The black Stars of Ghana put on a fine display to earn a well deserved victory against the Serbians’. The match was evenly balanced with neither side willing to give away points. The match was eventually decided from the spot kick, after a Serbian defender was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area.

Here is my analysis of an exciting match which took place in Durban, South Africa.

Ghana’s starting line-up:
• Richard Kingston (GK)
• Hans Sarpei (Defender)
• John Pantsil (Defender)
• John Mensah (Defender)
• Isaac Vorsah (Defender)
• Anthony Annan (Midfielder)
• Prince Tagoe (Midfielder)
• Kevin Prince Boateng (Midfielder)
• Andrew Ayew (Midfielder)
• Kwadwo Asamoah (Striker)
• Asamoah Gyan (Striker)

Coach Milovan Rajevac

The Ghanaians’, led by Gyan in the attack were simply outstanding. They matched their opponents for pace and strength. They could have won by a wider margin if not for some poor finishing. The wide men, Ayew and Tagoe were always dangerous on the attack causing problems for the Serbian defense. A coolly taken penalty by Gyan was what separated the two sides.

I was deeply impressed with the duo of Boateng and Annan in the midfield. They battled hard throughout the 90 minutes winning tackles, air balls and making accurate passes. Their fitness levels were also commendable with the way they went back and forth supporting the attack and helping the defense.

Captain of the team, Mensah was a solid figure at the back, making sure there was no room for any form of Serbian attack, even though the Serbs had moments of their own. Kington has been heavily criticized for his inclusion in the starting lineup but was quick to answer his critics with a series of fine saves. He had not played a single match in the whole of last season but showed no signs of being match rusty.

My verdict is a 3.5/5 star performance.

Serbia’s starting line-up:
• Vladimir Stojkovic (Gk)
• Aleksandar Kolarov (Defender)
• Nemanja Vidic (Defender)
• Branislav Ivanovic (Defender)
• Aleksandar Lukovic (Defender)
• Dejan Stankovic (Midfielder)
• Marko Pantelic (Midfielder)
• Milan Jovanovic (Midfielder)
• Milo Krasic (Midfielder)
• Nenad Milijas (Midfielder)
• Nikola Zigic (Striker)

Coach Radomir Antic

The tallest player of the tournament could not inspire the Serbians to victory, talking about Nicola Zigic. He helped his defense a lot but missed a great chance in the second half. Players like Krasic, Jovanovic and Pantelic occasionally displayed flashes of brilliance but not enough to trouble the Ghanaians.

Arguably, the star of this Serbian side was Stankovic. He was very calm and collected in the midfield and looked dangerous form set pieces. His club form was present in the way he organised his zone to perfection. Milijas was also brilliant, but both of them ( Stankovic and Milijas) found it hard to contain the opposition.

Lukovic looked like he was always going to fumble under pressure. He was sent off for a rash challenge in the second half after a second yellow card. His replacement did more damage than good, by conceding a penalty after handling the ball in the area. The Vidic led defense never looked as convincing as they were in the qualifiers.

My Verdict is a 3/5 star performance.

Ghana’s victory meant that they are the first African Team to get 3 points in their group. They showed a lot of discipline and character which is
necessary when playing at this level. The Serbians had their moments but could not take advantage.

My man of the match was Asamoah Gyan of Ghana.

Final score; Ghana (1) Serbia(0)

I have made this analysis very brief in order not to bore you with too many details. If you have any comments, please feel free to share.

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