Multiple attempts to draw the Ghana coach into rhetoric that suggests revenge against Uruguay in Friday’s last Group H game have failed.
A day before the tie at the Al Janoub Stadium, the final press conference saw question after question hark back to the 2010 memories. Thomas Partey, who was also the presser, would not be drawn into it.
“The only thing we are focused on is to play our normal game and get three points”.
Monday’s victory against South Korea keeps the Black Stars' fate in their own hands, while a draw could be enough if Portugal beat the Asians. The West Africans know that a victory in their final match (3pm GMT; 5pm CAT) will see them through.
KEY BATTLES
Rodrigo Bentancur v Thomas Partey: The Spurs and Arsenal midfielders know each other well, and their individual performances could well define the game. Partey has not been his world-class self so far, but believes he’s just doing what he has to do. “Once the coaches are happy with how I’m following their instruction, I’m very fine.”
Bentacur himself has been one of the highest-rated performers from his team so far, even though it’s difficult to push the team to be better. Bentancur won possession 19 times against Portugal, the most by a player in a 90-minute World Cup match since Brazil’s Mauro Silva in 1994 against the United States (also 19).
Fede Valverde v Salis Abdul Samed: The Real Madrid star is the most important player in Uruguay’s set-up at the moment, but he has been unable to replicate his attacking performances at this World Cup. That’s because the 24-year-old is usually deployed in a more defensive role, but he’s not been bad. He is most lethal in the final third, where his directness and dangerous shots at goal cause problems.
Ghana’s Samed is set to have his most difficult game yet should Uruguay get Valverde in his best role. So far, Samed has been almost flawless in his defensive midfield role, mopping up and being tidy in driving the team in transitions.
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THE WILLIAMS QUESTION
Getting him to play for the Black Stars was met with fanfare, but Iñaki Williams has not sparkled in his first five caps (two of them competitive) so far. But is it his fault? At club level, the plan is to find spaces for him when transitions start. That does not happen to him for Ghana, where he's barely getting such service from the likes of Andre Ayew and Kudus Mohammed.
It is also key to note that his off-the-ball movement has been central to the creation of almost all the five goals the Black Stars have scored. What Ghana should do is to play to his strengths, which has been done thus far.
KEEP IT TIGHT
At Thursday’s press conference, this columnist asked Otto Addo what the plan was to prevent the leaking of goals.
His response was: “Football is played by two teams, and there are strong opponents. [Uruguay] won’t stand there and say, come and score. It’s going to be tight [and] I’m sorry for everybody getting a heart attack [because of they way we play]. This is the World Cup and I wish we would have easier games. They will come with everything they have. For them it is a chance to qualify and I guess it will be a tight game again.”
EYEING HISTORY
Ghana have scored in their last seven World Cup games and could equal Nigeria’s record of eight for an African nation at the tournament, set between 1994 and 1998.
But in their way is Uruguay, who have quite a decent record against continental sides – the South Americas have never lost a World Cup match against an African nation, and Opta say Ghana only have a 21.3 per cent likelihood of taking three points. Uruguay have a 54.8 per cent chance.