WCQ Preview: Libya - Ghana

What: World Cup and African Cup Qualifier, South Africa and Angola 2010, Group 5
Who: Libya vs. Ghana
When: September 5, 2008
Where: June 11 Stadium, Tripoli, Libya

Ghanaians will always have fond memories in the run-up to the previous World Cup. Only the Stallions of Burkina Faso were able to beat the Black Stars in qualifying for Germany 2006. That was the first match of the campaign with Portuguese tactician Mariano Barretto then at the helm. From then on, Ghana grew into a side to beat, running through the rest of the qualifiers without defeat. This won them the coveted award of best movers in 2006 in the FIFA Coca Cola monthly rankings. The Black Stars pushed aside Bafana Bafana to qualify for the first time in the country’s history to the 2006 World Cup. The event brought all and sundry together, creating for the first time a congenial environment for even politicians to have one voice in the state parliament. Though they failed to pass the second round, the Black Stars were adjudged to have done creditably well, and the entire team were awarded nationally with the very prestigious Order of the Volta.

The 2010 World Cup draw was welcomed by all as a golden opportunity for Ghana to make another successful appearance on the world stage. Drawn in Group 5 together with Libya, Lesotho and Gabon, everybody predicted that the Black Stars will make it past the first phase of the qualifiers. The entire team claimed that with the experience garnered at the 2006 World Cup, nothing will be too big an impediment in making it to South Africa 2010. To guard against any odds, the Ghana Football Association put in an agenda (AGENDA 2010) to streamline the journey to South Africa. This is how Group 5 stands:

 1.    Ghana        9 points
 2.    Libya        9 points
 3.    Gabon        6 points
 4.    Lesotho      0 points 

The Black Stars remain optimistic that this is how Group 5 will be, whereas the Libyans think there will be a change at the summit.

Head-To-Head Record

The two sides have met six times. The first meeting, which was on the 5th of March, 1982, ended 2-2 while the last meeting, which was on the 1st of June, 2008, ended 3-0 in favour of the Black Stars. Out of all the six meetings Ghana have won twice, lost once (on the 26th of July, 1985) and drawn three, although the 1982 1-1 final draw in the African Cup of Nations went to penalties, which the Black Stars won 7-6.

Team News

Ghana have back in the squad inspirational captain Stephen Appiah, who last played for the side in November, 2007. The stand-in captain, John Mensah, will be out of this squad. The leading goal scorer for the Black Stars in the 2006 campaign, Asamoah Gyan, is also ruled out of this encounter.

The Libyans are desperate to defeat Ghana in Tripoli, with players of Al Ittihad crying for revenge. Al Ittihad were eliminated by Ghanaian club Kumasi Asante Kotoko in the CAF Confederation Cup at the final knock-out stage.

Key Players

Ghana

Michael Essien (Chelsea, England), Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan, Italy), Laryea Kingston (Hearts, Scotland), Stephen Appiah (free agent), Anthony Annan (Rosenborg, Norway) and Junior Agogo (Zamalek, Egypt)

Libya

Samir Aboud (Al Ittihad, Libya), Ahmed El Masli (Al Arabi)

Prediction

Libya 2 – 2 Ghana