Ghana: Stars Suffer First Defeat Under Plavi

David Tagoe

8 June 2011

A painful penalty miss by enigmatic Asamoah Gyan, adroit goalkeeping culminating in hair-raising saves alongside an unpardonable howler, the second committed by Richard Kingson in just four days in two matches, and a late goal by Koo Ja-Cheol all contrived to hand the Serb his first defeat since he took charge of the team.

After a 4-1 thumping of Togo, back-to-back 3-0 and 3-1 victories over Congo and a spellbound 1-1 draw with the Three Lions of England, Black Stars coach, Goran Stevanovic (a. k. a. Plavi) yesterday had his clean slate as coach of the senior national team smudged when the team came up against a pacy South Korean side dominated by young and -success-hungry players, and lost by 1-2 score line in an international friendly match played at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium.

It was a match the players and technical team of the Black Stars know too well, they could and should have won to stamp their authority over the South Koreans, whom they have twice beaten, but allowed them to exact revenge eventually.

To coach Goran Stevanovic the defeat must be a painful one, judging from the various shots at goal, most of which were blocked by the South Korean goalie, whose agility in the post kept his side in the game. And what a way they chalked up that win against the Black Stars – a late goal.

In a match, the second in four days to be played by both sides in preparations for important assignments ahead, it was the South Koreans, who took charge of the game and dictated the pace at the initial stages before the Ghanaians also assumed the driving seat.

However, it was the Koreans, who took the lead in the 12th minute following Ji Dong’s header from a corner kick. But the goal did not dampen the spirits of the Black Stars, as it rather goaded them on to probe for the equalizer.

Following the probe, the Black Stars had a penalty when Asamoah Gyan was fouled in the penalty area.

Gyan, who elected himself for the kick did what was reminiscent of his late penalty miss in Ghana’s quarterfinal match with Uruguay at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa- he missed ruefully. In comparison, the miss in South Africa was better. This time, he shot into the hands of the goalie. But the Stars were not perturbed by the miss though they ended the half a goal down.

Back from recess, the Black Stars continued their search for the equaliser, which duly came in the 65th minute. A two-man move between captain for the day, Sule Ali Muntari and Asamoah Gyan saw the former lay a pass to the latter, who placed the ball beyond the reach of the agile South Korean goalie, Jung Sung-Ryeong.

The Black Stars then brought their scintillating play to bear, dictating the pace of the game with the Koreans occasionally coming into the picture. However, in the dying embers of the game, the Koreans, who were inching closer to a better result made it their best against the Black Stars when Koo Ja-cheol struck in the nick of time to earn his side a 2-1 win over the Black Stars.

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.

AllAfrica – All the Time