei-Fosu is often seen to be cussed, wedded to principles he does not deviate from, sometimes to a fault. Some, owing to this, dismiss his coaching credentials.
His managerial record is not particularly great. His best work was keeping Eleven Wonders afloat two seasons ago. His worst was the ill-fated stint at Medeama which lasted all of three games; one defeat and two draws. The club’s crazy decision to take the COVID-19 vaccination just 48hours, given its known side effects/reactions could be blamed for the 4-0 defeat to Bechem United. Little can explain the two draws that followed. Fair or not, all of that is in the past.
At a sufficiently resourced club like Dreams, he has everything he needs to deliver. And be it a reasonable shift in approach or by staying true to his principles, he has to make it work. Dreams need it. Osei-Fosu’s own reputational repair too.
Follow Atsu Tamakloe on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AtsuTamakloe
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