Ghana’s Black Stars will face South Korea on Matchday 2 in Group H at the 2022 FIFA World Cup at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan with hopes high for the West African side.
The four-time African champions have played 3 previous matchday 2 games at the FIFA World Cup, winning 1 and drawing twice – 2006 (2-0 against the Czech Republic), 2010 (1-1 against Australia), and 2014 (2-2 against Germany).
Ghana will play the 47th game of Matchday 2 for African sides at the FIFA World Cup when they take on South Korea at 13:00 GMT. Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions have a 10:00 GMT kick-off on Monday.
In 45 previous Matchday 2, games for African countries at the Mundial, 24 defeats have been recorded including Tunisia’s 1-0 loss to Australia in the 2022 edition.
Cameroon became the first African country to win a matchday 2 game after edging Romania 2-1 at the Italy 1990 edition.
African countries have recorded 10 victories on matchday 2 including Morocco’s shocking 2-0 win over Belgium in the 2022 edition.
Nigeria have won the highest number of Matchday 2 games (3) – 1998 (Nigeria 1-0 Bulgaria), 2014 (Nigeria 1-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina), and 2018 (Nigeria 2-0 Iceland).
South Korea, Ghana’s opponent on Monday, suffered a 4-2 to Algeria on Matchday 2 during the 2014 edition in Brazil.
Ghana have scored 5 Matchday 2 goals and conceded 3.
Africa didn’t score a matchday 2 goal until the 1990 edition.
African countries have conceded 64 goals on Matchday 2 and scored 36 goals in 44 games.
Below are the details of Matchday 2 games played by African countries at the World Cup.
- 1970 – Mexico
Peru 3-0 Morocco
1974 – West Germany
Yugoslavia 9-0 Dr Conogo (Zaire)
- 1978 – Argentina
Poland 1-0 Tunisia
1982 – Spain
Poland 0-0 Cameroon
Algeria 0-2 Austria
- 1986 – Mexico
Brazil 1-0 Algeria
England 0-0 Morocco
1990 – Italy
Cameroon 2-1 Romania
Republic of Ireland 0-0 Egypt
- 1994 – USA
Brazil 3-0 Cameroon
Argentina 2-1 Nigeria
Saudi Arabia 2-1 Morocco
1998 – France
Brazil 3-0 Morocco
Italy 3-0 Cameroon
South Africa 1-1 Denmark
Nigeria 1-0 Bulgaria
Colombia 1-0 Tunisia
- 2002 – Japan/Korea
Denmark 1-1 Senegal
South Africa 1-0 Slovenia
Cameroon 1-0 Saudi Arabia
Sweden 2-1 Nigeria
Tunisia 1-1 Belgium
2006 – Germany
Netherlands 2-1 Ivory Coast
Mexico 0-0 Angola
Czech Republic 0-2 Ghana
Togo 0-2 Switzerland
Spain 3-1 Tunisia
- 2010 – South Africa
South Africa 0-3 Uruguay
Greece 2-1 Nigeria
England 0-0 Algeria
Ghana 1-1 Australia
Cameroon 1-2 Denmark
2014 – Brazil
Cameroon 0-4 Croatia
Colombia 2-1 Ivory Coast
Nigeria 1-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Germany 2-2 Ghana
South Korea 2-4 Algeria
- 2018 – Russia
Russia 3-1 Egypt
Portugal 1-0 Morocco
Nigeria 2-0 Iceland
Belgium 5-2 Tunisia
Japan 2-2 Senegal
2022 – Qatar
Qatar 1-3 Senegal
Tunisia 0-1 Australia
Belgium 0-2 Morocco
