Starting Line-Up For Ghana-Korea Clash

Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic has named winger Opoku Agyemang in his starting line-up for the first time for the the Black Stars clash against South Korea on Tuesday.

First choice striker Asamoah Gyan returns to the starting line-up after missing the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo on Friday because of a suspension.

Germany-based Anthony Annan returns to the starting line-up after losing his position to Agyemang Badu but he will partner the Udinese enforcer for the game in Jeonju.

Talented Spain-based defender Jonathan Mensah get his chance to impress in the absence of captain John Mensah. Apart from Agyemang, Annan, and Mensah, the Serbian coach seems to have wrong-footed many after he stated that he will give the chance to other players.

But he has named as many as eight first team players for the game which indicates that Stevanovic wants to win the match and continue Ghana’s dominance over the Koreans. Gyan will start as the lone striker upfront with Kwadwo Asamoah and Muntari Agyemang playing just behind him.

Agyemang excelled for the Black Stars at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations where his surging speed on the right wing caused several problems for defenders.

Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue could not deal with his speed on the right which resulted in a red card for the Arsenal player when Ghana clashed with Ivory Coast at the Nations Cup in Angola.

But injury robbed him of a place at the World Cup and with Kevin Boateng failing to impress in that position on Friday against Congo, Stevanovic wants to finds a perfect solution.

Derek Boateng was thought to have won the heart of Stevanovic yet he stays on the bench even though Annan’s form has been dodgy in recent matches. It is likely that most of the players on the bench will get the chance to come on later in the game.

Starting-line: Richard Kingson, John Pantsil, Daniel Opare, Jonathan Mensah, Isaac Vorsah, Anthony Annan, Agyemang Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah, Opoku Agyemang, Sulley Muntari, Asamoah Gyan.

Substitutes: Ernest Sowah, David Addy, Lee Addy, Dominic Adiyiah, Emmanuel Clottey, Derek Boateng.