It’s matchday here in Doha, Qatar, and journalists and fans in designated Ghana camps are preparing for what for all intends and purposes should be a good game for the Ghana Black Stars against South Korea.
If the defeat against Portugal was down to luck and unfair officiating then today’s game against less-fancied South Korea should be an easier route for Ghana’s first three points of the 2022 World Cup.
The first half of the game against Portugal was drab and insipid largely due to Ghana’s conservative approach which stemmed from the concession that Portugal was the better team technically and would be suicidal a move.
But the second half of the game, triggered by Cristiano Ronaldo’s much-disputed penalty sprung some life into the game with Ghana showing a display that has become the source of hope for many Ghanaians and supporters of the Black Stars that there are goals in this team and that with little tweaks and cutting out of elementary errors, victory against South Korea should not be an unreachable feat.
Unlike Ghana, the Koreans picked a point in their game against Uruguay in a match that recorded no shot on target. Quite boring, innit?
Ghana Team News
From coach Otto Addo’s press conference on Sunday, there are no injury worries so he has a full house of 26 players to pick from.
Earlier reports about fitness issues regarding Alidu Seidu and Andre Ayew have been doused and both are in contention for their second game of the 2022 World Cup.
South Korea Team News
Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan is out with a hamstring injury. The 26-year-old was an unused sub on Thursday against Uruguay.
What the coaches have said
Otto Addo
Black Stars coach addressed the press on Sunday and was buoyant about the chances of his team heading into the game.
“I can’t talk about the game plan for tomorrow, but I have an idea of what we are going to do,” Addo said at the pre-match presser.
“We will try to stop every offense against Korea. Son is a very good player; I know him because I worked with him in Germany.”
Paulo Bento
Paulo Bento, Head Coach of South Korea says defeating Ghana will be a difficult task for his side to accomplish.
He said “ I would love the players to feel the way I do, but I know they are from a different culture”.
Key players
Mohammed Kudus
Thomas Partey might be the biggest name on the Ghanaian list but Mohammed Kudus has consistently proven to be the much-more important player for Ghana.
The Ajax man was outstanding against Portugal and Otto Addo will be relying on him to make another impression in this game.
Son Heung-Min
The hopes of South Korea rest on the shoulders of Son and he will be a headache for the Ghanaian defense.
In 105 games for his country, Son has scored 35 times.
Head-to-Head
The two nations have played nine times with very even outcomes. It's an exact split so far - with both sides sharing four wins each, with a single draw.
Ghana crushed South Korea 4-0 the last time they faced off in 2014. Jordan Ayew bagged a hat trick in that game
Mohammed Kudus and Son Heung-Min