Sulley Muntari

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Sulley Muntari
Personal information
Full name	Sulley Ali Muntari
Date of birth	August 27, 1984 (1984-08-27) (age 23)
Place of birth	Konongo, Ghana
Height	1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Central midfielder
Club information
Current club	Portsmouth
Number	11
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2002-2007 2007-	Udinese Portsmouth	125 (8) 007 (1)
National team2
2002-	Ghana	030 (8)

[Freddy Adu]

Birmingham 0-2 Portsmouth

Muntari (right) is congratulated by boss Redknapp after his goal

[Freddy Adu]

FT Birmingham C. [0 - 2] Portsmouth

34'

[0 - 1]

S.A. Muntari

[Oscar Cardozo]

FT Aston Villa 1 - 3 Portsmouth

40'

[0 - 2]

S.A. Muntari

[Oscar Cardozo]

FT Aston Villa 1 - 3 Portsmouth

61'

[0 - 3]

S.A. Muntari

[Brasil]

Muntari pleads for African Nations change


Written by: AFP

	Portsmouth´s Sulley Muntari, seen here in 2006, wants the African Nations Cup to be moved from its current January and February slot to a date after the end of the European football season.

PORTSMOUTH (AFP) - Portsmouth's Sulley Muntari wants the African Nations Cup to be moved from its current January and February slot to a date after the end of the European football season.

The Ghana midfielder, who scored two superb goals in Premier League high-flyers Pompey's 3-1 win away to Aston Villa last Saturday, is one of several players from the south coast club set to depart in the New Year for an extended spell of international duty.

Kanu and John Utaka (Nigeria) and Papa Bouba Diop (Senegal) will also be swopping Fratton Park for Ghana, the 2008 African Nations Cup hosts, along with former Udinese player Muntari.

"I am just praying that in future they change the timetable and move it to the summer so that we can play for our clubs all the time," Muntari told Pompey's official website Portsmouth Football Club :: Official Website - Splash Page

"That is something I feel will benefit everyone and stop all the problems.

"It is certainly something that is possible and the CAF (Confederation of African Football) need to look at it.

"We are playing so well at the moment and all we can do is try to pick up as many points as possible before we have to go off to Africa."

But were Muntari, 23, to get his way, players at the continent's leading international football tournament would find themselves having to play in searing heat.

Portsmouth will not be the only Premier League club affected by African Nations absentees although all the teams in English football's top-flight knew what they were letting themselves in for when the players were signed.

Everton are set to lose Steven Pienaar, Joseph Yobo and possibly former Pompey forward Ayegbeni Yakubu while Arsenal duo Kolo Toure and Emannuel Eboue will also be involved in the African Nations.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, who is also worried that Nigeria manager Berti Vogts wants Utaka and Kanu to report to a pre-tournament training camp two weeks early, said: "I will be down to a squad of just 14 players capable of playing at Premier League level once the African Nations starts.

"If we get an injury we are in trouble and I will have to get in a few loan players or some from lower divisions next month to fill up the squad."

Muntari, who cost Pompey a club record 7.2 million pounds, said the team's rise to fifth in the table after a run of 11 straight Premier League matches unbeaten, including six successive away wins, was down to Redknapp.

"Harry is a great manager and he is like a father-figure to us all off the field. He treats us well and that's why everyone is happy and playing so well. It is much easier to do your job when you are happy."