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| Vintage Stars, They Edge Closer To World Cup |
6/20/2005 |
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It was billed by the South African media as “revenge”, or what coach Stuart Baxter referred to as “payback time”, but after a tortuous 90 minutes in which he lost the plot against his Ghana counterpart, South Africa''s tough-talking coach ate humble pie and admitted the obvious: “It’s out of our hands now. We have to hope that they (Ghana) slip up.”
Perennial underachievers at this stage, Ghanaians had been used to such wishful thinking, but after a gutsy performance last Saturday, the Black Stars did the unthinkable — as far as South Africans were concerned — with an emphatic 2-0 victory over the Bafana Bafana. It was a defeat that not only gave Ghana an important push towards Germany 2006 but also shattered South Africa''s World Cup hopes.
When it mattered most, the Stars shone brightest, outclassed and outscored the host team in a manner they had never witnessed, more so when it happened at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, a magnificent edifice where the Bafana Bafana had never lost a competitive match since their readmission to international football.
And almost exactly a year after he led the Stars to rout the Bafana Bafana 3-0 in Kumasi, skipper Stephen Appiah masterminded a famous victory on the field where the Stars’ illustrious predecessors were humiliated 3-0 in the 1996 African Nations Cup.
It was a class act by a determined, committed and confident group of players who had no fear whatsoever of their opponents in an atmosphere designed to intimidate them with some 55,000 vociferous home fans in attendance.
Two goals by Matthew Amoah and Michael Essien suddenly put Ghana back into pole position and with a realistic chance of making a dream maiden appearance at the FIFA World Cup.
Beating a long-time "bully" is often a sweet experience and last Saturday''s victory over the Bafana Bafana could not have been any sweeter for a surprisingly large turnout of Ghanaians supporters and officials who, for reasons too good to be true, partied all night long and turned Johannesburg''s suburb of Hillbrow upside down.
Like a general on a war front, Appiah ran the show in a free role that made it difficult for his markers to track him down. Essien was a class act, providing power in the team''s engine room, while John Paintsil and John Mensah provided rock-solid performance in defence that stripped South African strikers Shaun Bartlett and Delron Buckley of their terror throughout the match.
With suspended striker Benni McCarthy and injured Sibusiso Zuma missing from their line-up, coach Baxter gambled on a half-fit Bartlett and an off-form Buckley to turn things around, but they both proved more of liabilities than a credible threat to the unyielding Ghanaian defence.
A man-of-the-match performance by Paintsil and solid marking by Issa Ahmed and Mensah at different times made Bartlett and Buckley look as though they were engaged in a Sunday morning kick-about, leaving petite Benedict ''Tso'' Vilakazi, Lerato Chabangu and Steven Pinaar with the huge task of getting past the Stars’ rear.
Twice in the first half Bartlett gave Ghana a scare with a sixth minute header that missed the crossbar, with Ghana''s goalkeeper George Owu beaten, and a 14th minute half-volley connection to Pinaar''s cross that missed its target by inches.
Again Paintsil had to scoop two goal-bound shots in either half of the game to give the Stars a lifeline. Those missed chances were a source of hope for the home fans who created a noisy atmosphere with their vuvuzelas (long horns) and also seemed to enjoy the proceedings as they created their own form of the Mexican waves in the stands. But for Dujkovic''s charges, the red flags got them to sit up to the potential threat to their dreams.
Ghana''s World Cup chances rested on the outcome of last Saturday''s game and coach Dujkovic, therefore, selected combative players like Laryea Kingston and Essien for a holding role in midfield. Russia-based Kingston was a constant threat, tackling fearlessly and stroking the ball with deft touches on the well-manicured pitch, amid the initiation of attacks from the right flank, until he gave way to Hamza Mohammed in the second half.
Joetex Fimpong looked a big nervous on his first full cap for the Stars and hardly threatened the South African defence, marshalled by Nasief Morris and skipper Aaron Mokoena. However, late into the game, the Enyimba striker regained his composure and, together with Amoah, began running at the South African defence as Appiah, Sulley Muntari and Essien put them in striking range.
South Africa created a lot more chances in the first half as they enjoyed more ball possession, but their play was restricted to midfield action where Vilikazi worked tirelessly but found Essien unyielding.
Ghana came close to scoring twice but Appiah''s shots at goal missed target by inches, making him a clear and present danger to the Bafana Bafana.
The home side''s reputation as a first-half team gained some currency as they looked out of sorts and ran out of ideas after recess, losing their hold on the midfield as Mabizela was outpaced and outmuscled by bulwark Essien who stamped his authority on the game, just as he did in Europe this season.
Ghana got stronger and more confident as the match wore on and looked every bit in command of affairs, but occasionally South Africa took advantage of lapses in concentration and poor passing and threatened to score.
Owu looked lethargic in his aerial challenges as he twice miscalculated crosses into his six-yard box and left his post exposed but the Bafana strikers failed to punish the young goalie. And when they almost hit the back of the net, Paintsil came from nowhere to scoop the ball. It was a timely relief for the Stars but a further heartbreak for the home fans.
With Essien and Appiah in firm control and running the show, it was only a matter of time for the Stars to draw first blood. Just seconds before the hour mark, the Stars broke free on the right after a long pass from defence found Appiah, who beat an offside trap and ran deep into the South African penalty, box and spotted Amoah springing past his markers.
The Stars skipper unselfishly squared a low pass for the Vitesse Arnhem striker to tap in the opener — his second goal for the Stars in as many matches — that left the stadium silent, except for the jubilant Ghanaian players. Moroccan referee Mohamed Guezzaz ignored brief protests from the home team for offside positioning by Appiah.
The jubilation had hardly died down when disaster nearly struck the Stars as the home side responded almost immediately, but for Paintsil''s timely intervention.
Ghana held on to the thin lead and late into the game, Baxter turned to substitutes Siyabonga Nomvete and Arthur Zwane for salvation, by which time the Stars were coasting to a famous victory. In the final minutes, of extra time, Essien killed off the game as he leapt high to head home a cross from Appiah for Ghana''s second goal. It was the final nail in Bafana Bafana''s coffin and a confirmation of Ghana''s superiority over their former bogey side.
It could''t have been a worse defeat for South Africa, and perhaps the best thing to happen to Ghana football in recent years, as the Stars’ players removed their shirts and hugged one another in wild jubilation, while the Bafana Bafana players walked away gingerly, dreading the consequences of a derailed World Cup journey.
GHANA: George Owu, John Paintsil, Dan Edusei, Ahmed Issah, John Mensah, Michael Essien, Laryea Kingston/Hamza Mohammed, Stephen Appiah, Joetex Frimpong, Matthew Amoah, Sulley Muntari/Abubakari Yakubu.
Story By Maurice Quansah, Johannesburg
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