Like Slovenia, this is a team that must still be kicking itself for having passed up the opportunity to virtually seal qualification for the knockout stages by failing to beat an Australia side reduced to 10 men. Ghana’s chief problem has been an inability to find the net –so far both their goals have come from penalties given for handball. The other question manager, Milovan Rajevac, will have to decide upon is whether to keep faith with goalkeeper, Richard Kingson, whose error cost Ghana a precious two points. 

Germany are still favourites to go thorugh but their defeat by Serbia has meant they will be cutting things very fine in Soccer City, especially since their World Cup talisman, Miroslav Klose will be suspended. This will also be Germany’s first taste of playing at altitude which is a detail that cannot be overlooked. Manager, Joachim Low, may have to trust Mario Gomez to partner Lukas Podolski in attack in a match which will be a nervy affair for the World Cup’s most ice-cold performers.

The only previous meeting between Ghana and Germany ended with a 6-1 defeat for the Black Stars who are the only African team with a realistic chance of going through to the second round in the first World Cup staged on African soil. That will put pressure on them, although this is a young, exciting but inexperienced Germany side that may be liable to panic if things go wrong. In Euro 2008 they lost their second group game, to Croatia, but still qualified. They are likely to do the same this time. Verdict: Germany to win.