![\"Ghana](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/1649337477_817_Ghana-696x419.jpeg\" "\\"Ghana")
Ghana must look past their clash against Uruguay to progress from the group stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, according to former international John Paintsil.<\/p>\n
Defender Paintsil was part of the Black Stars side\u00a0beaten on penalties by the South Americans\u00a0in the quarter-finals of the 2010 tournament.<\/p>\n
The match famously saw Uruguay forward Luis Suarez sent off at the end of the second half of extra-time after a handball on the goal line, with Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan then missing a spot-kick which would have made the West Africans the continent\u2019s first World Cup semi-finalists.<\/p>\n
After Friday\u2019s draw, Ghana FA president Kurt Okraku declared\u00a0\u201cit will be revenge time\u201d\u00a0when the two sides meet again later this year.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe game that is going to be mouth-watering and that people will be looking forward to is Uruguay-Ghana, because of the incident that happened in 2010 in South Africa,\u201d Paintsil, 40, told BBC Sport Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs football people we don\u2019t think about revenge \u2013 but we always thought about how we can go forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, it is not only Uruguay that we will play in the group. If you beat Uruguay but don\u2019t beat the rest, it will be a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ghana will face Portugal, who\u00a0beat Ghana 2-1\u00a0in the group stages on their last appearance at the tournament in 2014, and South Korea in Group H in Qatar before their anticipated re-match with two-time World Cup winners Uruguay.<\/p>\n
Former Fulham defender Paintsil believes the group facing Ghana is \u201cvery, very tricky\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would call it a group of death,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing Portugal, Uruguay, Ghana and South Korea\u2026 they area all strong sides. We are going to take one [game] at a time and take it as it comes.<\/p>\n
READ ALSO<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe are not just going to say \u2018because we are in a group with Uruguay, we will put all our strength on them\u2019. We need to put all our strength on all the teams that we are going to play so we can come out of the group successfully.\u201d<\/p>\n However, having\u00a0beaten fierce rivals Nigeria on away goals\u00a0to qualify for the finals, Paintsil is hopeful Ghana can reach the knock-out stages for the third time.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe our current squad is a very balanced one, with youth and experience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe two matches they played against Nigeria gave all of us hope that they can go further. We trust that they will do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ghana \u2018has great players\u2019 says Portugal boss<\/strong><\/p>\n Portugal coach Fernando Santos says he will have to do his homework on Ghana before facing the West Africans in their opening game at the tournament on 24 November.<\/p>\n \u201cWe see certain competitions and tournaments less in Europe,\u201d Santos told BBC Sport Africa. \u201cThat\u2019s the reality, so we really have to analyse Ghana now.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have great players, a lot of them play in Europe. It\u2019s one thing to have great players playing in Europe, but you need to have a collective. You can have one or two players here and there, but it needs to be a team.\u201d<\/p>\n However, the veteran coach, who took charge of Portugal after the 2014 World Cup and led the side to 2016 European Championship glory, believes Group H is \u201copen\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is difficult to make an assessment,\u201d the 67-year-old said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s four continents and four completely different styles. I don\u2019t really know how to assess it clearly because it\u2019s different styles, different cultures, and different forms of play.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/_124002777_b84c3e9a-53d4-4ed2-b4a6-b84ba3b1121e.jpg\")