Group H, which consists of Portugal, Switzerland, South Korea, and Ghana, is the second worst group in the tournament if we judge the strength of the teams based on their average position in the FIFA rankings. This can only imply one thing: anybody from the group has the potential to surprise the world and qualify. Portugal, on the other hand, has by far the best team of the group as they prepare to kick off their campaign with a match against Ghana.
Even though Cristiano Ronaldo is 37 years old, he has the greatest opportunity of his career to win the FIFA World Cup since Portugal now boasts one of the strongest teams they’ve ever had at the competition. The team that won the European Championship in 2016 has a wealth of quality across all positions on the field. However, following Ronaldo’s scathing comments about his status at Manchester United, things are far from ideal in Portugal’s squad. He is now playing for the squad with two of his teammates from his previous club, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot.
Fernando Santos has picked a 26-man roster that includes seasoned veterans who are familiar with the process of winning championships. However, there are some up-and-coming stars on the squad, such as Vitinha, who is a great midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain, Antonio Silva, who is a young gun defense for Benfica, and Nuno Mendes. Os Navegadores will not settle for anything less than first place in their group with a roster as strong as theirs, as well as three points in each of their matches.
One final chance
Defence destroyers
The Ghana side, which is youthful and full of energy, is the obstacle on their path. The fact that the Black Stars have just three players older than 30 years old demonstrates the faith that Black Stars manager Otto Addo has put in the team’s younger players. In point of fact, their team is the one with the youngest average age in the World Cup. In addition, Ghana have welcomed Inaki Williams and Denis Odoi, who switched allegiance from Belgium just in time for the World Cup. Odoi was formerly a member of the Belgian national team.
On the other hand, rising talents like Mohammed Kudus and Tariq Lamptey will be the ones to provide the spark that the squad needs to get going. Because of this, they are one of the most unpredictable sides in the World Cup. They might end up losing all three of their matches, or they could go on a miraculous run that takes them far into the competition.
The latest team news from Portugal and Ghana
Because Portugal’s warm-up matches did not result in any injuries to its players, Fernando Santos has a totally healthy roster from which to choose his starting lineup. The only thing that’s out in the air right now is who will start up front for Portugal. Although Joao Felix got the nod in the warm-up match against Nigeria, Ronaldo is anticipated to earn the start in the first game of the World Cup. Additionally, Santos must choose between Diogo Costa, Jose Sa, and Rui Patricio in order to choose who will start in goal for them.
Ghana too have an entirely healthy roster from which to choose players. The primary concern is whether or not head coach Otto Addo will have faith in Tariq Lamptey’s ability to contribute right away. The defender just just announced that they would be competing for their nation despite the fact that they have only made two appearances for the squad. Another challenge will be deciding whether or not to give brilliant young star Kamaldeen Sulemana, who is just 20 years old, a shot in the starting 11 ahead of more experienced players.
Ati-Zigi; Lamptey, Amartey, Salisu, Mensah; Partey, Samed; Sulemana, Kudus, J. Ayew; and A. Ayew are the players who are expected to start for Ghana.
Gamechangers
There are no other stars on the squad, despite the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players in the history of football and can still play at a world-class level at age 37. And none is more skilled, skilful, or in better shape than the Bernardo Silva who plays for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has trusted the midfielder with more freedom in his position, and as a result, the player has established himself as one of the top players in the world. Santos will be hoping that he can continue his strong play from the Premier League into Qatar, where he has already contributed with two goals and five assists.
In the meanwhile, Ghana is home to Mohammed Kudus, who is widely regarded as one of the most talented young people anywhere in the world. The attacker has been in outstanding form, as he has scored five goals in the Eredivisie. In addition to that, he contributed to the team’s success in the Champions League by scoring four goals and providing two assists. And he will need to carry that form to the FIFA World Cup if Ghana is going to advance to the next stage of the tournament or recreate their run from the 2010 World Cup.
Predictions for the match between Portugal and Ghana
The first match for Portugal has been drawn against a side with a poor ranking in the FIFA World Cup. This should be an easy win for Portugal. And a victory in the first match of their season would be the ideal way to get things off to a good start. Since 2006, Portugal has not been able to qualify for the semi-finals with a team that is capable of competing at that level or even going beyond. And despite the fact that Ghana have an excellent squad, they are a long way behind Portugal in terms of talent.
ISYSCOM predicts that Portugal will win by a score of 3-1.
