Ghana survives five-goal thriller against South Korea

Ghana’s 3-2 victory over South Korea gives the Black Stars hope of advancing to the knockout stage at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Ghana rolled out the changes

Following Ghana’s 3-2 loss to Portugal, head coach Otto Addo made three changes to the starting lineup. The 4-3-3 replaced the 5-3-2 formation. Fullbacks Gideon Mensah and Tariq Lamptey replaced Baba Rahman and Alidu Seidu. Center-back Alexander Djiku made way for Jordan Ayew.

Out of their 26 players, only two have prior experience participating in the biggest tournament in the sport. The two are captain Andre Ayew and his younger brother Jordan, sons of legendary player Abedi Pele.

While Muhammad Kudus is awarded Budweiser Player of the Match following the game, Jordan is arguably the most decisive athlete on the field.

In the opening stages of the match, the Taegeuk Warriors assert their dominance by acquiring six corner kicks in short succession. However, none of the set-pieces create a shot on goal. In the 24th minute, Jordan uses a free kick to delivers a cross into the six-yard box and center-back Mohammed Salisu retains the loose ball give Ghana the lead. Ten minutes later, the Crystal Palace forward delivers another delectable pass into the 18-yard box and Mohammed Kudus’ header provides a commanding 2-0 lead.

South Korea Fights Back

Early in the second half, South Korea replies with two goals in three minutes to tie the match. The first comes in the 58th minute when Lamptey wins a ball but gets dispossessed shortly and a Lee Kang-In cross is headed in by Cho Gue-Sung. The second arrives after a quick progression of passes finishes with an aerial Gue-Sung header. The Education City Stadium erupts. Once again, Ghana finds themselves in an action-packed, high scoring affair. This time around, they’ll prevail.

Kudus Saves The Day

In the 68th minute, Mensah overlaps Jordan on the left flank and receives the ball and whips in a low cross. Inaki Williams’ shot attempt misses the ball. His misfortune turns into Kudus’ second goal. Goalkeeper Kim Seung-Gyu’s right hand touches the ball but is unable to stop it from going into the net. The Taegeuk Warriors dominate overwhelmingly dominate possession for the duration of the match as they chase an equalizer. It never comes.

According to the FIFA rankings, this is the second biggest upset at the tourney. It is only topped by Saudi Arabia defeating Argentina. Ghana now head into their third match against Uruguay on Friday with a chance to advance to the round of 16.