FIFA WC 2022: Ghana Was Excellent Against Portugal, But….

Portugal Beats Ghana by 3-2 in a thrilling and dramatic game in which Cristiano Ronaldo scored a controversial penalty. Ghana Put enough pressure on Portugal, but their flaws let them down. At Stadium 974 on Thursday, Portugal defeated Ghana by three goals to begin the World Cup on a good note. Ronaldo scored from a penalty kick in the second half.

Even though Ghana’s captain Andre Ayew tied the score at one, Portugal took control with goals from Joao Felix and Rafael Leao in just two minutes. Portugal won the game despite a late goal from Osman Bukari, who came off the bench to make it 3-2, when goalkeeper Diogo Costa almost gave up a bizarre chance in the second half of the final.

The Black Stars performed admirably, but they still face a number of challenges. After Portugal had led 3-1, Andre Ayew’s equalizer and Bukari’s late header weren’t very important, but it was enough for Ronaldo, who was on the substitutes’ bench at the time, to throw his hands up in despair.

Despite everything, Ghana played phenomenally until late in the second half, when they displayed some weaknesses in their defense. Their performance was a little surprising, but Portugal’s defense was also poor and could have been punished more if it faced any stronger opponents. Costa rolled the ball out for Portugal, and Inaki Williams almost punished Portugal.

After 31 minutes, Ronaldo was penalized for a foul on Alexander Djiku and sustained heavy injuries to his right ankle from Seidu Alidu. After winning a penalty kick against a challenge from Mohammed Salisu with a dart of pace, he stepped up to score his 118th international goal.

The Black Stars Of Ghana Can ‘Shock’ The World!

Ghana was the lowest-ranked team at the World Cup in this tournament, but despite losing, they played an impressive game. Mohammed Kudus of Ajax Amsterdam played a significant role in the midfield, but Williams, who switched allegiance from Spain in the summer, needed more chances to score.

The Black Stars were well-organized enough to keep Portugal’s attacking players quiet for large portions of the game, but they need to fix their defensive flaws and stop playing in their own half for that long. However, they must win games against South Korea and Uruguay if they are to escape Group H.

That pair’s earlier 0-0 draw on Thursday keeps Otto Addo’s team in the running for a place in the knockout rounds; however, in order to win subsequent games, they will need to correct the errors that allowed Portugal to score two goals in two minutes. The Black Stars will still be disappointed that Williams came so close to scoring a dramatic equalizer under Costa’s nose, even though Bukari’s late header made it 3-2.

Ghana’s Squad Against Portugal :

Ghana: Lawrence Ati Zigi 6, Mohammed Salisu 5, Daniel Amartey 6, Alexander Djiku 5, Alidu Seidu 5, Abdul Baba Rahman 6, Thomas Partey 6, Salis Abdul Samed 6, Mohammed Kudus 7, Andre Ayew 6, Inaki Williams 6

Subs: Tariq Lamptey 6, Osman Bukari 7, Jordan Ayew 6, Antoine Semenyo 6, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh 6

This Is What They Said After The Game:

Portugal manager Fernando Santos:

“I told the players at half-time that it was important to stay focused and increase the pace. We entered the second half well, we scored the goal, then I don’t know what happened. We conceded goals that came out of nowhere. No one can concede goals that come out of nowhere. We woke up again, got back into the game, scored two goals.”

Neves:

“It was very important to start with a victory, that was our objective. There are no easy games, all teams are organised. We won in a difficult and strange game. We controlled the first half and Ghana just defended. Then in the second half with our goal there was more pressure from Ghana, maybe we should have been more pragmatic. The way we reacted to the Ghana goal was crucial. We didn’t go down; we were positive, we reacted well and quickly. It was a deserved victory despite the difficulties we faced in the last stages of the game.”

Meanwhile, Ronaldo is the first man to score at five World Cups: 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022.

  • At 37 years and 292 days, Ronaldo is the oldest player to score for Portugal at the World Cup. In 2006, at 21 years and 132 days, he became the youngest player to score for Portugal at the World Cup with his goal vs. Iran in the group stage. He has now scored eight World Cup goals for Portugal, the second most in the nation’s history behind Eusebio’s nine.
  • Ghana is the 27th different team that Ronaldo has scored multiple against in his international career. He also scored against Ghana in the 2014 World Cup.

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