Ghana match is 'historic' for independent Serbia

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP):

Serbia will make their World Cup debut today as an independent nation when they face a Ghanaian team eager to make an impact despite the absence of injured star Michael Essien.

It's a special moment for Serbs, who have a rich football history as part of the now-defunct nations of Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro, and especially for team captain Dejan Stankovic.

After Ghana, he will have participated in three World Cups - each for a different nation.

"It's going to be a historic match for Serb football," the Inter Milan midfielder said yesterday. "We will be very emotional."

Now 31, Stankovic played for Yugoslavia in the 1998 World Cup and for Serbia and Montenegro four years ago. The latter union fell apart the same year when Montenegro declared independence.

Led by Milovan Rajevac, the third Serb to coach Ghana in eight years, the Africans should have a good handle on their Balkan adversaries heading into the high-altitude match in Pretoria.

A former Red Star Belgrade defender, Rajevac is taking on his compatriots without Essien, ruled out of the World Cup because of a long-term knee injury.

Essien's absence is a severe setback for the young Ghanaian team, which was runner-up in the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.

"Mike is not with us. It's truly a great handicap for us and for the World Cup," Rajevac said yesterday.

He conceded that facing his homeland was a difficult situation "but I'm a professional and I will concentrate on the game".

Ghana will count on Muntari's pace and striker Asamoah Gyan's firepower to rattle a solid Serbian backline built around Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic.

The Serbs edged France in qualifying but underperformed in pre-tournament friendlies. Winger Milos Krasic said a win today would boost their confidence for the next match against group favourites Germany.

Humiliating defeat

Four years ago in Germany, the Serbia-Montenegro team lost all three group matches, including a humiliating 6-0 defeat to Argentina wedged between narrow losses to Netherlands and Cte d'Ivoire.

Coach Radomir Antic, who has led Serbia for two years, was reluctant to compare that squad to his current group of players.

"For us what is behind us can't be changed," he said. "We are here for the first time in the World Cup as an independent nation. This makes us even more motivated and stronger."

Four-time African champions and 1992 Olympic bronze medallists, Ghana, historically, are one of Africa's strongest teams. But they have only played a World Cup once before, in 2006, when they lost to Brazil in the second round after beating Czech Republic and United States in the group stage.

The back-to-back wins followed their opening loss to eventual champions Italy.

Ghana captain Stephen Appiah said he was excited to be playing the World Cup in Africa and said he hopes all the African nations in the tournament - Cameroun, Nigeria, Cte d'Ivoire, Algeria and hosts South Africa - will do well.

"Some of them have big names. I wish them luck that they will go far," the Bologna midfielder said. "But we are thinking about ourselves, that we will have a successful tournament."

Neither team has had a smooth run-up to this tournament, with Serbia switching training grounds and Ghana changing hotels.