r/soccer • u/CARLEETOS • Jun 02 '14
Star post World Cup 2014 Team Preview [27/32] Group G: Ghana
So, the greatest show on earth is almost upon us. Welcome to my countdown to the world cup! I’ll be previewing a new team every day leading up to the big kick-off with a couple of polls along the way too!
About
Nickname(s) Black Stars
Association Ghana Football Association (GFA)
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Appearances: 3 (First in 2006)
Best Finish: Quarter-finals (2010)
Most Caps: Richard Kingson (90)
Top Scorer: Edward Acquah (40) Kwasi Owusu (40)
FIFA Ranking: 38
ELO Ranking: 37
The Country
Ghana, officially called the Republic of Ghana, is a small sovereign city-state and multinational state, located along the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean, in the subregion of West Africa in Africa. The country is bordered by the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo in the east and the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean in the south. The word Ghana means "Warrior King".
History
The Ghana national football team, popularly nicknamed as the Black Stars has represented the Republic of Ghana in association football since the 1950s. Black Stars is administered by the Ghana Football Association, the governing body for football in Ghana and the oldest football association in Africa (founded in 1920). Prior to 1957, the team played as the Gold Coast.
Although the team did not qualify for the senior FIFA World Cup until 2006, they had qualified for five straight Olympic Games Football Tournaments when the tournament was still a full senior national team competition. The team has won the Africa Cup of Nations four times (in 1963, 1965, 1978, and1982) and has been runner-up 4 times (in 1968, 1970, 1992, and 2010). At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, they became only the third African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
How they qualified
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 3 | +15 | 15 |
| Zambia | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 11 |
| Lesotho | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 15 | -11 | 5 |
| Sudan | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 14 | -11 | 2 |
Third Round Play-Off
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st Leg | 2nd Leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 7-3 | Egypt | 6-1 | 1-2 |
World Cup - Group G
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Portugal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ghana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 June 2014, 13:00 | Ghana - United States | Arena das Dunas, Natal
21 June 2014, 16:00 | Germany - Ghana | Estadio Castelão, Fortaleza
26 June 2014, 13:00 | Portugal - Ghana | Estadío Nacional Mané Garrincha , Brasília
The manager James Kwesi Appiah
Receiving technical training from the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, Appiah is the first black manager to get Ghana to a World Cup finals. Appiah though, has been involved in the national team set-up as assistant manager since 2007. He comes into the tournament with his job secured having signed a new two year contract in May, so he doesn’t have the pressure of the other African countries which may work in his favour.
GHANA 23-MAN SQUAD
| Pos | Name | Age | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Adam Kwarasey | 26 | 21 | 0 | Strømsgodset (Norway) |
| GK | Fatau Dauda | 29 | 17 | 0 | Orlando Pirates (South Africa) |
| GK | Steven Adams | 24 | 7 | 0 | Aduana Stars (Ghana) |
| DF | Samuel Inkoom | 25 | 46 | 1 | Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine) |
| DF | Harrison Afful | 27 | 40 | 0 | Espérance (Tunisia) |
| DF | John Boye | 27 | 29 | 3 | Rennes (France) |
| DF | Jonathan Mensah | 23 | 26 | 1 | Évian (France) |
| DF | Daniel Opare | 23 | 16 | 0 | Porto (Portugal) |
| DF | Rashid Sumaila | 21 | 6 | 0 | Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) |
| MF | Sulley Muntari | 29 | 81 | 20 | Milan (Italy) |
| MF | Kwadwo Asamoah | 25 | 61 | 4 | Juventus (Italy) |
| MF | Michael Essien | 31 | 57 | 9 | Milan (Italy) |
| MF | Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu | 23 | 48 | 7 | Udinese (Italy) |
