How Sambas Will Fall

EVEN before they played the USA, Ghana players were talking up a last 16 clash with Brazil. But when the finer details were concluded and the showdown crystallised, the Black Stars realised how big a task lay ahead of them.

Skipper Stephen Appiah said: "We are ready to die for the nation."

For Ghana sympathisers, that is as encouraging as it is scaring.

Encouraging because it's nice to hear David talk up his chances against Goliath, and with some conviction too.

Scaring because African enthusiasm can translate into nerve-racking aggression, the kind that will attract the unwanted attention of referees who have been dishing out cards like confetti.

Eliminating Brazil is not an impossible task, but at least five of the following seven things must fall beautifully in place for the Black Stars.

Firstly, Ghana must really believe that they can do it. Saying that they don't fear is one thing, not fearing is another. Australia claimed they weren't scared, but they were.

Brazil goalkeeper Dida suffered one of his fits of madness and rushed off his line hurriedly, the ball fell to Kewell who had an empty goal to aim at. He shot over. The prospect of scoring against Brazil torments many strikers, they just lose themselves when the coup de grace beckons.

Brazil have used that psychological edge they have over their opponents to sleepwalk through the group stages.

That leads me to the second.

Dida can be a bit of a calamity. So Ghana should shoot at goal as frequently as possible; on target too. Who knows, Dida could be in generous mood.

Thirdly, Ghana must take the lead. Coming from behind to beat Brazil is asking too much.

And for that to happen, Ghana strikers, especially the returning Gyan Asamoah, must convert all their chances. The kind of profligate finishing that limited them to just two goals against Czech Republic cannot be replayed.

Like Otto Rehhagel says, one chance one goal. Simple! Every time a Ghanaian shoots over the bar and holds his head, their already slim chances will be evaporating. That was fourth.

The fifth is that Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson, who has the best reflexes I have seen anywhere, must have the most inspired day of his life. You know those days when a goalkeeper just decides that nothing is going past him.

I once saw Jerzy Dudek have such a day for Feyenoord. His defence went to sleep but the goalkeeper was defiant, pulling off one miraculous save after another. The coach declared that Dudek was the best in the world, and anybody who watched that game simply had to applaud. Among the cheer-leaders was Gerard Houllier, who bought him for Liverpool, where he was promptly exposed as a calamity.

Ghana's Kingson must have one of those days.

The sixth is; Ghana must outlast Brazil. While we don't know the ages of Ghana players (only their respective mothers do), we know that Brazil have a very high average age. So, when the Samba stars are slowing down, Ghana must still be running.

Lastly, the match needs a fair referee.

Five out of seven and Ghana will cause the upset of the World Cup.

Refereeing crisis?

FIFA were waxing lyrical after what they called a refereeing crisis at the 2002 World Cup.

African referees had just denied Spain, Italy were fuming after being undone by an Ecuadorian official.

Sepp Blatter, ever the man to say what people want to hear, responded by telling La Gazetta dello Sport that: "A World Cup that receives the best players and teams in the world should be overseen by the best referees regardless of their nationality. From now on, we will call in the best, full stop, even if they come from just a handful of countries."

Consequently, a majority of African and Asian hopefuls were summarily ignored as FIFA went for the best of Europe.

Germany's Markus Merk, voted Europe's best in 2004 and 2005, has already disgraced himself by telling Aussie Harry Kewell that "your tournament is over" and then including a supposed verbal abuse he suffered from the player in his report.

FIFA overruled his report, suggesting that the German misused his authority.

Merk's conduct on the pitch hasn't been exemplary either.

Enter Graham Poll! The best in England, and he'd even been lined up to officiate the final.

Until he completely blew it as Australia played Croatia, booking one player three times, missing a clear handball in the box, and blowing the final whistle as Tim Cahill's ball was crossing the line. Even FIFA have admitted that they might have considered granting a replay to Australia if Poll's gaffes had cost them a place in the second round. And those are the supposed best refs. Bigger crisis?

FIFA should just revert back to the original system so that every country has a chance to send a ref to the World Cup -- and accept that they all make mistakes, and shocking ones too.