Even though they clinched the 1963 and 1978 titles on home soil, Ghana suffered a disappointing campaign in 2000 when they last co-hosted the event with Nigeria. However, this time around, the Ghanaians have more than a reason to believe that their team is capable of equaling Egypt's record of five African titles. The host nation potentially has an automatic home advantage, but the quality of players in the Ghanaian squad is the interesting aspect of this year's Nations Cup. The likes of Michael Essien, Sulley Ali Muntari and captain Stephen Appiah guided the Black Stars to their first ever World Cup appearance in Germany 2006. But the latter will be hugely missed in Ghana's quest to win the African title after he was forced out of the tournament due to injury. Though, he was named in the final squad, a decision that highlights his important role off the pitch. The relatively young side, which almost possesses no players over 30 years old, should have learned a tough lesson from their disappointing campaign in the last Nations Cup. Ghana were eliminated from the first round of the 2006 edition in Egypt, trailing Senegal by just one goal in a deadly Group D, also including Nigeria. Manager: Claude LeRoy LeRoy is a manager with vast experience in the Dark Continent, having coached Cameroon (twice), Senegal and DR Congo in previous Nations Cups.
Essien The Frenchman reached his peak in his first spell with the Indomitable Lions, guiding them to second place in the 1986 Nations Cup in Egypt, before clinching the title two years later in Morocco. He led Senegal to the quarter-finals in the 1992 competition on home soil, but was tackled by his former employers Cameroon, who beat the Taranga Lions 1-0. In Egypt 2006, LeRoy guided DR Congo to the quarter-finals, where they soundly lost 4-1 to hosts and eventual champions Egypt in the last eight stage. The 59-year-old had spells with clubs like Strasbourg, Grenoble and Amiens in France, and has also managed UAE's Al-Shabab in 1985. Star Player: Michael Essien He is simply one of the few world class defensive midfielders of this era, with his tremendous stamina and enormous work rate in midfield. Essien's true beginnings were in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in New Zealand, after which he was acquired by French Ligue 1 side Bastia in July 2000. Three years later he joined Lyon, where he won two straight Ligue 1 titles and developed into a top class midfielder also capable of performing at the heart of defense. In August 2005, Chelsea signed Essien for a then club record fee of £24.4 million, and the 25-year-old established himself as a main figure in the Blues' midfield under the management of Jose Mourinho. He was part of Chelsea's 2005-2006 Premiership winning team, and was voted as Chelsea Player of the Year for the 2006-07 season by the fans. Essien made his Ghana debut in the 2002 Nations Cup, and has been influential for the Black Stars ever since.
