The Black Stars of Ghana are fired up for their first World Cup game in eight and a half years as they take on Portugal at the Stadium 974 in Doha. Both teams are eager to start their tournaments in Qatar successfully.
It’s interesting to note that Ghana’s first opponent this year was also their final World Cup opponent. At the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha in Brasilia, Paulo Bento’s team overcame the four-time African champions 2-1 thanks to a John Boye own goal and a Cristiano Ronaldo finish following Fatau Dauda’s error in goal.
A second match, also referred to as a repeat or revenge battle, will take place between the two teams but with a different set of players.
Otto Addo, the Black Stars coach who was hired in February after the disastrous Africa Cup of Nations, is optimistic about his team’s prospects in a major competition.
“Winning against Portugal will be incredibly difficult, but it is our ultimate goal. We’ll then consider the next move.
His counter-part Fernando Santos thinks the team will be unaffected by Ronaldo’s club problems, which have dominated their tournament preparations.
We haven’t discussed it together, and he hasn’t even mentioned it. It’s crucial that the players are convinced of their goals and what they must do, according to Santos.
“Our objective is to provide the Portuguese people with something enjoyable. The rest is secondary,” he remarked.
Source: newsthemegh.com