South Korea battled hard in their goalless draw against two-time champions Uruguay and now will seek to build on that hard-earned point at the FIFA World Cup 2022 as they take on Ghana at the Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan on Monday, November 27. A win will give South Korea a major boost in their pursuit of a place in the knockouts while a defeat will end Ghana’s hopes of making it out of the group stage.
South Korea are the most successful Asian team at the World Cup, having reached the last four when they were co-hosts back in 2002. Meanwhile, Ghana are one of only three African countries to have reached the quarter-finals at the World Cup.
Son Heung-min was deemed fit to start with a protective mask as his team battled to a 0-0 draw against Uruguay. The draw extends their impressive defensive record to three consecutive clean sheets in their four-game unbeaten run.
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However, they need to start firing up front, having failed to post a single shot on target during the game against Uruguay. Son will be key to their hopes and coach Paulo Bento will hope he can brush off the rust after making his first appearance since sustaining a fracture around his left eye during Tottenham's Champions League clash away at Marseille.
Ghana on the other hand were unlucky to not come away with at least a point during their 3-2 defeat to Portugal in their tournament opener. Inaki Williams had a glorious opportunity to level the tie at the death as he robbed goalkeeper Diogo Costa of possession but slipped at the last moment.
The Black Stars find themselves at the bottom of the group and another defeat for Otto Addo’s men will spell the end of their hopes of progressing to the Round of 16.
South Korea vs Ghana Team News:
Son Heung-min started the last game with a protective mask and managed to play the entire 90 mins. Centre-back Kim Min-jae also seemed to have hurt his calf muscle but is expected to be fit to start against Ghana.
Ghana will have a fully fit squad to pick from as they finished their game against Portugal without any injuries.
South Korea vs Ghana Possible Starting XIs:
South Korea Possible Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Kim S G; Kim M, Kim M J, Kim Y G, Kim J S; Hwang I B, Jung; Na, Lee J S, Son H M; Hwang U J.
Ghana Possible Starting 11 (5-3-2): Ati-Zigi; Seidu, Amartey, Djiku, Salisu, Rahman; Partey, Kudus, Samed; A Ayew, Williams.
South Korea vs Ghana Head-to-Head: Ghana hold the edge with a 4-3 record over South Korea in the win count of their past seven head-to-head clashes, all in friendly internationals.Their last meeting ended in a 4-0 victory for Ghana courtesy a hattrick from Jordan Ayew.
Form Guide (Last Five Games)
South Korea: W-D-W-W-D
Ghana: W-L-W-W-L
Betting odds (bet365)
South Korea win: 2.40
Draw: 3.20
Ghana win: 3.10
South Korea vs Ghana Prediction: The Black Stars have quite a few new faces in their ranks which might go against them as they face a well-drilled South Korea side. Considering Ghana have conceded at least 2 goals in their last 4 matches we expect South Korea to win this tie 3-1.
Where to watch and kick-off timing: The match will kick off at 6:30 PM IST on Monday, November 28 and will be beamed live on Sports18 and Sports18 HD. Fans can also stream the action online on JioCinema’s official website and Jio Cinema app.
(Edited by : Prakhar Sachdeo)
