Korea Republic v Ghana – what the stats say

This is the first meeting between Korea Republic and Ghana since a friendly in June 2014, with Jordan Ayew netting a hat-trick in a 4-0 win for the Black Stars.

Korea Republic have scored exactly twice in each of their three Fifa World Cup meetings with African nations, beating Togo 2-1 in 2006, drawing 2-2 with Nigeria in 2010, and losing 4-2 to Algeria in 2014.

Following their 2-0 win against Germany in 2018, and their 0-0 draw with Uruguay on MD1 this year, Korea Republic have kept a clean sheet in consecutive World Cup games for the first time. Their previous two shutouts in the competition came over a period of 16 games between 2002 and 2018.

Ghana are winless in their last five matches at the World Cup (D2 L3). Defeat here would see them exit in the group stages in consecutive appearances at the competition (also 2014), having reached the knockout rounds in both of their first two (2006 and 2010).

Korea Republic have failed to score in three of their last five World Cup games. On top of this, they've failed to register a shot on target in two of their last four (including in their 0-0 draw with Uruguay), having had at least one attempt on target in each of their last 29 games in the competition.

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Ghana have scored in each of their last six World Cup matches – only Nigeria (8 between 1994 and 1998) have scored in more consecutive games among African nations in the competition. The Black Stars were the only African side to score at all on MD1 this year.

Korea Republic have never won their second group stage game in any of their 10 previous appearances at the World Cup (D4 L6), losing their last three in a row (1-4 v Argentina in 2010, 2-4 v Algeria 2014, 1-2 v Mexico 2018).

Son Heung-min, Korea Republic’s joint-top World Cup goalscorer of all time (3 goals), scored twice at the 2018 Fifa World Cup and once in 2014; he could become only the second player to score in three separate editions of the tournament for the nation, after Park Ji-Sung, who netted once in each of 2002, 2006 and 2010.

No Ghana player created more chances (2), made more successful passes (47), made more tackles (4) or had more touches (68) than Thomas Partey in their defeat against Portugal on MD1.

André Ayew has scored three goals in his last four World Cup games, and is now Ghana's outright second highest goalscorer in the competition (3) after Asamoah Gyan (6).