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2010 World Cup: Are Ghana Prepared to Face the World In South Africa?

Angela Asante, June 1 2010,
The Black Stars of Ghana will take part in what will only be their second ever World Cup tournament. Despite not possessing several years of experience at the senior level on the international stage, Ghana have been tipped by many as realistic contenders to stun the world during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Ghana's Asamoah Gyan celebrates his goal with Hans Sarpei.

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The Black Stars have actually earned themselves a lot of respect and consideration from people over time – and now especially because of their recent achievements. However, their people’s belief in the potential of the team has also generated a lot of pressure through high expectations. Since 2006, when they became the only African nation to reach past the group stages of the tournament in Germany, Ghana have taken the responsibility of lifting Africa’s hopes on their shoulders.

At the youth level last year, it was a dream-come-true as they defeated favorites Brazil to lift the FIFA U-20 World Cup title in Egypt and therefore let the trophy remain on the Black Continent. But now, the biggest time of all has arrived as the 2010 World Cup takes place in South Africa this summer. As all teams will be fighting for the ultimate honor, Africans will be watching and praying that the Black Stars shine over the planet. Will Ghana respond to Mama Africa’s cry by imposing their “Agro” while playing the beautiful game of football during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa?

 

What Ghana’s Recent Good Years And The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations Tells Us

Don’t talk about Ghana as underdogs. Those who view them this way are certainly mistaking. The Black Stars actually finished semifinalists during CAN 2008 and got silver medals at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. Besides, the team is welcoming a new generation of players that surely have what it takes to defy the pessimistic predictions of doubters.

The squad that will be featuring in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will actually be virtually different from the one that participated in Germany 2006. Crocked stars such as Michael Essien will not take part in this summer’s tournament. In such a case, the places of the big names that are missing will be filled by the likes of players such as the impressive Kwadwo Asamoah, Ayew Pele, and Kevin-Prince Boateng among other young Ghanaian talents that made the nation proud by reaching the final in Angola 2010. But does this mean that Ghana will be affected by inexperience? 

Without wanting to rush the youth too much, Coach Milovan Rajevac feels that many players among those who won the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup competition on African soil are ready to repeat the great job they did in Egypt – but in South Africa this time. The Africa Cup of Nations, which took place in January this year, already seemed to have proved a great point and corrected unbelievers who thought that the Black Stars’ inexperience would let the team crash out from the group stages of the tournament.

Well, against all the odds, the little U-20 World Cup champions gathered and teamed up with veterans such as goalkeeper Richard Kingston to come back from Angola with silver medals.
It was only a late, late goal from Egypt’s super-sub Geddo that denied Ghana from lifting the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations trophy. But then in general, only a few – if not no-one – looked and will keep looking at the Black Stars’ 2010 Africa Cup of Nations campaign as an unsuccessful one.

The tournament in Angola in fact appeared as the perfect platform for African nations to prepare ahead of the 2010 World Cup. For Ghana’s young team, it seems like much experience has been achieved since then, not only in terms of play but in terms of mental development.

The Black Stars learned how to regroup and avoid excessive disappointment after they emphatically lost their opening game to Cote d’Ivoire. As Group B was cut down to only three teams following the withdrawal of the Togolese national football team, this table’s fixtures came down to only two for each of the three remaining teams. For Ghana, it was a do-or-die affair against Burkina Faso and what hit the camp ahead of that important encounter was the news that assigned skipper Michael Essien had been ruled out of the competition due to a long term injury.

However, the rest of the squad promised not to give in to the opinion of some pundits who analyzed the Black Stars’ youthful squad as a hopeless and weak bunch of inexperienced but talented kids. 20-year-old Ayew Pele, the son of the legendary Abedi Pele, got the only goal of the match that proved to be the difference. His header was enough to fire Ghana in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

What the Black Stars also learnt was how to handle immense pressure caused by the home side’s supporters as they went past hosts Angola in the last eight. The country’s greatest rivals in football, Nigeria, seemed to pose a big threat to Ghana’s ambition of reaching the final of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. However, a 1-0 score line settled things and the Black Stars got tickets for the final match in Luanda.

Yes, they lost to Egypt and unluckily couldn’t deceive the Pharaoh’s 37-year-old experienced goalkeeper. Still, they flied back home to Ghana with fans cheering them on as winners. So a ‘predictable defeat’ as some call it in the final against Egypt; but that was certainly a vital lesson ahead of the 2010 World Cup as experience is the best teacher.

It will be up to the new generation of the Black Stars to show what they are made of during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. But at the moment, despite the team’s average performances on the pitch, they look to be a dangerous side that won’t hold back and exit from the World Cup that early. Ghana’s group is tough like any other group at the 2010 World Cup, but the Black Stars won’t feel depressed ahead of the first three crucial matches.

If Germany could present the biggest threat, an opening game against Serbia might prove much less difficult than the 2006 World Cup opener against titans Italy. Now talking about the Socceroos of Australia, they came down as a good draw for the Black Stars of Ghana who claim to have familiarized with their style of play following two meetings in the past few years.

Actually, the 2006 World Cup in Germany offered immense experience to the country that was only then participating in its first ever World Cup finals. The team will feel that it has learned enough about the atmosphere at the highest level amongst many other useful things.

For fervent supporters of Ghana’s national football team, failing in the first round is definitely not an option; belief is in the air and fear has been buried under ground. Positivity is high everywhere ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but it will be down to the grown men to unite in power and be up to their task. This will ensure that the cries of joy and hope among Ghanaians will not turn into cries of sorrow. Are the Black Stars ready to create history in South Africa?
 

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