This game promised a lot, between two well fancied teams. Ghana are arguably the strongest of the African teams, even without injured stars Michael Essien and the wonderfully named Junior Agogo. Serbia are fancied as a dark horse, lining up with a very English system, relying on creativity from their wingers and with a large target man in Birmingham-bound Nikola Zigic.
The first half took a while to get going, with both team understandably cagey with every result likely to count in a strong group that also contains Germany and Australia. Nemanja Vidic making an early impact with a typically robust challenge in the first fifteen minutes. Ghana were looking to break on the counter-attack through Andre Ayew and the impressive Prince Tagoe and probably shaded the ultimately goalless first half.
Ghana created probably the first clear-cut chance of the second half, Ayew heading miserably wide from a cross that begged to be converted and on sixty minutes Asamoah Gyan hit the upright from a John Pantsil throw. As the game began to stretch their were also chances for Serbia through Zigic despite Ghana dominating the possession.
After a terrible run of injuries, it was good to see Stephen Appiah's introduction arounf the seventieth minute, and shortly afterwards Serbia were reduced to ten men, Aleksander Lukovic pulling down Asamoah Gyan to earn his second yellow card and receive his marching orders. Despite this it was Serbia who had the better chances in the following minutes, Richard Kingson in the Ghanaian goal saving well from Milos Krasic, with Vidic heading over a subsequent corner.
On 82 minutes came the key moment, Zdravko Kuzmanovic inexplicably handling in the box and gifting Ghana a penalty. Asamoah Gyan sent Vladimir Stojkovic the wrong way to set off extended Ghanaian celebrations. Despite increased urgency there was no way back for Serbia, and Gyan even had time to strike the upright again before the final whistle. Ultimately Ghana deserved their victory and should now maintain their form to take them into the second round.
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