Friendly
matches leading up to the World Cup can often be misleading, although
it certainly appears that Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has been
setting up his team not to concede goals or lose matches. The Black
Stars' last four competitive games all finished with a 1-0
scoreline and they have also been involved in recent goalless draws
with Malawi and Angola.
The
Ghanaians will deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation with Asamoah Gyan feeding
off scraps in attack and they will see a low-scoring draw as a
successful result in this Group D opener. Similarly, Serbia's
strength is in defence where they yielded just eight goals in ten
qualifying matches. Although Vladimir Stojkovic is unconvincing, he
is protected by the spine of Stankovic, Vidic and Ivanovic.
It's
possible that the Serbians could edge this game, although the fear of
defeat might mean we see a cagey opening to the game and it's hard
to see the goal tally reaching three.
PREDICTION:
UNDER 2.5 GOALS @ 1.57 with LADBROKES
Power Rating
Squad (3/5)
Apart from Nemanja Vidic, there is nobody who is truly world class but they have a number of extremely effective performers.
Squad (3/5)
It is better than any other African side. Ghana can field a very strong first team, albeit one that is weak in attack but it is susceptible to injury, especially to its midfield powerhouse.
Coach (4/5)
Just when it seemed Raddy Antic’s colourful and illustrious coaching career would fade out; he has proved the virtues that made him briefly one of Spain’s most sought-after managers.
Coach (2.5/5)
There are many followers of African football who feel the federation could have done a lot better than someone whose main level of expertise was qualifying minor Serb sides for the Uefa Cup.
Attack (3/5)
A mixed bag but who showed in qualification their ability to seize and hold their opportunities. They might struggle against defences of the highest quality and all three of their opponents have good back-fours.
Attack (2/5)
A lot of Ghana’s play is reliant on breaks from midfield and Matthew Amoah is not quite good enough to shoulder the whole burden alone. The early rounds of the Africa Cup of Nations were not encouraging.
Defence (3/5)
This is Vidic’s chance to show Real Madrid and Barcelona who have spent all season attempting to secure his services, just what he is capable of. His encounter with Miroslav Klose will not be for the faint-hearted.
Defence (3.5/5)
One Rajevac’s real achievements has been to tighten up and toughen up the Ghana back-four and the midfielders who play in front of them. As the Czech Republic and the United States discovered, once Ghana are in front they are hard to peg back.