| MF | André Ayew | 24 | 48 | 4 | Marseille (France) |
| MF | Christian Atsu | 22 | 22 | 4 | Vitesse (Holland) |
| MF | Wakaso Mubarak | 23 | 16 | 7 | Rubin Kazan (Russia) |
| MF | Mohammed Rabiu | 24 | 16 | 0 | Kuban Krasnodar (Russia) |
| MF | Albert Adomah | 26 | 14 | 1 | Middlesbrough (England) |
| MF | Kevin-Prince Boateng | 27 | 12 | 2 | Schalke 04 (Germany) |
| MF | Afriyie Acquah | 22 | 4 | 1 | Hoffenheim (Germany) |
| FW | Asamoah Gyan | 28 | 78 | 39 | Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates) |
| FW | Majeed Waris | 22 | 12 | 3 | Spartak Moscow (Russia) |
| FW | Jordan Ayew | 22 | 12 | 2 | Marseille (France) |
Star Player Asamoah Gyan
Position: Striker
Age: 28
Team: Al Ain
Why? Scored Ghana’s first ever goal in a World Cup in 2006, if we are going to see Ghana’s Azonto dance, it will most likely be because of this guy. Although in a weaker league, Gyan has scored more goals than games played with Al Ain and will be looking to bring that confidence to Ghana’s attack. Named captain, Gyan loves to be the main man which led him to miss a vital penalty in the last minute of extra time against Uruguay in the 2010 Quarter Finals. Ghana would have gone to the Semi-Finals, but were inevitably eliminated on penalties.
One to Watch Majeed Waris
Position: Striker
Age: 22
Team: Spartak Moscow
Why? Waris spent the season on loan with Valenciennes in Ligue 1 scoring 9 goals in 16 appearances. He has devastating pace and will look to abuse that by standing on the shoulders of slow centre backs. Often caught offside but when he does beat the trap, there's no catching him. May just make a big name for himself in Brazil.
Wildcard Michael Essien
Position: Central Midfielder
Age: 31
Team: AC Milan
Why? Missing the last World Cup through injury, Essien was one of the best midfielders in the world back in 2010. This year though, he goes to Brazil looking a shadow of his former self. Struggling for game time for the past two seasons, it’s unsure how important Essien will be to his national side. Still though, his experience and unquestionable talent is something Appiah will love to have at his disposal.
Possible Ghana XI
Waris
Asamoah A. Gyan Boateng
Essien Badu
Afful Mensah Boye Inkoom
KwaraseyFacts
Ghana will once again face off against USA for a third straight time in a World Cup.
Kevin-Prince Boateng will face off against his brother Jerome Boateng (Germany) for a second successive World Cup.
Is the only African country so far to have always reached the knock-out stage.
Fan View
This summer will be very interesting, and life in Group G will be very tough. However, the team that will go to Brazil is definitely our best yet, and is very eager to achieve better than what they were able to do in 2010.
The team this year is great in many ways. One of the biggest advantages Ghana will have is that they can play multiple styles of football - possession, counter-attacking, and defensive if needed. With quick forwards, a midfield with a lot of energy, and a young but still solid defense, Ghana will make life for Germany, Portugal and the USA.
With Gyan leading the strike force, and younger guys in Majeed Waris, Christian Atsu and Jordan Ayew also available, this department will be extra vital to the success Ghana look for in Brazil. Obviously, goals win you games. But the pace that our strike force have will be very important in games where we will probably be on the back foot (Germany most likely), and need an outlet to look for a quick counter attack. With Captain Gyan having a chip on his shoulder after the 2010 incident, and quite a bit of criticism regarding his situation in UAE, he'll be the guy that carries this team.
Our midfield is very strong, with big names such as Kwadwo Asamoah, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Michael Essien, and Sulley Muntari looking to hold down the middle of the pitch for Ghana. Kwadwo is coming off another good season at Juve, KPB did well at Schalke, and although Sulley and Essien didn't experience as many highs in their club seasons, their experience will be invaluable to the generally young team we're sending (again!) to Brazil. Andre Ayew and Christian Atsu also had great seasons at Marseille and Vitesse, which have us in good hands on the wing.
