USA Africa Dialogue Series - WORLD CUP - MY FINAL SUPPORT FOR AFRICA

This is a four part series about analyzing and prognosticating on Ghana, Cote D'Ivoire and Nigeria for the 2012 Brasil World Cup.

Though the Black Stars of Ghana are in a very difficult group they can be victorious in all their matches, but this will depend on so many factors.

In yesteryears they had some of the best goalkeepers in Africa such as Robert Mensah and Joseph Carr. I have not seen any of Stephen Adams' performances as a goalkeeper, but Fatau Dauda's feats during the final qualifying matches against the Pharaohs of Egypt was subpar.

The strength of the Black Stars is in the midfield comprising of Dede Ayew, Agyemang-Badu, Sullay Muntari and Kwadwo Asamoah. The defense encompassing Samuel Inkoom, Jonathan Mensah, John Boye and Daniel Opare is also formidable, and the partnership of Asamoah Gyan and Majeed Waris would be problematic for all the defenses in the World Cup.

My preference of Agyemang-Badu is that he is not only younger than Michael Essien, but he is also very energetic. Essien's days as a pivotal defensive midfield player are over.

The Black Stars must defend corner kicks the old fashion way with a player on either posts, and they also have to be very attentive to the near and far posts, for any wily plays, such as an opponent running from about 25 yards to strike the ball; and "pick-plays"--where an opponent obstructs a Black Star thus enabling his partner to head or strike the ball--inside the 18 yards box.

Coach Kwesi Appiah should strategize for the possibility of Mensah, Dede and Muntari being suspended due to Yellow Card violation not only during the group stages but when they progress to the next phase.

Mensah's problems are that he is not selective in his tackles, and I have seen him expelled during a Ligue 1 match for arguing with the referee after he had made a silly challenge and being issued a Yellow Card.

Dede's issue is he loves to challenge an opponent from the back which is a violation after he or his teammate has been beaten. Both of them were not in the squad which lost tragically to the Uruguayans during the South Africa 2010 World Cup due to Yellow Card suspensions.

For Sullay Muntari supporters of the Black Stars have to pray that he is neither expelled for some idiotic tackle or being shown two Yellow Cards in a single match which will result in him missing the succeeding match. Coach Appiah and Gyan--captain of the Black Stars--have to be very, very attentive to the rudeness of Muntari. He can destroy their chances of qualifying from the group stage and from progressing to the next stages.

I hope the Black Stars have been practicing penalty kicks since the qualification stages for this World Cup, because it will be salient.

Nevertheless, Coach Appiah needs different strategies and tactics for every match.

Against the USA he must ensure that Boye defends against Jose Altidore. Boye is cerebral, while Altidore is physical, and brains trounce brawn every time. The USA's strength is their endurance, but although they have a weak defense they have a very good goalkeeper in Tim Howard.

Coach Appiah must isolate Gyan and Waris against all those all their defenders. Since Waris is very fast he must spring Waris from a deep lying position to defeat the offside trap.

The strength of the Black Stars will be put to the mettle when they encounter the Germans on the twenty-first of June. The strength of the Die Mannschaft (Germany's national team) is in their midfield of Sami Khedira, Tony Kroos, Bastien Schweinsteiger and Mezut Ozil. Khedira, Kroos and Schweinsteiger are predictable, with Khedira being the destroyer who will try to obstruct the Black Stars buildup, while Kroos and Schweinsteiger will alternate as conductors, but Ozil is the enigma. Ozil's has had a dismal football year with both Real Madrid (Spain) and Arsenal (England). If he is at his best--I pray he is not he should save it for another opponent--he will create tremendous problems for my Black Stars.

Lucas Podolski is also conventional. He is not a dribbler, but he is very fleeting with a powerful left foot. Occasionally, he loves to operate from the right side of the Die Mannschaft offense to unleash either a thunderous shot to either side of the goalpost or with a curling shot to the right hand of the goalkeeper.

Miroslave Klose will create great problems for the Black Stars, because he is not only deceptively fast, he is also a poacher and can also score with his head. Mensah must be assigned to defend Klose, though this will create problems for the former the Black Stars have no supplementary alternative, but to be physical with the latter.

The grace the Black Stars have is that the Mannschaft has a very weak defense. Gyan and Waris must exploit their quickness against Hummels and Mertesacker.

O how I would love for the Black Stars to trounce Portugal, because they will not only make all Pan-Africanists happy because they initiated colonialism with their exploration of the continent, but will also make the late Dr. Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah proud.

The match against Portugal is an opportunity for my favorite Black Star, Samuel Inkoom to excel. Inkoom has all the qualities to man-mark Cristiano Ronaldo, because he is intelligent and speedy. Coach Appiah has to provide supplementary assistance if Ronaldo will evade--which will be very difficult for Ronaldo--Inkoom.

The Black Stars should be prepared for a physical battle with the Portuguese, and that match will be quandary for the likes of Mensah, Muntari, Agyemang-Badu, Dede Ayew and to a lesser extent Inkoom because he will be stifling Ronaldo, which will disapproving of the referee; hopefully the referee will be very, very, impartial but given that it is Sepp Blatter's FIFA I have my fingers crossed.

My best Black Stars: Adams/Dauda- Inkoom, Mensah, Boye, Opare-Dede Ayew, Agyemang-Badu, Muntari, Kwadwo Asamoah-Gyan and Waris.