Ghana at the Qatar World Cup 2022

It is 17 days to the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. While fans are hurrying to get the front row seats to cheer their team to glory, the qualified teams are ready to put on the show and fight for the biggest football trophy, the players are primed to shine like the stars in the sky.

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One team that is ready to shine like a star not just because of what they are called but because they are ready to light up the world will be the Black Stars of Ghana. The Ghanian national team will be one of the five African countries carrying and flying the African colours at the World Cup.

The Black Stars missed out at the 2018 World Cup in Russia after enjoying the feel of the mundial three times consecutively in Germany (2006), South Africa (2010) and Brazil (2014). Having knocked out one of Africa’s top teams, the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Ghana will be looking to build on that stride to have a fantastic outing when the tournament begins on the 20th November.

With a number of good outings in the past: a Round of 16 finish at 2006 World Cup in Germany and a quarter finals belt in 2010 in South Africa, the newly assembled team of Ghana will be hoping to take inspirations from the two events as they go into the tournament with high hopes of belief and confidence to repeat the feats of the older generation.

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Despite being the first African country to gain independence in 1957, Ghana did not make an appearance at the World Cup until 2006. Although they were crowned African champions four times within that period - 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982, qualifying for the biggest football tournament just kept eluding them.

But like they say, delay is not denial. Ghana will be making its 4th appearance at the FIFA World Cup having just missed once in the last 5 editions. At their debut in Germany 2006, they had the youngest squad in the tournament with an average age of 23 years and 352 days. In spite of the young team, Ghana pulled through to the round of 16 where they lost to the then holders Brazil.

A consecutive qualification saw them play at South Africa 2010 where they were the only African side to get to the round of 16 and quarterfinals but were knocked out by Uruguay on penalties after Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez had controversially handled a goal bound attempt from Asamoah Gyang in extra time.

The third appearance at Brazil 2014 did not go as planned as the Black Stars were booted out in the group stages with no win and two loses. With a return for a 4th appearance in 2022, the team will be looking to make another record for itself at the world stage.

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Asamoah Gyang holds the record of the player to have represented Ghana at three different World Cup alongside Sulley Muntari. However, Gyang remains the only player to have played the most matches - 11 for Ghana at the FIFA World Cup.

The Ghanian legend is followed closely by teammates Richard Kingson, John Paintsil and Sulley Muntari who are all on 9. John Mensah and Kwadwo Asamoah played 8 matches while Stephen Appiah and Kevin-Prince Boateng managed 7 matches to their belts.

Andre Ayew will be hoping to break the records as he is currently on 7 games and if Ghana do get to the quarter finals, he would be ranking number 1 on the list with 12 matches.

The Ghanian captain will also have eyes on the goal scoring record of Asamoah Gyang for Ghana at the World Cup. Gyang remains the country’s highest goal scorer at the mundial with 6 goals while Andre Ayew and Sulley Muntari remain the closest to him with 2 goals each.

Stephen Appiah, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Haminu Draman are the other goal scorers for Ghana at the World Cup.

There might be new faces in the Ghanian 2022 World Cup squad as so many players have switched allegiances to play for the Ghana national team at the mundial. Players like Premier League based Tariq Lamptey, Eddie Nketiah and La Liga striker, Inaki Williams are a few of the new faces expected to be on the plane for Ghana.

Pending last minute injuries, a large number of the players who qualified the team for the World Cup would get on the list as well. Although the official team list is yet to be released but here is a predicted squad that will fly high the flag of Ghana at the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup:

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• Abdul Nurudeen, Eupen;
• Richard Ofori, Orlando Pirates;
• Joe Wollacott, Charlton Athletic;

• Daniel Amartey, Leicester City;
• Joseph Aidoo, Celta Vigo;
• Alexander Dijku, Strasbourg;
• Tariq Lamptey, Brighton/Hove Albion;
• Gideon Mensah, AJ Auxerre;
• Denis Odoi, Club Brugge;
• Mohamed Salisu, Southampton;
• Baba Rahman, Reading;
• Alidu Seidu, Clermont Foot;

• Majeed Ashimeru, Anderlecht;
• Iddrisu Baba, Mallorca;
• Mohammed Kudus, Ajax;
• Daniel Kofi-Kyereh, Freiburg;
• Thomas Partey, Arsenal;

• Felix Afena-Gyan, Cremonese;
• Andre Ayew, Al Sadd;
• Jordan Ayew, crystal Palace;
• Osman Bukari, Red Star Belgrade;
• Joel Fameyeh, Rubin kazan;
• Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, sporting CP;
• Joseph Paintstil, Genk;
• Kamaldeen Sulemana, Rennes;
• Inaki Williams, Eddie Nketiah, Arsenal;
• Callum Hudson-Odoi;

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Otto Addo played as an attacking midfielder as a footballer and did grace the German football scene during his active days. He played all through his career in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, Hamburger SV, Mainz 05 and Hannover 96. Despite being eligible to play for the German national team as he was born in Germany, Addo opted to play for Ghana where he had 15 caps with 2 goals between 1999 and 2006.

Addo was part of the squad that represented Ghana in their debut World Cup in 2006. He was involved in the wins against Czech Republic and USA in the group stages. The World Cup was the last time he donned a Ghanian jersey and in 2008, he retired from football at 38.

The attacking midfielder started his coaching career in 2009 with Hamburger SV. Since then, he served in different capacities as a talent coach, youth coach and assistant coach at Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

The German born was brought into the Ghana fold as first, the national team head scout between 2013 and 2015 and was later appointed as assistant coach in 2021. Following a disappointing outing at the 2021 African Cup of Nations, Addo was later announced as interim head coach of the Black Stars for the World Cup qualifiers play-offs game against Nigeria. His success at the play-offs led him to being appointed as the head coach of the national team and he will work alongside Chris Hughton, former Brighton and Hove Albion manager.

The Qatar 2022 World Cup will be his first major tournament with the national team and with all of playing experience, he will be hoping to lead his country to glory at the mundial.

Ghana are drawn in one of the difficult groups at the World Cup and fans have been double minded on if they can make it out of the group stages. However for a team full of quality like Ghana’s, there is every possibility that they can make it out of the group despite facing one of the tournament’s favourites in Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.

With the addition of the new boys into the squad, the team will want to put behind them the shambolic performance at the 2021 African Cup of Nations earlier this year and show the world that if well harnessed, there is quality in the team.

For an African country, the records are there to be set and broken but will the Ghanian side go all the way is under very a huge maybe but very doable.

The Black stars will have a daunting task in their group - Group H as they will face Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea. Their first game of the group will be against the Portuguese; this will be a very hard task for Addo’s men as they will be hoping to have a good start to the tournament.

The team does carry hopes into the tournament and to earn a place into the knockout stage, here is how they will be fighting for the points in Qatar, time is in West African format.

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