COLOGNE, 18 June 2006 — At last the Black Stars, as Ghana are known, are shining. They may be the first country to have won the African Nations’ Cup four times and be one of the continent’s oldest footballing powers but until yesterday they had not made an impression at a World Cup.
This is their debut in the competition and having lost their opening Group E fixture to Italy it was feared they would sink against a rampant Czech Republic. Instead they rose powerfully to give themselves a wonderful opportunity of progressing into the knockout stages.
They could go far. If only they could score enough goals. And that’s a big if. Time and again they created great openings only to waste them. But they still struck twice. A late goal by Sulley Muntari adding to Asamoah Gyan’s early effort. Gyan also missed a penalty and got himself booked as did Muntari. Both will miss the next match.
Having not conceded a goal in their last four competitive matches, the Czechs were behind after just 70 seconds as Ghana made the most vibrant of starts. A half-clearance fell to captain Stephen Appiah who brought the ball down and quickly picked out Gyan. One touch from the 20-year-old striker and then a low shot from the area’s edge beyond Petr Cech.
It stung an immediate response although efforts from distance by Marek Jankulovski and Jaroslav Plasil sailed wide before a strong run by Tomas Rosicky led to Pavel Nedved being teed up. But he drove the ball straight at the goalkeeper Richard Kingston. However, the impetus remained with the Ghanaians and their forceful midfield and Appiah again collected before his shot swerved wide while a neat turn by Matthew Amoah was followed by a chip which flew over.
The Czechs, so fluent in their opening game, were shorn of both their main strikers. Milan Baros may soon return but the state of Jan Koller’s hamstring will dictate he has to wait longer. In his absence his understudy Vratislav Lokvenc started.
But Lokvenc didn’t offer the same menace while Nedved and Rosicky were not allowed to link as easily as they had done against the United States.
The Czechs were aided by the rashness of some of the Ghanaian challenges and from one mistimed jump for a header the ball was ferried to Karel Poborsky whose right-footed shot from the angle ran narrowly wide of the far post.
Soon they should have been further behind. The Ghanaians poured forward once more and, after a scramble, Appiah again cleverly slipped a pass to Gyan, free inside the area. He could scarcely believe the opportunity and snatched at it. Cech smothered. Both teams continued to attack. The Czechs needed to strike back while the Ghanaians sensed they could secure a greater advantage. Another low drive by Appiah bounced wide while Rosicky, under pressure from Michael Essien, couldn’t direct Poborsky’s cross after a swift break.
The halftime statistics showed there had been 22 shots, the majority by the Ghanaians and, after the interval, they continued to push on. As did the Czechs. It made for the most open of contests and Gyan forced a fine save by Cech after he controlled Kingston’s skimming goal-kick and ran from just inside the Czech half. Karel Bruckner, the Czech coach, withdrew one of his old guard and the first involvement of the substitute Jiri Stajner - who replaced Poborsky - was to send in a low cross that was met by Plasil.
But his shot was tipped over.
The drama then exploded. Another Ghanaian attack led to a chance for Amoah but as he shaped to shoot he was clipped by Tomas Ujfalusi. The Ghanaians were awarded the penalty but protested fiercely that the defender should be dismissed. As the Argentinian referee finally showed the red card, Gyan took the spot-kick and beat Cech. He was cautioned for doing so and then slammed the retake against a post.
Moments later Amoah forced another sharp save from Cech while the Chelsea keeper then denied Appiah and Gyan. Finally he was beaten. Gyan found Muntari and he confidently rifled his shot high into the net.
