Germany to take on Ghana in crucial Group D finale

Johannesburg, Jun 23: After playing out a massive disappointment in the last match against Serbia, Germany is set to head-on against Ghana in the Group D finale.

Serbia humbled Germany 1-0 in the second Group D tie-up shocking the football fans and pundits rooting for Germans, who had thrashed Australia 4-0 in the opener.

Serbia, labelled the dark house of FIFA World Cup 2010, lost its opener against Ghana. So, the question arises if defeating Germany will be a easy task for Ghana.

Germans were warned ahead of their previous clash not to underestimate the Serbs. For this tie, fans of Germany can only hope that the players know how crucial a win for them at this stage is if the 2006 World Cup hosts want to advance.

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Coach Joachim Lowe, who had earlier advised his boys against Serbs, has now praised Ghana.

“Ghana are fast. They can play well on the counter and they don"t shy away from one-to-one duels because they are strong. They have players who can sprint fantastically," he said.

Germany will still be playing against Miroslav Klose, the star striker who was given the red card in the match against Serbia. Lucas Podolski, Cacau and Schweinsteiger are expected to cover up the lacking in the team.

An interesting aspect about Germany-Ghana clash would be the Kevin-Prince Boateng factor. 23-year-old Boateng is a German-born midfielder, who will be playing for the Black stars in the first match against Germany. Kevin, who chose to have Ghanaian identity, is believed to be Germany"s number one enemy.

There are reports on the possible exclusion of midfielder Sulley Ali Muntari, who is believed to have misbehaved after the team failed to clinch a victory against the Socceroos in the previous match.

While Germany is being seen alongside the likes of Brazil and Spain, Ghana, besides Ivory Coast, is the only hope for African as Cameroon, Nigeria as well as the hosts South Africa have been ousted.

Players to Watch:
Germany: Lukas Podolski, Cacau, Bastian Schweinsteiger
Ghana: Asamoah Gyan

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