The four-year cycle of the World Cup is like a long journey for the players, while the national team lineup is also like a magnificent picture. In this scroll, a team in its golden age may change rapidly and fall from the top, or quietly rise to become the brightest young force in the tournament. The strongest teams that have survived through the years are tasked with the dual mission of legacy and splendor.
"Four years on, how have you been?" This is a series of articles covering eight chapters, comparing and analyzing the changes in the lineups of the participating teams over the last four years from a spectator's point of view, aiming to paint a vivid picture of the story of the top 32 teams at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, along with a concise analysis of their strengths.
For those seasoned fans who crave for in-depth insights, this series of articles will also try to reveal the key players of each team or the stars of tomorrow who are expected to shine in the future. In this way, fans can enjoy this soccer feast by locking in the highlights of all the teams before the games even begin.
Group H: Ghana, South Korea, Uruguay, Portugal (click on the hyperlinks to go directly to the page)
Ghana, who made it to the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup with a stunning finish, were denied victory by Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez with a "save". Ghana lost the ensuing penalty shootout, ending Africa's run to the last eight in the most agonizing way possible. However, between 2008 and 2017, Ghana finished third in six consecutive Africa Cup of Nations and is undoubtedly Africa's traditional power.
However, in the last four years, Ghana's style has gradually faded. 2019 Africa Cup of Nations was eliminated in the round of 16, and in 2021, it was even eclipsed in the group stage. This year's World Cup qualification is also thrilling, and South Africa with the same points and goal difference, only by the number of goals barely advanced, the play-offs is a draw with Nigeria, and ultimately by virtue of the away goals to be able to obtain the World Cup ticket.
"It's been four years, how have you been?" Garner's answer was, "Awful ...... So, I've enlisted the help of many, many friends!"
Despite the situation, Ghana still has a number of traveling stars in the team to hold up the fort. Defender Daniel Amartey, who is the main defender for Leicester City and Ghana in the English Premier League, has never missed any of Ghana's matches this season and has become the commander of the backline.
Back Thomas Patey (see below, left) is the centerpiece of Ghana's midfield for Arsenal in the English Premier League, and has been a key player in Arsenal's tentative rise to the top of the league this season. In Ghana's system, Patai is responsible for consolidating possession in midfield, protecting the back line, and occasionally dropping back into the back line to assist with ball distribution and organization or as a padded defender.
Midfielder Mohammed Kudus, who plays for Ajax in the Dutch Eredivisie, is a versatile midfielder who can play from midfielder to front man and from front man to pseudo 9 in Ghana's team, and can contribute immensely to Ghana in both attack and defense.
The Ayew brothers are a treasure trove of experience in the Ghanaian attacking end. Older brother Andre Ayew (Al Sadd, Qatar League) is Ghana's captain and is on the verge of becoming the most capped player in the history of the Ghanaian national team, while younger brother Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace, Premier League, see right below), in addition to being a destructive force on the attacking end of the field, is one of the few Ghanaian players capable of providing defensive presence on the wing, and is one of the few bright spots in the Ghanaian crippled side of the defense.
After Ghana struggled to make it to the World Cup with an otherwise flawed squad, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) went all out to give the team more "reinforcements" and lobbied for players of Ghanaian descent from all over the continent to join the national team. A total of three strong players chose to naturalize in Ghana and parachuted in to participate in this year's World Cup.
23-year-old defender Mohammed Salisu made a name for himself at Southampton in the English Premier League last year and remains the main man this season. After naturalizing in Ghana, he completed his debut on the board in a friendly in September and will be a defensive partnership with Amartey.
22 year old right back Tariq Lamptey, who is known for his speed, missed more than half a year last year due to a serious injury, causing his growth to stagnate, and still hasn't returned to the starting lineup for Brighton in the Premier League, but he's a young prospect that the team is actively nurturing. In the Ghanaian side, he can stabilize the previously tattered side of the defense; in addition, with his speed, his aggressive attacking nature can even be viewed as a right winger, who can aggressively cut in and run overlaps and give the threat of crosses.
Forward Iniki Williams, 28, completed his initial appearance on the boards in a September friendly and will share the workload on the offensive end with Ayew.
Although a lot of powerful reinforcements have been added, but under the special situation of lack of complete training before the start of this World Cup, I am afraid it is difficult for them to fully integrate into the Ghanaian system and establish tacit understanding with the original lineup in a short period of time. The chances of qualification may not be great, so letting the new blood connect with their teammates as quickly as possible on the big stage, and looking ahead to the big and small tournaments will be Ghana's more practical goal in this World Cup.
