Time running out for Bucs' Black Stars keeper

GHANAIAN goalkeeper Fatau Dauda had better win a first-team berth at Orlando Pirates soon or his World Cup dream could be over.

This is the strong warning delivered by coach Kwesi Appiah, who has made it clear he will only pick form players for his 23-man squad for the trip to Brazil in June.

"I'm am concerned about the fact he is not playing," said Appiah at this week's World Cup workshop in Florianopolis, on the southern coast of Brazil, where the coaches of the 32 finalists assembled for a pre-tournament briefing.

"He needs to have game time because it is vital for a keeper to sharpen his reflexes, and keep them sharp.

"The World Cup is a different ball game, the highest level you can play. Unfortunately he is in a situation now that is difficult for him and for us but I really hope that he will get some games soon."

Dauda was Ghana's first choice in goal through the qualifiers, having taken over from Adam Kwarasey Larsen, the Norwegian-born goalie who had been first choice at the 2012 Africa Nations Cup finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Ghana's third choice is Daniel Agyei, who is at Free State Stars.

But Appiah did offer a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered Pirates man: "We do hope Fatau gets to play because when he is in form, he's the keeper we look to the most," he said.

Appiah said he had spoken to Roger de Sa several months ago about playing the keeper more but the former Pirates coach kept his faith in Senzo Meyiwa, despite some horror errors in the African Champions League campaign.

It could prove a costly gamble for Dauda to have left Ghana's premier league to join Pirates last year.

He did so without the guarantee of a first-team berth and started the season third on the list of keepers at the club.

He has since moved ahead of Brighton Mhlongo in the pecking order and got one game in place of Meyiwa earlier this month, only to botch his chance against Polokwane City and be relegated to the bench.

His rival at Free State Stars last month warned he wanted to take over in goal for the tournament in Brazil.

"Ghana has a lot of good goalkeepers but the coach is the only man to make a decision of his final three for Brazil," Agyei told Accra-based radio station Power FM.

"Fatau and Adam are world-class goalkeepers but so am I. We all have to impress the coach to make our claim for the World Cup and this is where I believe I can be the No1 in Brazil."

Agyei added: "I have been training hard and I believe I have what it takes to be a success at the World Cup if given the chance."

Appiah said Kwarasey was also strongly in the picture: "Adam has started his pre-season and we've been monitoring him. He is playing a lot of friendly games.

"There are other keepers we are also looking at," he added.

Ghana are playing at their third World Cup and will need as sharp a goalkeeper as they can get as the Black Stars share a group with Germany, Portugal and the Americans - arguably the toughest of the tournament.