The 2022 World Cup Teams Group H – Ghana
Ghana will participate in the 2022 World Cup finals for the fourth time.
In 2006, they reached the last 16, where they lost to the top favourites Brazil. Four years later, the team coached by Milovan Rajevac reached the quarter-finals – a defeat in a penalty shoot-out against Uruguay prevented them from reaching the semi-finals. When Ghana qualified again in 2014, they found themselves in a group with the eventual world cup winners Germany. Ghana was the only team in the tournament not to lose to Germany. Nevertheless, they were eliminated in the preliminary round. The team did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Ghana’s team is currently ranked 60th in the FIFA world rankings.
The road to qualification
In Group G of the second qualifying phase, CAF Ghana faced Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. In the end, a single more goal scored decided who won the group – South Africa and Ghana both had the same number of points and the same goal difference – but Ghana scored 7 goals, South Africa 6.
In the decisive play-off match, Ghana faced highly favoured Nigeria. Both games ended in a draw – since CAF, unlike UEFA, had not yet abolished the away goals rule, a 1-1 draw was enough for Ghana in the second leg, having previously drawn 0-0 at home.
Stars
The star of the team is Arsenal London defensive midfielder Thomas Partey. Around the 28-year-old, Ghana have a number of highly talented players such as 20-year-old left winger Kamaldeen Sulemana of Stade Rennes, 21-year-old attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus of Ajax Amsterdam and 18-year-old winger Issahaku Fatawu of Sporting Lisbon.
Coach
At least until after the World Cup, the team will be coached by former international Otto Addo. Addo is best known as a player with Hannover 96, Borussia Dortmund and FSV Mainz 05. At Borussia M’Gladbach, Hamburger SV and Borussia Dortmund he worked as an assistant coach and youth coach. He has not yet coached a professional team, but has a lot of experience, especially with young players. His preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1.
Best line-up
Lawrence Ati-Zigi (FC St.Gallen) – Dennis Odoi (FC Bruges), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Alexander Djiku (Racing Strasbourg), Gideon Mensah (Girondins Bordeaux) – Iddrisu Baba (RCD Mallorca), Thomas Partey (Arsenal London) – Kamaldeen Sulemana (Stade Rennes), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Issahaku Fatawu (Sporting Lisbon)
World Cup 2022
Ghana has been drawn into Group H and will face Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea. The game against Uruguay, in particular, has aroused a lot of interest in Ghana, as they remembered the 2010 World Cup when they met the South Americans in the quarter-finals and had a clear goal-scoring opportunity thwarted by Luis Suarez in goalkeeper style. Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty just before the end of extra time. Ghana has not yet overcome this trauma.
Portugal seems too overpowering in the group. The Portuguese have produced an astonishing amount of new talent in recent years and no longer rely solely on Cristiano Ronaldo.
Both South Korea and Uruguay, on the other hand, are teams Ghana could beat with the same discipline they showed against Nigeria. Both Uruguay and South Korea’s game is heavily tailored to their stars Heung-Min Son and Luis Suarez. Ghana, on the other hand, will rely on the team unity and team spirit of Otto Addo.
Bet365 is currently offering odds of 3.25 for Ghana to advance to the next round. Ghana’s opponents in a possible round of 16 could then be Brazil, however – in which case Ghana will need an extremely good day to prevail.
Other teams in Group H:
