With Ghana Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, claiming the Black Stars can win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, HITC Sport look back at their 2010 path to the quarter-finals.
Ghana became the third and most recent African country to progress to the quarter-finals of a Fifa World Cup during the tournament in South Africa 12 years ago. Only Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 had previously advanced through to be one of the last eight left.
Global success has continued to allude African nations in the following two World Cups, as well, with no country advancing beyond the final 16. Algeria and Nigeria made it out of the group stage in Brazil in 2014, but none of the five African nations featuring in 2018 could.
Mustapha Ussif issues claim for Ghana success at 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar
Ghana Minister of Youth and Sports, Ussif, is now confident that the Black Stars can go two better than in 2010 and became the first African nation to win a Fifa World Cup later in the year, when Qatar hosts the footballing world with the first tournament in the Middle East.
“As a football powerhouse of Africa, Ghana is hopeful and believing that, Insha Allah, come November-December, we will be bringing the trophy back here to Ghana as the champions of the football family,” Ussif explained, via quotes by Ghana Soccer Net.
“We are very hopeful and we have a plan with the key stakeholders of the sports industry to put our plans together. So, we have the belief that, Insha Allah, in December, the Stars will shine in Qatar.”
So, with Ussif sensing a chance to cement Ghana’s name in the history books, HITC Sport take a look back at their path to the quarter-finals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa…
Asamoah Gyan starts to shine for Ghana as Australia comeback fell narrowly short
Ghana were among a tournament-high six African nations to play at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Rainbow Nation entered the tournament as the hosts, while five sides in the Confederation of African Football have qualified since the 1998 expansion to 32 teams.
All five African countries who had to qualify were placed in Pot 3 for the group stage draw, while South Africa joined the top-seven ranked nations in Pot 1. Fifa would ultimately draw Ghana in Group D, with at the time three-time winners Germany plus Australia and Serbia.
A match with Serbia at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria – one of South Africa’s three capital cities – would kick off Ghana’s tournament. And it seemed set for the fixture to end in a goalless draw until Asamoah Gyan stepped up to convert a penalty in the 85th-minute.
Zdravko Kuzmanovic handled the ball inside the box while attempting to clear a dangerous cross, before Gyan emphatically thumped the ball home. The goal was richly warranted for the Black Stars, who dominated the midfield battle all game and created plenty of chances.
Even though Ghana boss Milovan Rajevac omitted Sulley Muntari from his engine room in favour of Kevin-Prince Boateng, recording only his second appearance. Inexperience would then cost the Black Stars in their second fixture, as they failed to beat a 10-man Australia.
Harry Kewell hindered the Socceroos’ hopes of beating Ghana, as the former Liverpool star earned a first-half red card for a handball on the goal-line. It allowed Gyan his chance to hit home a second penalty in as many games, and pull the Black Stars level to take a 1-1 draw.
A final fixture defeat to Germany, as Mesut Ozil settled the match in spectacular fashion at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, was not enough to stop Ghana advancing from the group stage as runners-up. The Black Stars edged Australia by virtue of just goal difference.
Ghana require extra time to eliminate the USA from the Round of 16
Pipping Australia to progress from Group D meant Ghana would face Group C winners, the United States of America, in the final 16. The countries would travel to the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg for the fixture, and would need extra-time to settle who advanced.
Ghana were the only remaining African country, after seeing South Africa, Algeria, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Cameroon depart in the group stage. And Price-Boateng put the Black Stars on course for a quarter-final spot early with the midfielder scoring after five minutes.
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Boateng – then of Portsmouth – picked the pocket of USA midfielder Ricardo Clark deep in American territory. He would then produce the first of many telling charges from deep and beat Tim Howard, who ought to have done better, from 18-yards out with a left-foot shot.
Further errors from the USA allowed Ghana chances to stretch their margin, but each went to waste. Ultimately, each would cost the Black Stars, as Jonathan Mensah clumsily fouled Clint Dempsey in the box and afforded Landon Donavon his chance to score from the spot.
Donavon needed the woodwork to find the back of the net, and send the tie to extra-time. It could all have been over for Ghana in regular time, too, had Richard Kingson not rushed off his line to keep Jozy Altidore out after the Black Stars had lost all of their early momentum.
Long balls over the top continued to cause Ghana issues in extra-time, whilst Altidore also found a new level. Yet Gyan stepped up in the third-minute to be the hero again, showing strength and composure to ignore two defenders and bury the ball in from an acute angle.
Luis Suarez handball denied Ghana quarter-final glory at 2010 World Cup
Ghana managed to hold on and beat the United States for a quarter-final date at the 2010 World Cup with Uruguay, who overcame South Korea in the Round of 16. But the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg was again the venue for a Black Stars defeat on July 2.
Sully Muntari gave Ghana reason to believe their dreams could come true during first-half stoppage-time, as the former Portsmouth and AC Milan ace fired from 40-yards out on the stroke of the interval. But Ghana’s lead would only last 10 minutes into the second period.
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Uruguay responded to going a goal down with the introduction of Nicolas Lodeiro and set out in search of an equaliser immediately. Edinson Cavani felt he should have won his side a penalty, before Diego Forlan smashed in a free-kick from a wide angle to level the score.
La Celeste continued to probe for a winning goal, with Forlan twice hitting the side netting and Luis Suarez also coming close. Yet it was the Black Stars who carved the best chances to lead come extra-time, with Andres Scotti blocking Gyan and almost scoring an own goal.
Gyan’s attempt and Scotti’s near mistake gave Ghana renewed hope, and they dominated the closing stages. Then, in the closing stages and with Uruguay exhausted, Steven Appiah tried his luck but Suarez was in his way. Then it came the turn of Dominic Adiyiah to shoot.
But, again, Suarez got in the way, yet this time illegally as the forward deliberately put his hand out to deny a final second goal. His act merited a straight red card and gave Ghana a chance to become the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of any World Cup finals.
Yet it was not to be, as Gyan – after all of his heroics from 12-yards out earlier in the South Africa tournament – skimmed the top of the crossbar. He then made amends in the shoot-out to score the Black Stars’ first hit, whilst Appiah also converted to keep the win in reach.
But misses from Mensah and Adiyiah meant Sebastian Abreu could win the match with the fifth Uruguay spot-kick. The forward was a second-half substitute for Cavani during regular time, and showed ice-cool composure to chip home and cause the Black Stars heartbreak.
What happened to Ghana after 2010 World Cup heartbreak?
Ghana would respond to their heartbreak in South Africa at the hands of Uruguay through qualifying for the 2014 World Cup hosted by Brazil. But the Black Stars could not replicate the heroics from four years earlier, as they crashed out during the group stage in fourth.
A 2-1 defeat to the United States, a 2-2 draw with Germany and a 2-1 loss to Portugal put Ghana bottom of Group G. They would then even fail to qualify for the last World Cup in Russia in 2018, having only finished in third during their four-team CAF qualifying group.
Qatar will now mark the return of Ghana to a World Cup finals after beating Nigeria during a play-off this March. The Black Stars progressed on away goals through Thomas Partey in a 1-1 result, having drawn both meetings – including a goalless stalemate during the first-leg.
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