Coach : Ratomir Dujkovic
Serb Dujkovic has been boss since Mariano Barreto's departure in September last year. He raised his profile within African football when he coached the Rwandan national side, taking them to the African Nations Cup for the first time last year.
Key Players
Essien's swashbuckling style has long been familiar to Ghanaian football fans despite his young age. Creative as well as having a real bite in his tackle, the former Lyon man is at the heart of most moves and will team up with captain Stephen Appiah to create.
Form Guide
Ghana romped home in Group B in the African qualifying zone, finishing top with Congo and South Africa trailing behind. Ghana finished the campaign five points clear to qualify directly without needing a play-off.
Form Versus Countries In Group
Ghana's failure to qualify for the World Cup means they have never met any of next summer's opponents in a major tournament.
Style Of Play
Exciting but often frustrating. Unfortunately for Dujkovic, the attackers at his disposal do not quite match up to the calibre of his midfield and, though plenty of exciting chances are created, they do flatter to deceive at times.
Group Verdict
Group E is genuinely wide open and if Ghana produce some consistency at the right time they can pip the Czech Republic and USA to second. Italy have a tendency to underperform against so-called weaker teams which could give Ghana reason for optimism providing their game-plan is spot-on.
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