Ghana national football team at the 2006 Football World Cup

By user Bobo

Ghana, as World Cup debutants, could easily go one of two ways. They could outperform even themselves, like Senegal did four years ago, or they could completely bomb, like... well... France.

The four-time champions of the African Nations Cup have had a torrid go of it lately. In the two previous African Nations Cups, they missed out on qualifying in 2004, and in 2006 they dropped out in the first round. Nevertheless, they outperformed group runners-up Senegal in Egypt.

Ghana's current coach is Ratomir Dujković, who had previously managed Rwanda, Venezuela and Myanmar, who, rather brilliantly, were banned from even qualifying from the 2006 World Cup.

In terms of well-known current players, they have the German-born Otto Addo, Elvis Hammond, and Patrick Agyemang, another overseas player (in that he was born in England) currently of Preston North End.

They of all the debutants are the most likely to throw up a surprise in some way or another, however, with Italy, and the current stars of the United States to contend with, it may just be a case of staving off the damage. This isn't to say they're incapable, as I say, a victory in their first match against Italy would be much the parallel of Senegal's victory against France four years ago.

And, as I say about all World Cup debutants, they deserve a good run just for getting this far.