Ghana's Black Stars secured a first African victory of World Cup 2010 with a 1-0 victory over Serbia.
A penalty from Asamoah Gyan with ten minutes remaining sent Loftus Versfeld Stadium into rapture and left Serbia heartbroken. The Europeans, competing as an independent nation for the first time, played out the final fifteen minutes with ten men after Aleksandar Lukovic was dismissed for a second yellow card.
Defeat leaves Serbia needing a victory against group favorites Germany in their second match to prevent an early exit from the tournament.
Team News
Serbia, impressive qualifiers in the European section, began with new Birmingham City striker Nicola Zigic up front and current Manchester United player Nemanja Vidic at the heart of their defence. Inter Milan's Dejan Stankovic captained his team on a historic day as he became the first player to play under three different flags. Stankovic was part of the Yugoslavia at World Cup 1998 and Serbia and Montenegro team which participated in 2006.
African hopefuls Ghana were without the services of Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, who was ruled out before the tournament with a knee injury. Serbian-born Milovan Rajevac, the Black Stars manager, gave a start to Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince Boateng and decided to leave Inter Milan's midfielder Sulley Muntari on the bench.
Defences on Top in the First Period
In a group also containing Australia and Germany, both sides knew that a victory in their opening game would give them a significant advantage. Ghana, who reached the 2009 African Nations Cup Final, started brightly with Kevin Prince-Boateng at the forefront of their attacking play. The Portsmouth midfielder displayed a huge amount of confidence, but it was Serbia who came closest to scoring in the opening exchanges.
Inside the first thirty seconds Ajax's Marko Pantelic hammered a right-footed shot towards goal from fourty yards. The ball whistled past the post and showed Serbia's determination to start their World Cup campaign well.
Ghana began to find their footing in the game, and in Asamoah Gyan the African side looked like they possessed a player who could cause Serbia's notoriously good defense a few problems.
The midfielder was finding himself in small pockets of space just in front of the back four, and his clever play set up a cross from the left hand side which Nicola Zigic was required to intercept at the near post.
Gyan who plays his club football for Stade Rennais in France, fired a free kick from the edge of the area just over the crossbar, and with half of the first half elapsed Boateng's cross almost found its way onto the same players head. Serbia, hoping to erase memories of a disasterous World Cup campaign in 2006, were looking nervous and poor control from Jovanovic when in the penalty area summed up their mood.
Kholorov fired a free kick just wide from thirty yards out as half time approached. Despite a shortage of clear cut chance Ghana, in particular, were playing some good balls into dangerous areas, they hoped that in the second period there would be a change in their fortunes.
Sending Off Opens Up the Game
The second half began with the same high temp that had been the trademark of the first 45 minutes, and once again Ghanaians took time to get into their stride.
Prince Tagoe's cross was crying out to be attacked when it curled beautifully into the area, and although Dede Ayew got his head on it, the ball drifted wide of the back post.
Ghana had another chance moments later from another good cross into the area but Asamoah Gyan was this time denied by a good save from the goalkeeper, Wigan's Stojkovic, who tipped the ball round the post for a corner.
Serbia were finding it difficult to put a series of passes together, and odds of them winning their opening game stacked up when Aleksandar Lukovic was dismissed for a second bookable offence. The defender, who had looked solid alongside Vidic, was sent from the field of play after pulling back Asamoah Gyan when he found himself the wrong side of the forward.
Despite the dismissal, the Serbs began enjoying a great deal of the possession and could have gone ahead when Pantelic forced a good save from Kingson in the Ghanaian goal. The keeper was required to be on his toes from the resulting corner when Vidic headed towards goal. On this occasion however, the ball was off target.
Serbian continued to press forward and Branislav Ivanovic wandered into an attacking position and fired a powerful shot just over the crossbar.
Just when it seemed that Serbia had become the more likely to score, Ghana were given a wonderful opportunity to take the lead. Zdravko Kuzmanovic needlessly handled a cross into their box,and a penalty was awarded. Ghana's Asamoah Gyan stepped up sending Stojkovic the wrong way and giving his side a deserved one goal advantage.
In the dying moments of the game Gyan almost added a second, but his curling shot rebounded off the post and into the arms of the grateful Serbian goalkeeper.
Man of the Matc
Asamoah Gyan (Ghana)
The man threat throughout the game deservedly gave his side the victory with a late penalty, and could have added a second in stoppage time. He was a constant threat to the Serbian backline, and was involved in everything good that the Ghanians created. If the African side was to prevail in Group D, then Gyan will have to have two more games performing in the same vein.
Attendance: 38, 833
Join the Conversation