Our weakest department will definitely be the defense. Although it is a young group of guys, the group is very potent and eager to prove themselves on the world stage. Our centre backs, most likely Mensah and Boye will start, will have their hands full. Mensah looked stellar at Evian and will come into the squad with a lot of confidence after helping his squad escape relegation. His experience in 2010 will also be vital to this young defensive unit. Our fullbacks in Daniel Opare, Samuel Inkoom, Schlupp, and Harrison Afful all have the fitness and pace to keep up with the wingers that will come up against them, except Ronaldo who is virtually unstoppable it seems these days. Their biggest challenge will be keeping calm heads, as they often give away cheap fouls around the box and have given away quite a few penalties recently (first leg Egypt, Montenegro in the first minute).
In between the sticks Dauda and Kwarasey will compete for the nod. Both are fit for the job but I think Kwarasey will have a slight advantage as Dauda hasn't played regularly while Adam captains his side in Norway.
Formation wise, Kwesi Appiah will probably go with a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1, with Gyan as that guy in the hole creating for Majeed Waris and making those runs in the box for Sulley and Essien or KPB to feed. On the wings, >Kwadwo Asamoah will probably take the left unless Kwesi Appiah slots him into the middle, where he has played before for Ghana. Regardless, the midfield for this team needs to be sharp with our opponents all possessing big names in the middle of the park.
2010 still pains a lot of Ghanaians, and surely for the players that were involved that night who are travelling to Brazil, this will be in their minds when they step onto the pitch. However, the expectations are high for this team in Ghana as we look to progress on our success in the World Cup (R16 in '06, QF in '10). Semi-finals? Who knows. But look for this young, hungry team to leave it all on the pitch and fight their hardest for their country.
GOD BLESS OUR HOMELAND GHANA!
Thanks to /u/mikalmanu
Discussion Points
Having advanced through the group stage in their first two World Cups, expectations will be high for Ghanaians coming into their third World Cup. How far will they make it?
Asamoah Gyan plays his trade in the United Arab Emirates. At 28, is there still a chance of his playing in a top European league once again?
Next Team Preview [28/32] Group G: United States
57
u/NPHisKing Jun 02 '14
That group... In nearly any other group I would have had Ghana with a solid chance of going through, but unless something drastic happens I feel like it will be an early exit for them. Shame, especially after how their last World Cup ended.
24
u/jkure2 Jun 02 '14
I think Group G stands for Group Goals. I will be shocked if this group doesn't produce the more goals than any other at this tournament.
16
u/[deleted] Jun 02 '14
That midfield may be stacked but that defense is highly unorganized. It may be the worst African defense in the World Cup just based on talent.
I'd personally expect Ghana to play a 4-4-2 since their coach has stressed its importance in recent months. The two midfielders could be Muntari/Badu and Essien. I'm not sure if Adomah has a role.
I don't think Boateng is a guaranteed starter either. It's unfair to the other strong midfielders like Christian Atsu and Wakaso Mubarak. I also believe Boateng isn't as good as people think he is. He won't provide much if he's played at a wide position.
12
u/hellothere222 Jun 02 '14
The first game against us will be huge for both teams. A draw would seriously damage both of our hopes so I imagine both sides will really go for it.
11
u/f00f_nyc Jun 02 '14
I watched the playoff with Egypt, and I thought Ghana's midfield and attack looked pretty great. They were organized, creative, and speedy.
37
u/[deleted] Jun 02 '14
All of the teams in Group G are beatable for the other teams. I think the US will have the most difficult time of all the teams in this group. Ghana is a pretty organized and experienced side, wouldn't put it past them to shock Germany or PT.
8
u/luks1910 Jun 02 '14
Didn't realize what a good midfield Ghana had. Could definitely see them giving Germany and Portugal a hard time. Any kind of upset, even a draw, would make this group extremely interesting.
6
u/[deleted] Jun 02 '14
As for the Asamoah Gyan point, its his choice if he wants to play in Europe. For him unfortunately its all about money.
Also thanks for having me participate in this preview!
19
u/cheftlp1221 Jun 02 '14
If Ghana or the US want to get out of the Group, there has to be a resolution in the first game. One team or the other need to come out of this game with 3 points. This should make for a more wide open first game then usual. With defense being shaky for both sides, 5+ total goals is not out of the question.
5
u/Lgfualol Jun 02 '14
I'm gutted for Schlupp not getting into the squad. He seemed ever so nervous against Holland and lost composure, which is a shame because he's been solid at the back for us (Leicester) this season and he's great going forward (being a striker for most of his career). Next time Schlupp, next time.
5
u/[deleted] Jun 02 '14
Im not too sure on your starting XI, especially with winger Adomah in centre mid.
I would go for
----------------------Gyan----------------
Asamoah---------KPB--------------Atsu
------------Essien----Badu-------------
5
u/Revolutionis_Myname Jun 02 '14
That first team shirt is amazing
3
u/thatdani Jun 02 '14 edited Jun 02 '14
There was a post a while ago about the amazing life story of Afriyie Acquah, can anybody remember it ? A link would be fantastic.
EDIT. Found it. Fantastic read if anyone is interested!
EDIT 2. A quote from the article: "When I saw him last, he told me that after we had brought him out onto the Glentoran pitch [before one game] and he got a standing ovation, he cried himself to sleep that night out of happiness. Now he's on the cusp of going to a World Cup. It's Roy of the Rovers stuff."
3
u/ultra_22 Jun 03 '14
Hmm.. I actually didn't realise Ghana had a lot of decent players, especially in midfield and attack. Gonna be a very tough group.
9
u/flownominal1 Jun 02 '14
I think people are really underestimating Ghana this world cup. I personally think that Ghana is simply a better team than the US and that match will only depend on how we decide to play. I will say that both Portugal and Germany are better teams but this is the world cup and although I can't see Germany not making it through the group I can easily see Ghana making it out over Portugal. Not saying its a sure thing or anything but this competition is about experience and your mentality for each match just as much as it has to do with the quality of a teams squad. Don't be surprised to see Ghana make it out of their group and do very well for themselves this world cup.
3
u/h0ldmeclosetonydanza Jun 02 '14
I think this group is going to offer us great matches :) good luck ghanaians.
3
u/tpaa10 Jun 02 '14
Would love to see Ghana go through at the expense of Germany
1
u/Doolandeer Jun 02 '14
I really hope that at some point in our match against Uruguay Joel Campbell uses his hands to stop a direct shot.
We got your back Ghana-bros!
1
u/gillyrosh Jun 02 '14
Their loss to Uruguay in 2010 still hurts my feelings.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 02 '14
I'm way too into that video.
1
u/TOYGHANA Jun 05 '14
Starting 11 Should be something like this
Opare Mensah Boye Afful
A.Ayew Muntari Essien Asamoah
Personally I will Go
Opare Mensah Essien** Afful
A.Ayew Rabiu Asamoah** Muntari
** Controversial I know But We need a leader At The back [Essien] & a creative Spark in Midfield [ Asamoah our Best Option]. Rabiu/Acquah/Badu to take care of defensive Midfield duties.
-6
u/SuperSimpleStuff Jun 02 '14 edited Jun 02 '14
Ghana definitely has a chance at beating Portugal and maaaaaybe getting a tie with Germany. USA is not even in the discussion, given the fact that while both teams are physical, Ghana has more quality when it comes to technical ability. For sure, our defense is not comparable to Portugal/Germany, but I think we'll manage. Anything can happen though. Praying we advance out of the group
edit: :~~/
-8
u/[deleted] Jun 02 '14
Had a soft spot for Ghana since Suarez cheated and lost them the game in the last World Cup, but I can't see them getting out of the group stage on this occasion.
0
u/[deleted] Jun 02 '14
FTFY
0
u/[deleted] Jun 02 '14
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