Time for the Stars to shine
Ghana made their first appearance in the finals in 2006 and acquitted themselves well despite an unlucky draw. They emerged from a tough group which included the Czech Republic and eventual winners’ Italy. They then had to face favourites Brazil in the second round, losing 3-0. In South Africa, the Black Stars will face Serbia […]
Ghana made their first appearance in the finals in 2006 and acquitted themselves well despite an unlucky draw. They emerged from a tough group which included the Czech Republic and eventual winners’ Italy.
They then had to face favourites Brazil in the second round, losing 3-0.
In South Africa, the Black Stars will face Serbia in their opening match of the 2010 World Cup on June 13 in Pretoria before playing meeting Australia on June 19 and mighty Germany on June 23. But Ghana’s starting XI for their first game is hard to predict, as at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana earlier this year they opted to field a lot of youngsters and there is the question of whether coach Rajevac will keep the faith with them or opt to bring back some of the more experienced campaigners – the Black Stars’ line-up will probably fall somewhere between the two options.
In goal, Richard Kingson is a certain starter, but the defence in front of him is a lot more tricky to guess.
Samuel Inkoom and Lee Addy had wonderful Nations Cups and will probably be starters, even though the more experienced John Paintsil and Eric Addo could well fill their positions.
John Mensah is no longer an automatic starter but he is a charismatic and inspiring figure, so he could well find himself playing a key role. Hans Sarpei seems to have the left-back slot pretty well tied up.
If Michael Essien is fit he will play in the heart of midfield, but who will play alongside him? Stephen Appiah has a constant question mark surrounding his fitness, while Sulley Muntari was not included in the Nations Cup squad and is not a regular at his club Inter Milan.
This means that young Kwadwo Asamoah, who has a magic eye for a pass, will probably get the nod. Haminu Draman and Andre Ayew are likely to fill the berths on the flanks, while Asamoah Gyan is a certain starter up front.
Matthew Amoah is his likely partner, though Rajevac could well go with five in midfield, perhaps playing a defensive midfielder like Anthony Annan to free up Essien to play a more attacking role.
GHANA’S TACTICAL PLAY:
Asamoah Gyan and Stephen Appiah return to full fitness after injury adds an extra element to their already dominant midfield play. In Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien, Ghana already have two world-class midfielders. And if John Mensah is fit, they have an imposing presence at the back too.
Ghana, under Milovan Rajevac, play a typical 4-4-2 pattern with Appiah providing the guile, while Essien is the engine room and muscle in the continent’s best midfield. Gyan is a major beneficiary from Aappiah’s or Asamoah’s well-timed passes, but he could play further upfront to allow Matthew Amoah to operate just behind him.
Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac took over ‘The Black Stars’ in 2008 and was a surprising choice given his limited experience abroad. Prior to his appointment his most notable coaching positions were in Serbia, where he managed Red Star Belgrade and FK Borac, although he’s also worked in Sweden and Saudi Arabia.
The jury is out on whether he can turn the individual brilliance of the Ghanians into a collective unit. The fact his contract runs out after the World Cup suggests there are doubts he can handle the feisty personalities within his squad, and recent fall-outs with stars accused of ‘indiscipline’ don’t bode well for a harmonious summer.
None of the big boys wanted Ghana in the draw, but the Africans’ biggest problems may be internal.
He recently promoted eight members of Ghana’s World Cup Under-20 winning squad to his senior side, suggesting the older guard in an already relatively young side should be on their toes.
Rajevac’s predecessor, Frenchman Claude Le Roy, walked out of the job having led Ghana to 14th in the world, rating them Africa’s strongest side, although they finished third as hosts at the last African Cup of Nations.
KEY PLAYER:
A genuinely world class midfielder, Chelsea’s Michael Essien would walk into any team in the competition.
He has the ability to run the midfield and offering far more depth to his game. Since Essien’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, he’s adopted an unsung hero routine, largely allowing those around him to flourish. As Phil Scolari discovered to his cost when his midfielder was injured last season, without him Chelsea look a different proposition.
The same is true of Ghana. They were many pundits’ dark horses to go far in Germany 2006, but Essien was suspended for the last 16 clash with Brazil and they were heavily beaten. It would be surprising if they didn’t at least go that far again in South Africa.
As well as Essien, they’re packed with well known faces to Premier League fans such as Fulham’s John Paintsil, Inter Milan’s midfielder Sulley Muntari and Sunderland’s John Mensah.
ROUTE TO SOUTH AFRICA
Ghana were impressive qualifiers, losing only once after they’d already secured their place in South Africa. Their key wins were over Mali and Sudan, having earlier overcome Gabon and Libya.
WORLD CUP HISTORY
Ghana made their first appearance in the finals in 2006 and acquitted themselves well despite an unlucky draw. They emerged from a tough group which included the Czech Republic and eventual winners’ Italy.
They then had to face favourites Brazil in the second round, losing 3-0.
WORLD CUP HIGHLIGHT
The Africans made up for lost time on their arrival in Germany in 2006, scoring within 68 seconds through Gyan Asamoah. Their 2-0 win
against a powerful Czech side underlined why African teams are now genuine threats to the European establishment.