FEATURE: GHANA! A FORCE TO RECKON WITH AT THE WORLD CUP

By Frank Darkwah

Follow Frank Darkwah on twitter.@Blaqqkoffi

 

After an impressive performance in their two previous appearances at the World Cup. Thus 2006 and 2010 respectively. The Black Stars of Ghana will be hoping to stage yet another captivating performance at the Global Soccer Mundial in Brazil. With less than 40 days to go, many football fanatics especially pundits in and across Africa might be beaming in suspense on whether the black stars will once again bring the World by storm.

After so many years striving to play at the World’s biggest stage, Ghana finally had the breakthrough when they qualified for their first ever World Cup in 2006. So many years of trying to get a feel at the World’s biggest football festival. Although Ghana could swank of chalking great success on the African continent being the first nation to have won the African cup of nation on four occasion thus in 1963, 1968, 1978 and 1982, the Black Stars could never boast of any World Cup appearance.

Following successful qualifiers in 2005 finishing their games unbeaten, Ghana won the FIFA most improve team of the year award after reaching the 2006 World Cup in Germany where they were locked up in one of the toughest and fiddly groups in the competition alongside heavyweights Italy, USA and the Czech Republic in group E. 

Ghana who seemed as the minors in the group due to the fact that they have no experience when it comes to the World Cup started their campaign on a pretty poor note after losing its opening group game to three time World Champions and eventual winners Italy by 2 goals to nil. It almost looked like the journey was over going into the second game to face the Czech Republic who at the time was ranked 2^nd in the World. Without showing any sign of ghastliness, the Black Stars were able to record a shocking 2-0 win over the Czechs to trace their first ever win at the World Cup. Going into their final group game to face the USA was never going to be easy for the Stars. A team which had been present at the World Cup on ten occasions. Yet again Ghana showed resilience by defeating the Yankees 2-1 to book a place at the round of 16 stages.

Fellow African campaigners Ivory Coast, Angola, Togo and Tunisia had all faced elimination at the group face making Ghana the only African team to have survived in the competition. The only hope of Africa however crushed out at the round of 16 after losing 3-0 to none other team but defending and five times World Champions Brazil. Rated the 12^th best team by FIFA in the 2006 World Cup was highly regarded for a team who were just making a maiden appearance at the mundial.

Qualifying to the World Cup for the second successive time was never going to come on a silver platter. Nonetheless Ghana once again put up a gripping feat at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Lifting the Flag of Africa high once again, this time around on African soil. Being the only African team to have advanced to the knockout stages of the competition after getting out from a dubious group which consisted giants Germany, Serbia and Australia. Ghana was however tagged to be the “hope of Africa” after distinguishing it’s self from the other African reps when they once again made it into the round of 16 stages.

Another tough heddle awaits the stars as they came face-to-face with USA for the second successive time at the World Cup. Vengeance was what the United States were seeking over the Black Stars. But the stars once again showed their pre-eminence over the Concacaf champions when they pip them 2-1 at the round of 16. An injury time screamer by current stars captain Asamoah Gyan was all Africa needed to get another rep into the last 8 of the World Cup after Cameroon and Senegal had made it to that stage in 1990 and 2002 respectively. Uruguay was the next task for Ghana to overcome in other to acquire Africa their first ever slot in the last 4 of the World cup. How unlucky Africa was after Ghana’s top scorer Asamoah Gyan missed a crucial penalty in the last minutes of the game after Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez had pushed a Dominic Adiyiah’s header from the goal line with his hands. A poignant moment for Africa as their only hope was eliminated from the competition on penalties.

Nevertheless the stage is all set for the Black Stars to overcome the ill-fated episode to raise back the flag of Africa in Brazil. The Brazilians of Africa as they are called could smack a marvel in the South American country. Toping Group D in the African qualifiers at the expense of 2012 Africa champions Zambia, Sudan and Lesotho, Ghana finally booked their ticket to a third successive World Cup after thrashing Africa’s most triumphant team Egypt on a 7-2 aggregate score line at the play offs stage. A team who held a 100% record in the African qualifiers winning all their games.

With these admirable performances by Ghana in its two previous appearances at the World Cup, there is no doubt the Black Stars will once again write their name in the Golden books of World football.