Ghana / Dave Farrar / 14 May 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

The good news for Ghana is that it's the Ivory Coast, not them, who are the African side tipped to cause a real shock and that relieves plenty of pressure. But for them to have a good tournament of their own that man Michael Essien will have to lead the team in several different ways....

"They must remain disciplined to progress, and I’m afraid that they’ve been drawn in the worst possible group. Australia and Serbia are masters at winding up teams, and Germany aren’t bad at it, and I can see important players being suspended at best, and sent off at worst."

Way back in the first stage of African qualifiers, Ghana were in serious trouble. They had lost to both Gabon and Libya and looked as if they wouldn't even make it past their first step on the way to South Africa.

They somehow extricated themselves from that mess, and haven't looked back since, cruising through the second round of qualifying, as well as watching their Under 20s win the World Youth Championship, and their senior team getting to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.

They got out of the Group Stage last time, before losing rather tamely to Brazil, and find themselves in a desperately difficult group here. During the Cup of Nations, they were very conservative, and the simple tactic of trying to score an early goal and then defend it won't get them very far here.

The Ghanaians seem to be happy that the Ivory Coast are being tipped by everyone as the African side who could go furthest here, and they firmly believe that they have the tools to cause a few upsets. They're a confident bunch, and to a certain extent they have a right to be, with the likes of Essien and Muntari leading the way in a powerhouse midfield.

They must remain disciplined to progress, and I'm afraid that they've been drawn in the worst possible group. Australia and Serbia are masters at winding up teams, and Germany aren't bad at it, and I can see important players being suspended at best, and sent off at worst.

Milovan Rajevac

Rajevac is certainly a brave man. He had never before coached outside the former Yugoslavia, and when results in qualifying started to go against Ghana, his failure to speak English was used to mock him in the press. He has done well to recover from his awful start, and his popularity in Ghana certainly hasn't been hurt by his refusal to accept a signing-on bonus when he took the job. He did, however, receive a large sum when qualification was confirmed, proving that he isn't JUST in it for the love.

Key Players

Asamoah Gyan

The "nick a goal, then defend like hell" approach which nearly earned Ghana a shock win in the Cup of Nations relies on the sharpness of Asamoah Gyan. He can look occasionally lazy, but is a brilliant finisher, not needing as many chances to score as some of the more highly rated African strikers. He's selfless as well, and his sharp creative eye makes life a lot easier for the likes of fellow striker Matthew Amoah and allows the powerhouse midfielders to get on the end of chances.

Kwadwo Asamoah

There are some richly talented young players in Ghana, and two of them are on the books at Udinese, in the shape of Asamoah and Emm Agyemang-Badu. The minute that attacking midfielder Asamoah made his Serie A debut he has attracted the attention of scouts. His style looks tailor made for the Premier League, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him at a club near you in the very near future.

Michael Essien

Kwesi Appiah, the assistant of Rajevac, described Michael Essien as a gift from God, and that seems an appropriate place to start. Carlo Ancelotti's first season at Chelsea has been all the more remarkable because results have been achieved without the magnificent Essien, and the national side depend on him hugely, a fact that was cruelly brought home four years ago when he missed Ghana's defeat by Brazil through suspension. He must stay disciplined and fit, and has to play 90 minutes of every Group game to give Ghana a hope of qualifying.

Recommended Bet:

Lay Ghana to Qualify @ [2.32]

Tags: Ghana football team, Ghana footballers, Ghana players, Ivory coast manager, Michael essien, World Cup players