Ghana
Qualified: Winners of Group 5 (in second round), Winners of Group D (in third round)
Best World Cup finish: Last 16: 2006
FIFA Ranking: 32
Odds for 2010: 100/1
Ghana successfully negotiated two rounds of qualifying to secure their place in the first ever African based World Cup and also a place at their second consecutive tournament following their run to the last-16 of the 2006 tournament before being eliminated by five time winners Brazil.
Like Germany, Ghana have been robbed of their star player, the versatile Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, who will miss the tournament having sustained a knee injury during ‘the Black Stars’ African Cup of Nations campaign in January 2010, an injury that ruled him out of the rest of his club’s domestic campaign and which ultimately ended his World Cup chances, with a recovery estimated for late in July.
In his absence, the responsibility of his role in the side will be spread across the rest of the side, with Essien’s all-round midfield contribution regarded as almost impossible to replace. (more…)
