Appearances: 1 appearance in 2006
Current FIFA Ranking (As of March 3): 28
Captain: Stephen Appiah (Midfielder)
Leading Scorer in Qualifying: Matthew Amoah (Striker) - 5 goals
Key Injuries: Michael Essien (Midfielder) - Torn hamstring - (Expected to return in mid-April), John Paintsil (Midfielder) - Right PCL injury - (Expected to return in mid-April), John Mensah (Center Back) - Recurring calf injury - (Playing on and off. Status for World Cup unknown)
Key retirements since 2006: Samuel Kuffour (Defender)
Team Overview:
Ghana makes their second straight World Cup appearance this year. Their only other appearance was considered a success, as they were the only African team to make the second round. They hope to build on that success this time around with a more experienced squad. Coach Milovan Rajevac, from Serbia, has done a good job since taking over the team in 2008 and made Ghana a difficult team to contend with.
His team could be in for some trouble because he has key players that are either currently injured or coming back from them. If they are missing three or four of their key guys, don't expect them to get to the second round.
Richard Kingson is the man between the posts for Ghana. He is an experienced player who is the two-time defending African Cup of Nations goalie of the tournament. He's a reliable guy and won't make many mistakes. Ghana will need to count on him in order to get to the next round.
The backline for Ghana is a very unspectacular group. They are an inconsistent group that relies of their goalkeeper to get them out of trouble. They can be exploited by teams that are aggressive.
The important man of the group, center back John Mensah, is a question mark for the World Cup. He has had recurring calf problems for the past five years and recent news is not good for him. Sunderland, Mensah's club team from England, has revealed that Mensah needs a major operation to fix his calf. The operation, which would fix a spinal problem that affects his legs, would require him to sit out an entire year of soccer. Mensah has not decided yet if he will take the surgery before or after the World Cup.
While the defense might not be good, the midfield for Ghana is one of the best in the world. Led by superstar Michael Essien, this group of guys determines the fate of the team. They are counted on heavily for both offense and defense with Essien doing pretty much everything on the field.
Sulley Muntari is the offensive wizard of the group. He is currently the second leading scorer on the squad and more of the same will be expected from him. The only problem with him is that he is a knuckle head. He's had numerous squabbles with the management and was left off of the African Cup of Nations squad due to his discipline problems. Ghana can not afford to do the same thing for the World Cup because he is too important. The other man, captain Stephen Appiah, will be the guiding force in midfield. He is a tireless player and is the heart and soul of the team. If these three play well, Ghana will be a darkhorse in the tournament.
The forward position for the Black Stars is one that could radically change. At the moment, the group consists of Asamoah Gyan, Junior Agogo, and Matthew Amoah. Gyan is the leading goalscorer on the team, but all three are very inconsistent.
To solve this problem, coach Rajevac has been trying to recruit two significant players to the squad, Mario Balotelli and Kevin-Prince Boateng. Balotelli has played his entire international career for the Italian Under-21 squad but is eligible to play for Ghana because both his parents were born in Ghana. The 19-year-old is one of the up-and-coming talents in the world and would immediately become a starter. However, Balotelli has refused to leave the Italian side and Rajevac has retaliated by saying the Balotelli will never play for Ghana as long as he is the coach.
The other man in question, Boateng, has spent his international career playing for Germany, but stated that he would now like to move to the Ghana squad. However, FIFA has stated that the Ghana Football Association has not filed the necessary documents that would allow Boateng to move sides. Ghana has insisted that they already sent the correct files, so both sides are at a standstill. Boateng now is in danger of missing the World Cup entirely because FIFA has not approved the transfer.
Player to Watch: Michael Essien
There really is no question who's the most important guy on the team. Essien is one of the best midfielders in the world and can change the outcome of a game by himself. While normally a defensive midfielder, he plays more of a central midfield role for his team. This allows him to be more of an offensive force and the game runs through him. He is a box-to-box player, which means he is solid offensively and defensively. He's such a tough defender that he has been nicknamed "The Bison".
Essien has an extremely powerful shot from distance and is able to score many spectacular goals. Injuries have plagued him throughout his career and this year is no different. He should return by mid-April from his most recent injury and should be fit in time for the World Cup. Look for Ghana to succeed if Essien plays well.
Prediction: Loss to England in the second round.
The final squad will not be announced until June 10 but here is a small list of players in the running to make the team.
Match Schedule
No comments:
Post a Comment