Country: Ghana
Nickname: The Black Stars
Elite Players: Michael Essien
Key Players: Sulley Muntari, Stephen Appiah, John Mensah, Jonathan Pantsil, Samuel Inkoom
Rankings: 32 (FIFA) 34 (SPI)
History: Second Round (2006)
Odds to Win: 66-1

“To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.” – Kofi Annan

Qualifying: Ghana cruised through the final round of CAF qualifying, beating the not so imposing trio of Benin, Mali and Sudan in the first four matches without conceding a goal. Ghana also reached the final of the African Cup of Nations, losing 1-0 to Egypt. Though, they were creamed 3-1 by Cote d’Ivoire in the group stage.

Tactics: Coach Milovan Rajevic took over in 2008. He’s conservative and focused on defensive discipline, as evidenced by Ghana’s qualifying record. He stopped them allowing bad goals, but it has sapped the skill and excitement some of the names on their team sheet suggest.

“Youth” Movement: Ghana’s Black Satellites won the U-20 World Cup in 2009. It was their first triumph at that level. They have also won two U-17 World Cups and made four finals. Like Nigeria, however, these triumphs need to be treated with skepticism. Ghana has had problems with age cheating. Even if FIFA is eradicating it at youth-level, it’s still reflected in the senior team.

Health: Ghana’s main men are midfielders Stephen Appiah and Michael Essien. Neither has played competitive soccer in quite a while. Appiah suffered blood clots in his leg after a knee surgery, which club doctors in Turkey misdiagnosed. He has not played since December 2007, missing more than two full seasons. He just made his first substitute appearance for Bologna this month.

Essien has not appeared for Chelsea since he tore his hamstring in December. He reported to Ghana for African Nations Cup duty and injured his knee in January. He was expected to be back in six weeks, but set backs, including a stretch of four surgeries in two weeks, left him out for the rest of the season. Both are crucial for Ghana to be successful. Expecting either to replicate their 2006 form would be foolish.

Squad: Ghana has a solid goalkeeper in Richard Kingson. He performed well at both the 2008 and 2010 African Cup of Nations. His problem will be match fitness. He’s a reserve goalkeeper at Wigan and did not make one appearance for the senior team last season.

Ghana has a strong defense, led by Fulham’s John Pantsil and Sunderland’s John Mensah. Though both are injury concerns. Pantsil missed four months with a knee injury, just returning to full duty at the end of April. Mensah has lingering back problems that will need surgery. A breakout star could be lively FC Basel right back Samuel Inkoom. The 20-year-old was a fixture for the Black Starlets and the Swiss Super League champions.

The Black Stars rely on the triumvirate of Sulley Muntari, Stephen Appiah and Michael Essien in midfield. Essien is crucial. When fit, he’s the best all-around midfielder in the game. He coordinates attacks, solidifies the defense, physically dominates and is an experienced leader. Muntari will have to account for his potential absence.

Ghana’s big question is striker. Neither of the first two options, Matthew Amoah and Asamoah Gyan is particularly prolific. Another U-20 star Dominic Adiyiah signed with AC Milan this winter, but is really raw at this level. He has yet to score a goal in three seasons in Europe.

Prediction: Ghana’s knockout run in 2006 was enjoyable, to everyone except US fans. Essien and Appiah seem like nice fellows. Neutral fans would feel good seeing them build on their success. Divorced from sentiment, however, this squad has weaknesses, virtually no depth and devastating injuries to crucial personnel. With a healthy Essien, a run to the semifinals is not inconceivable. Without him, it’s hard to see them advancing from the group.

Interesting Fact: Traditional Ghanian naming does not pass down a family name.  Kids are named for the day of the week they are born and the number of children.  Kofi = Friday.  Annan = fourth-born.  Atta=twin.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece
Group C: England, United States, Slovenia, Algeria
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile