Ghana's ambition has never been higher than nowadays, as a mixture of experienced players who ply their trade in Europe and 2009 youth World Cup winners gives the Black Stars a real motive to make history. Over the last decade Africa has nurtured a host of top-notch players who proved their worth with the most powerful clubs on the globe, however; the prospect that an African team will actually compete for the World Cup title has always been a bit of a pipe dream. But the Ghanaians are adamant that the sky's the limit to what they can achieve in the gigantic competition this year. "We are not going to South Africa just to play football and be counted," said president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Kwesi Nyantakyi. "We have gained enough experience and are poised to go far. We are therefore going for the ultimate. "With Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari and John Paintsil, who play actively in Europe, it is possible that Ghana can conquer the world." However, the Ghanaians have received a severe blow with the news that influential midfielder Essien is ruled out of the World Cup due to injury.
Essien out This leaves the likes of Asamoah Gyan, Stephen Appiah and Muntari to represent the experience factor, while the youngsters fuel the Ghanaian team with enthusiasm. Samuel Inkoom, one of the 2009 youth World Cup winning starlets, echoed Nyantakyi's sentiment, saying Ghana have what it takes to return from South Africa in triumph. "I'm certain that we can go all the way in South Africa," the 21-year-old said. "We have the necessary quality and have a great chance of winning the World Cup. It's not going to be easy by any stretch, but we're in it to win it." Road to South Africa Ghana, who finished as runners-up in this year's African Cup of Nations after losing 1-0 to Egypt in the final, were the first African team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Milovan Rajevac's side booked their place in the South Africa finals after scoring four opening victories in the final round of the qualifiers. They didn't concede a single goal in any of the four matches.
Ghana crowned U-20 World Champions The West Africans were not that dominant during the first round, having topped their group on goal difference over Gabon and Libya after losing to both teams. How they play Ghana have always been renowned for their enjoyable free-flowing football but this time they will be showing more defensive cautiousness. Coach Rajevac, who believes in 'winning football', is looking to plot a strategy that shall keep opposition strikers at bay and maintain his team's firepower at the same time during the World Cup. "One of the first things the coach wanted to do was bring a bit more balance to our game," explains defender Eric Addo. "He didn't change our style of play but just emphasized a more defensive approach. "We're now a bit more involved all over the pitch – everyone's aware of the importance of defending from the front, everyone shares in the work." In midfield, Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince Boateng could be the deputy for Essien, joining Anthony Annan and Andre Ayew.
