2022 World Cup: Ghana’s Black Stars going for Africa’s pride

Black Stars of Ghana are going to Qatar to play their fourth World Cup tournament. As four-time AFCON champions, the side can boast of quality raw talents like Tariq Lamptey, Thomas Partey, and the Ayew brothers – Andre and Jordan among other players.

Ghana are in group H with Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea and while it is a very difficult group, Ghanaians might want to get revenge on Uruguay who stopped them in the quarter-finals in 2010.

The West African team display passion, skills and cohesion when playing, and this will count for them when they are utilised in the competition. Surprises do happen in the world of football, and Otto Ado’s side have the capacity to pull strings of surprise.

Players to watch out for:
Name: Andre Ayew
Current club: Al Sadd
Position: Forward
Age: 32-year-old

Andre Ayew is a talented and experienced player who plays as a winger or supporting striker, sometimes. He’s the most capped player in the squad having 23 goals in 110 games.

Ayew has the capacity to threaten and punish opposing defenders with dribbles and take-ons. He also has the technicality in offering passes and can play shots. Being the captain, he also displays leadership skills that can help the team on the pitch.

Name: Thomas Partey
Current club: Arsenal
Position: Midfielder
Age: 29-year-old

Thomas Partey is a defensive midfielder with quality experience in marking out enemies for the purpose of protecting his defenders, and he’s displayed a lot of energy and skills in doing this over the years. His passing accuracy is commendable and attackers can rely on him for good connectivity.

He has played 40 games in which he has 13 goals for Ghana. Partey was the Best Ghanaian Player for two consecutive years – 2018 and 2019 which was because of his great performance which he can bring up again in Qatar.

Name: Jordan Ayew
Current club: Crystal Palace
Position: Forward
Age: 31-year-old

Jordan Ayew plays as a striker and he does so with precision, physicality and skills that are enough to terrorise defenders. He can also play as a midfielder with the technicality of holding the ball and also initiating an attack.

Andre’s brother has played 84 matches for Ghana and scored 19 goals. His ability to position well for the ball and also assist other forwards is what Otto Addo’s side needs to excel in Qatar.

Coach
Name: Otto Addo
Position: Manager
Age: 47-year-old

Otto Addo is participating in the World Cup for the first time as coach, and he knows he has a Herculean task in Qatar. He understands his players and knows their abilities but his tactical disposition would determine how far he will go in the tournament.

Ghana’s rivals in the group stage are big teams from three different continents – Europe, South America and Asia, but the Black Stars have the capacity to make Africa proud if Addo blends the crop of players up with tactics.