| Player | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Sammy Adjei | Goalkeeper | Mohadon Sports Ashdod (Israel) |
| Richard Kingston | Goalkeeper | BB Ankaraspor (Turkey) |
| George Owu | Goalkeeper | AshantiGold |
| Issa Ahmed | Defender | Randers (Denmark) |
| Shilla Illiasu | Defender | Asante Kotoko |
| Sammy Kuffour | Defender | AS Roma (Italy) |
| John Mensah | Defender | Rennes (France) |
| Habib Mohammed | Defender | King Faisal |
| John Painstil | Defender | Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel) |
| Addoquaye Pappoe | Defender | Ashdod Tel-Aviv (Israel) |
| Dan Quaye | Defender | Hearts of Oak |
| Hans Adu Sarpei | Defender | Vfl Wolfsburg (Germany) |
| Eric Addo | Midfielder | PSV Eindhoven (Holland) |
| Otto Addo | Midfielder | Mainz 05 (Germany) |
| Stephen Appiah | Midfielder | Fenerbahce (Turkey) |
| Derek Boateng | Midfielder | AIK Solna (Sweden) |
| Haminu Dramani | Midfielder | Red Star Belgrade (Serbia and Montenegro) |
| Michael Essien | Midfielder | Chelsea (England) |
| Sulley Ali Muntari | Midfielder | Udinese (Italy) |
| Matthew Amoah | Forward | Borussia Dortmund (Germany) |
| Asamoah Gyan | Forward | Modena (Italy) |
| Razak Pimpong | Forward | FC Copenhagen (Denmark) |
| Alex Tachie-Mensah | Forward | St. Gallen (Switzerland) |
| Head Coach: | Ratomir Dujkovic | |
Scouting Report
Style of play: Serbian coach Ratomir Dujkovic uses a traditional 4-4-2 formation with a flat back four defence. Far from flashy, Ghana is a team with plenty of grit that fights for every loose ball, works hard and isn't afraid to get physical. The heartbeat of the team is its midfield of tough battlers - Michael Essien, Sulley Ali Muntari and Stephen Appiah. All three offer Ghana creative skills, as well, and are encouraged to go forward in search of goals, especially as strikers Matthew Amoah and Asamoah Gyan have been far from their best in recent games. The fourth midfielder, Otto Addo, uses his speed to make deep runs and deliver the ball to the two forwards. Ghana used a peculiar 4-3-2-1 setup at the African Nations Cup in January, but that turned out to be failed experiment. Look for coach Dujkovic to stick with a 4-4-2 formation in Germany and for the four midfielders to take lots of shots on goal from distance.
Probable starting formation (4-4-2): (GK) Sammy Adjei - (D) John Mensah, Sammy Kuffour, Emmanuel Pappoe, Hans Adu Sarpei - (M) Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien, Sulley Ali Muntari, Otto Addo - (F) Asamoah Gyan, Matthew Amoah .
Strengths:
A solid midfield core - Though lacking depth, Ghana is impenetrable in
midfield thanks to three strong and talented players. Captain Stephen Appiah
leads the way with his maturity, Sulley Ali Muntari boasts masterful ball
control and tough tackling and Michael Essien offers a touch of playmaking
invention. Together, this trio is deadly and opponents will have a hard time
winning the ball away from them.
Work ethic - You'd be hard-pressed to find a team at the World Cup
that works harder on the field and is more industrious than Ghana. The midfield
trio of Appiah, Muntari and Essien keep running and running for the full 90
minutes and never let up. Ghana shows unflagging determination and diligence
at all times, even when it is losing.
A point to prove - With four African Nations Cup titles to its credit,
Ghana has long been considered one of Africa's leading soccer powers. And
yet, somehow, World Cup qualification always eluded them. Now that they're
here, Ghana is anxious to prove to the world and to their African neighbours
that they belong on the game's greatest stage.
Weaknesses:
Scoring - Dominating the game in midfield is all well and good, but that
means very little if you can't score. Ghana lacks a killer striker - Matthew
Amoah of German club Borussia Dortmund is the closest thing they have to that
- and he doesn't even have a reliable forward he can play alongside. If defences
shut down Amoah, and chances are they will, it will put even more pressure
on its midfielders to pick up the scoring slack.
Defence - Don't be fooled by Ghana's defensive record (four goals against
in 10 games) in the qualifiers. Ghana's defence lacks experience and none
of its starters, Sammy Kuffour being the exception, are what you would describe
as accomplished defenders. It's a worrying sign when coach Dujkovic must recall
Kuffour - a capable defender in his prime who, nonetheless, has clearly lost
a step - back into the team.
Tough draw - Ghana faces three-time World champion Italy and the Czech
Republic - two nations ranked in the top 20 FIFA rankings - in its first two
games. It doesn't get any easier for the Ghanaians after that as a date with
the United States awaits them in their final game of the opening round. All
three of Ghana's opponents have much more experience, depth and talent.
