Portugal will be hoping the off-field drama invited by captain Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive interview doesn’t haunt them on the pitch when they open their FIFA World Cup 2022 campaign against Ghana at Stadium 974 in Doha on Thursday, November 24. With South Korea and Uruguay making up the rest of Group H, it’s imperative for Fernando Santos’ men to get off to a quick start and give their hopes of qualifying a major boost.
Ronaldo meanwhile has seen his time at Manchester United come to an abrupt end after choosing to air his dirty laundry publicly in an interview with Piers Morgan. Both parties have mutually agreed to terminate his contract which means the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is now available on a free transfer and has a point to prove to any potential suitors at Qatar.
Meanwhile, a minor illness has meant Ronaldo didn’t feature in his team’s thumping 4-0 victory over Nigeria in their last warm-up game.
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However, the embarrassment of riches available to Portugal mean they enter the contest as heavy favourites. Manchester based quintet of Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo are stars who are on top of their game and can cause any team trouble.
Ghana meanwhile come into the tournament with a point to prove after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Black Stars will be making their fourth World Cup finals appearance with a quarter-final finish in 2010 their best result so far.
They’ll depend heavily on Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey to control the middle of the park while Athletic Bilbao striker Inaki Williams provides the threat up front. Premier League duo Tariq Lamptey and Daniel Amartey will also line-up in defence.
Ghana enjoyed a 2-0 victory over Switzerland in their last warm-up game, however, they’ll have to really punch above their weight to come away with a positive result against Portugal.
Portugal vs Ghana Team News
A minor illness kept Ronaldo away from the action in the warm-up game against Nigeria but the Portugal captain has said he is fit and raring to go. Both Portugal boss Santos and Ghana’s head coach Otto Addo will have fully fit squads available for selection.
Form Guide: (Last five matches)
Portugal: W-L-W-L-W
Ghana: W-W-L-D-L
Betting Odds: (Bet365)
Portugal: 1.40
Ghana: 8.50
Draw: 4.75
Predicted Line-Ups:
Portugal (4-2-3-1): Costa, Cancelo, Dias, Pereira, Mendes; Carvalho, Neves; Silva, Fernandes, Felix; Ronaldo.
Ghana (4-2-3-1): Ati-Zigi, Lamptey, Amartey, Salisu, Baba; Abdul Samed, Partey; Sulemana, Kudus,
Where to watch and match timing: The match will kick off at 9:30 PM IST and will be beamed live on Sports18 and Sports18 HD. Fans can also stream the action online on JioCinema’s official website.
