Czech Republic v Ghana - Preview

Black Stars to make point against Czechs

Ghana will be looking to transform their stylish play in the 2-0 defeat by Italy into goals when they take on the Czech Republic here on Saturday in their second Group E clash.

Victory would be ideal for the Black Stars but a point might suffice as they will then round off their campaign against the United States, who based on the evidence of their 3-0 defeat by the Czechs don't look like bearing comparison to the 2002 vintage who reached the quarter-finals.

The Czechs will have to face Italy in their final match so victory over Ghana would be a welcome insurance policy in their bid to reach the second round.

While the Czechs looked impressive in their stroll past the Americans, they met little opposition and the Ghanaians will not be so easy to get past as the Italians discovered.

They earned justified praise from Marcello Lippi for providing a stern test for his Azzurri and with the likes of Chelsea's Michael Essien, Udinese's Sulley Muntari and captain Stephen Appiah of Fenerbahce in midfield they have the potential to cause an upset and give African football a welcome boost.

Their shrewd and much-travelled coach Ratomir Dujkovic believes that a second round place is not beyond their grasp.

"I was proud of my players in the Italy match except for the left back, but he has been replaced for not doing what he was asked to do," said the 60-year-old Serb, who has also numbered Rwanda and Burma among teams he has coached.

"I think nevertheless that while the Czechs are a strong side we can achieve something against them and then make it into the second round," added Dujkovic, who was fortunate to survive after Ghana crashed out of the first round of the African Nations Cup earlier this year.

The Czechs looked very smooth against the Americans but they have their own problems with both their first choice strikers Milan Baros and Jan Koller definitely out of the remainder of the first round with the former a major doubt for the whole tournament.

Another of the 30-something veterans will step into the giant Koller's boots as the equally imposing 32-year-old Vratislav Lokvenc will probably play a lone role up front with the double threat of Pavel Nedved and the young gun Tomas Rosicky providing goalscoring support from midfield.

The irrepressible Rosicky - scorer of two splendid goals against the Americans - admits that the injuries are a blow but the new Arsenal signing also looked at it positively.

"It is really sad for Milan and Jan, and before we lost Vladimir (Smicer, who was ruled out of the tournament before it had begun) but we have to get on with things and we can use it as an extra motivating factor," said the 25-year-old.

Teams

Czech Republic

Petr Cech, Zdenek Grygera, Marek Jankulovski, Tomas Ujfalusi, David Rozehnal, Tomas Galasek (capt), Karel Poborsky, Jaroslav Plasil, Tomas Rosicky, Pavel Nedved, Vratislav Lokvenc: Coach: Karel Bruckner

Ghana

Richard Kingston, John Pantsil, John Mensah, Iliasu Shilla, Sulley Muntari, Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah (capt), Habib Mohamed, Asamoah Gyan, Matthew Amoah, Otto Addo: Coach: Ratomir Dujkovic

Referee

Horacio Elizondo (ARG)