Players to watch:
Michael Essien - English Premiership champions Chelsea spent a club record
$49.4 million in purchasing Essien from French club Olympique Lyon. A wise
investment, considering the 23-year-old draws comparisons to France's Patrick
Vieira because of his remarkable athleticism, sublime passing skills and ability
to dictate the game's pace. One of African soccer's biggest stars.
Stephen Appiah - Ghana's captain has a wealth of experience playing
for some of the biggest clubs in Italy (Juventus, Parma, Udinese). Currently
with Turkish outfit Fenerbahce, Appiah is a tireless worker in midfield that
leads by example with his endless drive and commitment. He's also a bit of
a playmaker. The heart and soul of Ghana's national team.
Matthew Amoah - The young striker has a point to prove after being
recalled into the team following a two-year absence. Not the biggest player
in the world, but the ball stays glued to his foot when he goes on one his
mazy runs through the middle. Dangerous and quick, he scored some important
goals in the qualifiers and will be looking to do the same in Germany.
Key injuries/squad omissions: Coach Ratomir Dujkovic made wholesale changes from the squad which performed so poorly in the African Nations Cup in January. The Serbian selected defender Habib Mohamed, who has yet to play for Ghana, and recalled defender Shilla Alhassan Illiasu and striker Razak Pimpong. Illiasu last appeared for the national team in 1998, while Pimpong's previous game was in 2002. Defender Daniel Quaye returned to the team after a two-year absence, and midfielders Derek Boateng and Eric Addo, and goalkeeper Richard Kingston were also recalled after lengthy absences. Strikers Isaac Boakye and Ibrahim Salou, beset by injury woes, did not make the cut, while forwards Junior Agogo and Derek Asamoah were overlooked. Midfielder Haminu Dramani earned a callup even though he hasn't played for his Serbian club Red Star Belgrade for more than six months.
Prognosis: World Cup qualification was long overdue for the West African nation that dominated soccer on the continent during the 1970s and 1980s. With perennial finalists Morocco, Cameroon, and Nigeria out of the picture, many soccer observers believe Ghana represents Africa's best chance of winning the World Cup in Germany. Such beliefs are pure fantasy. While Ghana is one of Africa's leading soccer powers, it has no chance of winning the World Cup, especially in its first tournament appearance. Qualifying for the second round is a more reasonable goal but even that will take some doing as they are in difficult group with Italy, Czech Republic and the U.S. Ghana might sneak into second place in Group D, but more than likely they'll have to fight just to avoid finishing in fourth.
Road to the World Cup
Current FIFA Ranking: #48
1st round matches:
June 12 vs. Italy in Hanover
June 17 vs. Czech Republic in Cologne
June 22 vs. United States in Nuremburg
2006 qualification route: Ghana finished in first place (21 points)
in Africa's Group 2 ahead of Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa
(16 points).
Qualifying record: 10 games played, 6 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss
Goals for: 17 Goals against: 4
Top goal-scorer in qualifying: Stephen Appiah and Gyan Asamoah (4)
Qualifying results: (home team listed first)
June 5, 2004 - Burkina Faso 1, Ghana 0
June 20, 2004 - Ghana 3, South Africa 1
July 3, 2004 - Uganda 1, Ghana 1
Sept. 5, 2004 - Ghana 2, Cape Verde Islands 0
Oct.10, 2004 - Ghana 0, Congo 0
March 27, 2005 - Congo 1, Ghana 1
June 5, 2005 - Ghana 2, Burkina Faso 1
June 18, 2005 - South Africa 0, Ghana 2
Sept. 4, 2005 - Ghana 2, Uganda 1
Oct. 8, 2005 - Cape Verde Islands 0, Ghana 4
World Cup History
FIFA member since: 1958
Team nickname: The Black Stars
All-time caps leader: Abedi 'Ayew' Pele (67)
All-time leading scorer: Abedi 'Ayew' Pele (33)
Number of Previous World Cup Appearances: none
World Cup History:
1930 to 1958 - Did not enter
1962 - Did not qualify
1966 - Did not enter
1970 to 1978 - Did not qualify
1982 - Did not enter
1986 to 2002 - Did not qualify
Hosted the World Cup: Never
Past Achievements:
African Nations Cup Champions: 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982
Under-17 World Champions: 1991, 1995
Olympic Bronze Medal: 1992
Greatest Players:
Abedi 'Ayew' Pele: One of the greatest African players of all time. A
former captain of Ghana's national team, Pele is his country's all-time leading
scorer with 33 goals in a record 67 appearances. He was a key figure for Olympique
Marseilles when they dominated Ligue 1, the French first division, in the
early 1990s with four league titles. Voted African player of the year in 1992.
Tony Yeboah: A member of the national team for 10 years, Yeboah played in three African Nations Cups. Made a name for himself in England with Leeds United, scoring 32 goals in 61 games. Also enjoyed stints in the Bundesliga, the German first division, where he finished league top scorer in 1993 and 1994 with Frankfurt.