da dobrowin： Ghana have been a breath of fresh air at the 2010 World Cup. As the lone African survivors at the first World Cup on African soil they have kept alive the dream and ensured that the football party in South Africa will go on for a little while longer at least. Heading into a Quarter Final clash against Uruguay, the Black Stars might just be able to reach the semi final, something that would top even the wildest dreams of the most optimistic Ghana fans. And if they did, I’m sure that the whole of the footballing world would celebrate and even Uruguay fans would be hard to begrudge them their success. But how have Ghana managed to achieve something that the rest of the African nations have failed to do in the tournament?
da aviator aposta： Going into the 2010 World Cup Ghana were not the most fancied African nation. Arguably it was Ivory Coast who had the strongest squad, being able to call on Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, Barcelona’s Yaya Toure and his brother Kolo from Manchester City. A tough Group G that included Brazil and Portugal put paid to the Elephants’ hopes though. Host nation South Africa put up a decent effort with the whole nation behind them, but knockout round qualification always looked a step too far. Samuel Etoo’s Cameroon never really turned up at the tournament, and although Nigeria finished at the foot of Group B, the Super Eagles will look back on the 2010 World Cup as a missed opportunity. For Ghana though it’s been a different story entirely.
Unlike African football teams from the past, the Black Stars have been well organised and hard to break down, with much of the credit having to go to manager Milovan Rajevac. The Serbian has instilled discipline into the Ghana team, and from front to back they work hard to defend as a team. There is often a debate about whether a European manager is needed to take African nations to the next level, and although I don’t think that’s necessarily the case, Rajevac has shown why so many African football federations scour Europe for managerial talent. For Ghana though it’s far from just a case of industry over style.
Ghana have plenty of African flair that has endeared them to football fans across the globe. Asamoah Gyan will have caught the eye of many gaffers, with the striker showing he’s adept at leading the line, holding the ball up and finishing with aplomb. Something he’s done three times so far, having netted two penalties and a stunning winner against the USA. Premier League fans will also be highly aware of the capabilities of Kevin-Prince Boateng, and although the Portsmouth midfielder can be selfish at times, he does have that touch of quality. Plenty of other Ghana players have also come to the party, with Andre Ayew in particular standing out for his attractive style of play. They know how to celebrate as well!
The Black Stars will be confident that celebrating is something that they’ll be doing again following 90 minutes or more against the tough prospect that is Uruguay. If they were to fall at the next hurdle no-one could say that Ghana haven’t contributed to the 2010 World Cup. Whether the Black Stars are an African anomaly or their fellow nations from the continent can follow in their footsteps remains to be seen, but I’m sure that come 2014 many African countries will be adhering to the Ghana blueprint.
Check out Nick Bedu’s very own World Cup video blog below: