Betting on Ghana at the World Cup 2010

Manager: Milovan Rajevac (Serbian)
Captain: Stephen Appiah
FIFA World Ranking: 38
World Cup Appearances: 1
Best World Cup: Last Sixteen – 2006

Ghana Team Profile

Although the name ‘Ghana’ may not ring too many bells with most part-time international football followers, they have actually been somewhat of a powerhouse nation back in the African continent. Ghana have made 16 appearances in the African Cup of Nations, winning the tournament on five occasions, dominating during the 60′s. However, although they were the team to beat in Africa 50 years ago, they didn’t assert themselves when it came to World Cup qualification, failing to qualify for the World Cup during their most successful period.

Ghana have been an irregular entry into the World Cup, just 1 in fact, and, although they have made regular appearances in the African Cup of Nations, they haven’t actually won the tournament since 1982, over 26 years ago. This huge baron run has reflected in their World Cup bids but their did break their duck and evidentally booked their first World Cup date back in Germany 2006. They arrived in Germany as an unknown quantity and left with many admirers. They shocked most people by bypassing an extremely tough group consisting of USA, Czech Republic & eventual winners Italy.

Ghana were eventually knocked out by Brazil in the last sixteen but it’s clear that Ghana enjoyed their first ever World Cup and their taste for the big stage has aided them in completing a quick fire qualification double for the finals. Ghana were the first African nation, with the exception of the hosts, to qualify for South Africa 2010.

Nickname: The Black Stars

Ghana Key Players

Michael Essien

Michael Essien will be the biggest celebrity in the Ghana camp providing he actually goes. Essien has made a respectable name for himself as being the ‘hard as nails’ defensive-midfielder, who isn’t afraid to get stuck in with a tackle or two. He provides a more than adequate cover over the Chelsea defence, with his main role to break down the forward play of their opponents. For Ghana, though, while he may put his Chelsea responsibilities to good use, Essien does get forward a lot more as so he can support the forwards, while everyone knows Essien can strike a ball very well from distance.

The bad news is, of course, that Essien may not feature due to a knee injury he sustained in the middle of December last year. Essien’s planned return has suffered several setbacks along the way and he could now miss the 2010 finals are a result. 

Stephen Appiah

Appiah captained Ghana in their first ever World Cup and he is set to do the exact same in 2010, but will he match the feat of 2006 which seen Ghana reach the last sixteen. He was actually the player which crushed Czech dreams back in 2006 and it’s obvious that Stephen Appiah loves the mantle of being captain. Appiah has been around the block at club level, mainly in the Italian division, a league where defensive qualities are crucial, and these qualities will be needed if Ghana are to enjoy their second stint in a World Cup.

Strengths

Back in Germany 2006, Ghana were a very solid outfit and an awkward side to break down, as Italy, USA and the Czech’s found out. The Italians were the only one of the three to beat Ghana but even they struggled to break a workmanlike Ghana defence down. Michael Essien & Stephen Appiah are a rigid backbone to an unheard of defensive line while Inter Milan’s Sulley Muntari can also provide an adequate service in the centre of the park. Rarely do Ghana thump sides, they often win games by the odd goal, absorbing the opposition attacks and then hitting them on the break. Ghana will be a frustrating team to play against in the summer, one us English fans hope we don’t draw.

Weaknesses

Their lack of fire-power. During the group stage of qualifying, Ghana never managed more than 3 goals in a single game, and while that may sound a ridiculous thing to say, against the average opponents they were facing, they should of scored a lot more regularly. Ghana are short of quality forwards, with Asamoah Gyan & Matthew Amoah the likely striking partnership for Ghana this summer. The pair average under a goal every other game and, although that may seem an OK average, we must take into consideration that they have come up against some ordinary African nations and not against the quality of defences that will await them in South Africa. It will be a test for their attackers to say the least and one we aren’t sure they’ll pass.

Ghana Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: Africa

Group: D

Position: 1st

Win-Draw-Lose: 4-1-1

Goals Scored: 9

Goals Conceded: 3

World Cup Qualifying statistics:

• Ghana were the first African nation to book their place in the South African World Cup, securing qualification with two games to spare.
• Matthew Amoah finished as Ghana’s top goalscorer during qualifying, scoring a reasonable tally of 5.
• Richard Kingson, the Ghana goalkeeper, was the only player to partake in each of Ghana’s 12 qualifying encounters.
• Ghana received 17 yellow cards during qualification, an average of 1.42, but didn’t receive a single red card. Perhaps their new Serbian coach has installed discipline into the Ghana ranks.

World Cup Potential: 2/5

Ghana will be a difficult group opponent, with their awkward set up and style of play, but their solid tactics won’t be good enough against sides that will punish them if given half-a-chance. Their defence will frustrate opposing teams and should earn them a few points in the group, but their apparent lack of fire-power does leave them extremely vulnerable against the better sides. Expect the Midfielders to chip in with a few this summer.

Ghana World Cup Betting Odds

Ghana to win the World Cup: 40/1 Sportingbet

Before the World Cup the odds on Ghana were 100/1 

Official Ghana World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Richard Kingston (Wigan)

Daniel Adjei (Liberty Professional)

Stephen Ahorlu (Heart of Lions)

Defenders

Samuel Inkoom (Basel)

Hans Sarpei (Bayer Leverkusen)

Lee Addy (Bechem Chelsea)

John Mensah (Sunderland)

Ibrahim Ayew (Zamalek Cairo)

Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim)

John Paintsil (Fulham)

Jonathan Mensah (Granada)

Midfielders

Dede Ayew (Arles)

Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese)

Stephen Appiah (Bologna)

Anthony Annan (Rosenborg)

Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan)

Quincy Owusu Abeyie (Al Sadd, Qatar)

Derek Boateng (Getafe)

Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth)

Strikers

Prince Tagoe (Hoffenheim)

Asamoah Gyan (Rennes)

Dominic Adiyiah (AC Milan)

Matthew Amoah (NAC Breda)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Ghana Fixtures – Group D

26/06 – 19.30 – Round of the last 16: Ghana – USA: 2-1 AET

02/07 – 19.30 – Quarter Finals: Ghana – Uruguay

World Cup 2010 Group D - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

Germany v Ghana Betting Odds

Germany to win: 4/7 at Ladbrokes
Draw: 10/3 at Boylesports
Ghana to win: 11/2 at Bet365

Germany

At the end of the English season, Chelsea’s Michael Ballack was brought down in a rough tackle by Kevin-Prince Boateng in the FA Cup final. The subsequent injury kept Germany’s captain from taking part in South Africa 2010, and now his country will take on Ghana in the battle for top spot in Group D. Not only that, Germany will come up against Boateng at the heart of the Ghana midfield, but Boateng will face his brother Jerome, who is in the German squad. While the Germans are not out to look for any revenge, it could mean that there will be an extra effort going into the midfield tackles, as the two side battle for supremacy. Germany, after losing their second group match to Serbia 1-0, need to take all three points from the match to ensure qualification. They currently sit one point behind Ghana in Group D, but there is a big threat coming from Serbia who will be expected to take maximum points in their final match against Australia. This leaves things very tight for the two qualification places from Group D, and the blow of losing to Serbia will probably have injected just a little more determination in to the German side.

Coach Joachim Low saw his side get off to a blinding start, crushing Australia 4-0. But a missed penalty by Podolski, and a red card for Klose in their second match, saw them lose initiative in Group D. The winner and runner up from Group D will go up against the qualified sides from Group C, England’s group, so there is a huge amount of interest here, as there is a hint of a Germany v England match up in the second round if results go a certain way. Germany will know that they need to push on, and they will be prepared for a physical battle from Ghana. Low has assembled the youngest squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and they play with a lot of adventure and enthusiasm, qualities which could trouble any side. It should certainly trouble Ghana, as Germany will carry the bigger goal scoring threat into the match, with Brazilian born Cacau likely to start up front in the absence of Klose. There does not seem to be any panic coming out of the German camp about their situation, and they will be confident. They have the youthful legs and energy to run all day, but will that missing touch of experience which would have come from Michael Ballack, cost them dearly?

Germany World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: W1, D0, L1
GF/GA: 4/1
Cards: Y5, R1
Most Shots: Lukas Podolski, 9
Top Scorer: Four players, 1
Shots/On Goal: 31/14
Fouls Committed: 29
Total Passes: 1188
Pass Completion: 79%

Ghana

Do Ghana have the fitness levels to keep up with Germany when it comes down to the closing matches of this vital World Cup match? There is probably not another team which have higher fitness levels than the disciplined Germans, and that really could pay off in the long run for the European side. While Ghana have one of the youngest sides at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, they are drafting in two of their most experienced heads for the crucial encounter. John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah should be back at the heart of the Ghana defence after missing their draw against Australia. The draw against the 10 men Aussies could come back to haunt Ghana if they lose to Germany, for that will, more likely than not, cost them a place in the second round. Ghana top Group D by one point over Germany, but need a win to be assured of getting through, as Serbia will be a major threat in the final qualification places in the group. Ghana just have the edge in the standings at the moment, and will enter the match knowing that a point will see them through, but they cannot rest on their laurels and sit back too much. There is a fine line between success and failure.

Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has built a solid Ghana team and has put a lot of faith in his youth, who he used freely at the African Cup of Nations this year. Ghana reached the finals there, but lost to Egypt. Realistically there will be a lot less pressure on Ghana to get through, than there will be on Germany. It is Germany with all of the World Cup history to protect, and Ghana are still considered to be one of the strong emerging nations on the world scene. Both sides are young, energetic and it should be a tough physical encounter. Ghana are not naturally as expansive as the Germans should be, but they will dig in deep and will perhaps have to soak up a lot of pressure, as Germany will be pushing harder for the three points. One point will suffice for Ghana, but it may not secure them top spot if Serbia win as expected. Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan is a hard worker up front, and he will be charged with exposing the Germany back line. It won’t be easy and there is an air of unpredictability due to the inexperience of both sides. This should have been a good match up between Germany’s Michael Ballack and Ghana’s Michael Essien. Both Chelsea men are missing from the tournament, and which team will miss their influential captain the most?

Ghana World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: W1, D1, L0
GF/GA: 2/1
Cards: Y5, R0
Most Shots: Asamoah Gyan, 11
Top Scorer: Asamoah Gyan, 2
Shots/On Goal: 38/9
Fouls Committed: 37
Total Passes: 968
Pass Completion: 75%

Asian Handicap Betting Tip: This could be a tight match with a huge amount at stake. From a World Cup betting point of view, you would naturally lean towards Germany, as they have shown more as an attacking side than Ghana have. Ghana are a solid, tight team though and will be hard to break down. A draw is a plausible outcome here but would lean towards Germany for the win.
Germany -1.75 for 21/10 at Bet365

Current Germany v Ghana Odds:

Betting on the World Cup at Bet365 has Ghana at 4/1 to win Group D, but that price could be influenced by injury news surrounding one of their most influential players. Chelsea’s Michael Essien is nearing the deadline of the announcement of whether he will make the World Cup or not. Essien has been out of action since the turn of the year, after picking up a knee injury while in training for the African Cup of Nations. This meant that the defensive midfielder missed out on Chelsea’s successful double winning season. It has been a long road back from injury from Essien, after aggravating the injury during his rehabilitation. He was expected to be back for the last few games of his club’s league campaign, but further complications kept him fully out of action.

Essien is still working on his fitness and rehabilitation at Chelsea, but is due to sit down for talks with the Ghana FA to see exactly what the situation is with regards to his injury. The officials at Chelsea and Ghana all need to know where his rehabilitation is at, as his club won’t want him to take any risks with his injury, just to get to the finals. All that Essien is hoping for, is for a green light from the medical staff to step on the plane to South Africa, in order to fulfil his duty for his country. The Black Stars do carry a lot of threat in the tournament, but Essien would be a key factor in their progress. World Cup betting tips don’t have Ghana in the picture to win the World Cup, but their progress should be followed closely through the group stages for betting opportunities.

Ghana are in a tough group along with Germany, Serbia and Australia, and betting on Ghana at the World Cup is expecting them to fall into the role of scrapping it out for second place with dark horses Serbia. After relying on their youngsters for the large part of the African Cup of nations, there is an apparent wealth of depth in the Ghana ranks, something which should serve them well. With the tournament being held on the African continent for the first time in history, there could be an extra incentive and drive behind all of the continent’s representatives. Playing in Group D, the runners-up of the group will likely face England in the second round of South Africa 2010.
 

Manager: Milovan Rajevac (Serbian)
Captain: Stephen Appiah
FIFA World Ranking: 38
World Cup Appearances: 1
Best World Cup: Last Sixteen – 2006

Ghana Team Profile

Although the name ‘Ghana’ may not ring too many bells with most part-time international football followers, they have actually been somewhat of a powerhouse nation back in the African continent. Ghana have made 16 appearances in the African Cup of Nations, winning the tournament on five occasions, dominating during the 60′s. However, although they were the team to beat in Africa 50 years ago, they didn’t assert themselves when it came to World Cup qualification, failing to qualify for the World Cup during their most successful period.

Ghana have been an irregular entry into the World Cup, just 1 in fact, and, although they have made regular appearances in the African Cup of Nations, they haven’t actually won the tournament since 1982, over 26 years ago. This huge baron run has reflected in their World Cup bids but their did break their duck and evidentally booked their first World Cup date back in Germany 2006. They arrived in Germany as an unknown quantity and left with many admirers. They shocked most people by bypassing an extremely tough group consisting of USA, Czech Republic & eventual winners Italy.

Ghana were eventually knocked out by Brazil in the last sixteen but it’s clear that Ghana enjoyed their first ever World Cup and their taste for the big stage has aided them in completing a quick fire qualification double for the finals. Ghana were the first African nation, with the exception of the hosts, to qualify for South Africa 2010.

Nickname: The Black Stars

Ghana Key Players

Michael Essien

Michael Essien will be the biggest celebrity in the Ghana camp providing he actually goes. Essien has made a respectable name for himself as being the ‘hard as nails’ defensive-midfielder, who isn’t afraid to get stuck in with a tackle or two. He provides a more than adequate cover over the Chelsea defence, with his main role to break down the forward play of their opponents. For Ghana, though, while he may put his Chelsea responsibilities to good use, Essien does get forward a lot more as so he can support the forwards, while everyone knows Essien can strike a ball very well from distance.

The bad news is, of course, that Essien may not feature due to a knee injury he sustained in the middle of December last year. Essien’s planned return has suffered several setbacks along the way and he could now miss the 2010 finals are a result. 

Stephen Appiah

Appiah captained Ghana in their first ever World Cup and he is set to do the exact same in 2010, but will he match the feat of 2006 which seen Ghana reach the last sixteen. He was actually the player which crushed Czech dreams back in 2006 and it’s obvious that Stephen Appiah loves the mantle of being captain. Appiah has been around the block at club level, mainly in the Italian division, a league where defensive qualities are crucial, and these qualities will be needed if Ghana are to enjoy their second stint in a World Cup.

Strengths

Back in Germany 2006, Ghana were a very solid outfit and an awkward side to break down, as Italy, USA and the Czech’s found out. The Italians were the only one of the three to beat Ghana but even they struggled to break a workmanlike Ghana defence down. Michael Essien & Stephen Appiah are a rigid backbone to an unheard of defensive line while Inter Milan’s Sulley Muntari can also provide an adequate service in the centre of the park. Rarely do Ghana thump sides, they often win games by the odd goal, absorbing the opposition attacks and then hitting them on the break. Ghana will be a frustrating team to play against in the summer, one us English fans hope we don’t draw.

Weaknesses

Their lack of fire-power. During the group stage of qualifying, Ghana never managed more than 3 goals in a single game, and while that may sound a ridiculous thing to say, against the average opponents they were facing, they should of scored a lot more regularly. Ghana are short of quality forwards, with Asamoah Gyan & Matthew Amoah the likely striking partnership for Ghana this summer. The pair average under a goal every other game and, although that may seem an OK average, we must take into consideration that they have come up against some ordinary African nations and not against the quality of defences that will await them in South Africa. It will be a test for their attackers to say the least and one we aren’t sure they’ll pass.

Ghana Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: Africa

Group: D

Position: 1st

Win-Draw-Lose: 4-1-1

Goals Scored: 9

Goals Conceded: 3

World Cup Qualifying statistics:

• Ghana were the first African nation to book their place in the South African World Cup, securing qualification with two games to spare.
• Matthew Amoah finished as Ghana’s top goalscorer during qualifying, scoring a reasonable tally of 5.
• Richard Kingson, the Ghana goalkeeper, was the only player to partake in each of Ghana’s 12 qualifying encounters.
• Ghana received 17 yellow cards during qualification, an average of 1.42, but didn’t receive a single red card. Perhaps their new Serbian coach has installed discipline into the Ghana ranks.

World Cup Potential: 2/5

Ghana will be a difficult group opponent, with their awkward set up and style of play, but their solid tactics won’t be good enough against sides that will punish them if given half-a-chance. Their defence will frustrate opposing teams and should earn them a few points in the group, but their apparent lack of fire-power does leave them extremely vulnerable against the better sides. Expect the Midfielders to chip in with a few this summer.

Ghana World Cup Betting Odds

Ghana to win the World Cup: 40/1 Sportingbet

Before the World Cup the odds on Ghana were 100/1 

Official Ghana World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Richard Kingston (Wigan)

Daniel Adjei (Liberty Professional)

Stephen Ahorlu (Heart of Lions)

Defenders

Samuel Inkoom (Basel)

Hans Sarpei (Bayer Leverkusen)

Lee Addy (Bechem Chelsea)

John Mensah (Sunderland)

Ibrahim Ayew (Zamalek Cairo)

Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim)

John Paintsil (Fulham)

Jonathan Mensah (Granada)

Midfielders

Dede Ayew (Arles)

Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese)

Stephen Appiah (Bologna)

Anthony Annan (Rosenborg)

Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan)

Quincy Owusu Abeyie (Al Sadd, Qatar)

Derek Boateng (Getafe)

Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth)

Strikers

Prince Tagoe (Hoffenheim)

Asamoah Gyan (Rennes)

Dominic Adiyiah (AC Milan)

Matthew Amoah (NAC Breda)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Ghana Fixtures – Group D

26/06 – 19.30 – Round of the last 16: Ghana – USA: 2-1 AET

02/07 – 19.30 – Quarter Finals: Ghana – Uruguay

World Cup Group D - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

World Cup Group of Ghana