Ghana: We Will Carry The Flag For Africa
Ghana are hoping to ride an historic African wave all the way to the FIFA World Cup Final.
Defender Jonathan Mensah says his team cannot wait for their quarter-final against Uruguay in Soccer City, Johannesburg, on Friday after putting out the United States 2-1 after extra-time in the Royal Bafokeng stadium last night.
Ghana are only the third African team to reach a FIFA World Cup quarter-final after Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 and they intend to approach their last-eight tie in exactly the same way they beat the United States, by showing no fear.
Mensah said: "All the other African teams are out and all Africa is looking to us. We are not worried about Uruguay. We weren't worried about the USA. We played them and won so we are going to do the same thing."
Ghana have been accused of being too defensive, playing with just one striker in Asamoah Gyan, but Fulham's John Pantsil said: "I don't think there is anything to change in our game. We are going to stay with our game plan - just relax and play our normal, good football and keep our positions and heads together and keep our discipline.
"We play as a team. The coach wants one to play up front so we have to stick to that. If we are tactically indisciplined on the pitch we won't succeed."
When Landon Donovan scored from the penalty spot in the second half to wipe out Kevin-Prince Boateng's early strike for the Black Stars, it looked as if the USA were going to pull off yet another comeback.
Asamoah Gyan had other ideas, crashing home a spectacular winner three minutes into extra-time after shaking off the challenge of USA captain Carlos Bocanegra.
It saw the American team, which had been described by Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac as a potential "footballing superpower," taking an early flight home, just as they had done four years ago when Ghana also defeated them in the final game of the group phase.
After finishing top of Group C above England, Donovan, in particular, viewed it as a missed opportunity. The Los Angeles Galaxy star said: "We were extremely fit and when we scored they were down. We thought if anyone was going to score a second goal it was going to be us. But they made a great play and that was all that was in it."
Donovan, who scored three goals in the four matches, said: "I am very proud of how I played and I can hold my head high and I am very proud of the team. We did a good job. You can't win every game. Ghana are a very good team.
"I'm not sure they had a real chance in the second half. We feel we should have won this game. It was not a team we felt we should have lost to."
Ghana, however, were a revelation. They had scored just two goals in the group phase, both from the penalty spot to beat Serbia and to draw against Australia. But their team bond was obvious from their group huddles before the game, at half-time and again at the end.
Rajevac said: "Ghana are now among the eight best teams in the world. This is fantastic. When we reached the final of the African Nations Cup the boys learned how to compete. That is the most important thing and I now hope Ghana will go further." - FIFA .com
Source: Daily Graphic.
Defender Jonathan Mensah says his team cannot wait for their quarter-final against Uruguay in Soccer City, Johannesburg, on Friday after putting out the United States 2-1 after extra-time in the Royal Bafokeng stadium last night.
Ghana are only the third African team to reach a FIFA World Cup quarter-final after Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 and they intend to approach their last-eight tie in exactly the same way they beat the United States, by showing no fear.
Mensah said: "All the other African teams are out and all Africa is looking to us. We are not worried about Uruguay. We weren't worried about the USA. We played them and won so we are going to do the same thing."
Ghana have been accused of being too defensive, playing with just one striker in Asamoah Gyan, but Fulham's John Pantsil said: "I don't think there is anything to change in our game. We are going to stay with our game plan - just relax and play our normal, good football and keep our positions and heads together and keep our discipline.
"We play as a team. The coach wants one to play up front so we have to stick to that. If we are tactically indisciplined on the pitch we won't succeed."
When Landon Donovan scored from the penalty spot in the second half to wipe out Kevin-Prince Boateng's early strike for the Black Stars, it looked as if the USA were going to pull off yet another comeback.
Asamoah Gyan had other ideas, crashing home a spectacular winner three minutes into extra-time after shaking off the challenge of USA captain Carlos Bocanegra.
It saw the American team, which had been described by Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac as a potential "footballing superpower," taking an early flight home, just as they had done four years ago when Ghana also defeated them in the final game of the group phase.
After finishing top of Group C above England, Donovan, in particular, viewed it as a missed opportunity. The Los Angeles Galaxy star said: "We were extremely fit and when we scored they were down. We thought if anyone was going to score a second goal it was going to be us. But they made a great play and that was all that was in it."
Donovan, who scored three goals in the four matches, said: "I am very proud of how I played and I can hold my head high and I am very proud of the team. We did a good job. You can't win every game. Ghana are a very good team.
"I'm not sure they had a real chance in the second half. We feel we should have won this game. It was not a team we felt we should have lost to."
Ghana, however, were a revelation. They had scored just two goals in the group phase, both from the penalty spot to beat Serbia and to draw against Australia. But their team bond was obvious from their group huddles before the game, at half-time and again at the end.
Rajevac said: "Ghana are now among the eight best teams in the world. This is fantastic. When we reached the final of the African Nations Cup the boys learned how to compete. That is the most important thing and I now hope Ghana will go further." - FIFA .com
Source: Daily Graphic.
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