The FIFA World Cup is coming to the Arab world for the first time and Qatar is leaving no stone unturned to bring a wonderful spectacle to the rest of the world, as host of the 2022 World Cup! With this comes the opportunity for Ghana, the shining light of Africa to make the content proud one more time.
While most have written off African teams, there’s plenty of reasons why you should bet on Ghana Black Stars at World Cup 2022. Although the team did not qualify for last edition of the tournament in Russia, Ghana is a perfect example of how a team can turn things around when given new leadership and a fantastic coaching direction.
In October 2017, the National Sports Council and Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with Professional Footballers Association launched a program titled “Road To Russia” which had as its aim to identify and develop players across all domestic league formats ( Premier League, Division One, Division Two, Super Cup and VSA League) who could potentially represent Ghana at the FIFA World Cup. With Kwesi Appiah taking over as head coach ahead of the qualifiers, the Black Stars went undefeated in their six matches played in the fourth round of qualifying finishing top of their group ahead of Benin Republic who are now ranked above them. Here are some reasons why you should bet on Ghana Blackstars at World Cup 2022.
As the attention in the casino world shifts from starburst free spins, and the likes to sport betting around the world cup this November, here are some reminders on why Ghana would be a good team to bet on.
The Black Stars have a new lease of life
The Black Stars made their tournament debut at the 1957 edition in Sweden and were one of the founding members of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) formed in 1957. The team has been the standard bearer for the African continent since then and has had its best performances since the turn of the millennium. The team has made the World Cup four times in its history with the crowning moment coming in Germany in 2006 when they beat favourites Brazil in the round of 16 on way to the quarter finals where they lost to France.
But in the last three editions, the team has failed to get out of the group stages. With the team’s performances oscillating between the extremes, coach Avram Grant left his post and was replaced by former Algerian coach Miloud Hamoudi with a mandate to qualify the team for the World Cup. The new head coach however did not last long as he was fired for alleged misconduct and replaced by former Black Stars captain and assistant coach of the team, Kwesi Appiah. With the team having a new lease of life and a general sense of optimism within the team, the Black Stars now look like a team that is ready to give it a go and make their mark.
There’s a general sense of optimism within the team
Football is a team sport and any team that wins or loses is as a result of a collective effort. With the Black Stars almost qualifying for the last three editions of the tournament, it’s safe to say that the team has had its fair share of stars and duds. But when the team failed to get out of the group stages in all three tournaments and the disastrous showing of the team at the 2016 edition in Brazil, the team seemed to have lost its mojo. With the team almost qualifying for the last three editions, the Black Stars have been building a team that has a good mix of experience and youthful exuberance. With the likes of Asamoah Gyan, Kwadwo Asamoah, Jonathan Mensah, Agyemang Badu and Andre Ayew, the Black Stars are a team that has the experience and quality to compete with other teams in the tournament. Add to that the infusion of youth players like Kassim Nuhu Adams, Samuel Owusu and Ebenezer Ofori and you have a team that has a good mix of experience and quality that is enough to be optimistic about.
Ghana has a great World Cup track record
Ghana is ranked 19th in the FIFA World Ranking and has had a good track record at the FIFA World Cup. The Black Stars have made four appearances at the tournament with their best performance coming in the 2006 edition in Germany where they reached the quarter finals. Their second best performance was at the 2010 edition in South Africa where they reached the round of 16.
Ghana has also made the third round of the tournament on two occasions with their best performance coming at the 2006 edition in Germany where they reached the quarter finals. At the 1976 tournament in Argentina, Ghana finished fourth in the tournament after losing to second-placed Brazil in the third-place match. Ghana’s best performance at the tournament came in the 1982 edition in Spain where they reached the semi finals and lost to Italy in a penalty shootout.
The country is hosting the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021
Africa’s biggest tournament is scheduled to be played in Ghana in 2021 and the Black Stars are on course to qualify for the tournament. Qualifying for the FIFA World Cup would only add to the momentum of the game in the country and would help in the overall growth and development of the sport in the country. It would be the first time that Ghana would host the tournament and it would be the first time that the tournament would be played in sub-Saharan Africa.
Bottom line: Bet on Ghana at World Cup 2022!
The Black Stars have a new lease of life, there’s a general sense of optimism within the team, Ghana has a great World Cup track record, the country is hosting the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021 and the team is on course to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. With all these reasons, it’s safe to say that betting on Ghana is a good decision.