When Ghana steps onto the Stadium 974 pitch in Qatar on November 24, it will be their fourth Fifa World Cup campaign and their thirteenth game on football’s biggest stage.
The Black Stars open their Group H challenge against Portugal and play Uruguay and South Korea in hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages.
Portugal’s sharpshooters Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva will all be ready to test their quality against the lowest-ranked team at the World Cup – 60th.
That would not be all; Uruguay’s Federico Valverde is enjoying blistering form with his blazing long-range drives and Heung Min Son of South Korea will be ready as well.
To keep Ghana’s hopes alive, head coach Otto Addo must find the best defence for the showdown in Qatar.
Like most pundits usually assert: Attack wins you games, defence wins you tournaments.
As a result, the bus does not stop at the central defensive plan of the Stars but rather, in this case, the goalkeepers.
It is worth noting that finding the balance between the three shot-stoppers for Qatar 2022 will be vital to the national team’s success.
So who are the likely names for Otto Addo?
Jojo Wollacott
The Charlton Athletic goalkeeper led Ghana to the 2022 Fifa World Cup with some stupendous saves against rivals Nigeria in Abuja and most expect him to hold the forth.
Wollacott had his debut against Zimbabwe and has since not looked back.
The 26-year-old played at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations as the first choice and he still holds on to the mantle despite the return of Richard Ofori.
Jojo has kept four clean sheets in fourteen games so far in the League One of English football.
Since January, Wollacott has played nine games for the Black Stars.
AMARTEY – DJIKU – SALISU
protecting
WOLLACOTT
Looks good!#BlackStars #WorldCup
— Dennis Ivan Opoku ???? (@ivanopokugh) October 25, 2022
Richard Ofori
Ofori, before Wollacott and his injury in 2020 was Ghana’s number one goalkeeper.
Football fans expect to have the Orlando Pirates man as the second choice for Ghana at the World Cup.
He returned to the national team in September 2021 when the Black Stars beat Ethiopia 1-0 in Cape Coast.
And he has been present in all call-ups till date.
In South Africa, Ofori is regarded as one of the most experienced lads in the league.
The former Maritzburg United player has featured in ten league games for the Sea Robbers in the 2022/23 season.
Abdul Manaf Nurudeen
The 23-year-old plays for KAS Eupen in the Belgian Pro League.
After playing the first three matches for Eupen and conceding four goals in 270 minutes, Manaf has been on the sidelines in the remaining eleven games for the Pandas.
Interestingly, the Stars goalkeeper played twenty games in the top-flight league and kept two clean sheets.
Manaf was the hero for Ghana during the Kirin Cup third-place match against Chile with the African nation winning on penalties.
Danlad Ibrahim
Danlad has enjoyed a successful period in his career since becoming number one for Asante Kotoko.
Aside playing for the Reds, the Sunyani-based goalkeeper was in the Black Galaxies squad that qualified for the 2023 CHAN in Algeria.
Danlad also kept the posts in the Black Meteors’ 2-1 first-leg victory over Mozambique last Sunday.
He is expected to carry on as the goalkeeper for the 2023 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations second-leg qualifier against the Southern Africans.
Danlad had call-ups under former Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac but is yet to earn a spot in Otto Addo’s team.
A Ghana Premier League winner as well.
Lawrence Ati-Zigi
25-year-old Ati-Zigi has had no luck in his games for the Black Stars. He has been in and out of the team and was at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
The St. Gallen goalkeeper has featured eleven times in the Swiss League and has managed two clean sheets.
Ati-Zigi will be hoping for a spot in the Black Stars squad for the World Cup.
Bar any surprises, only three of these goalkeepers will make Otto Addo’s final squad for the tournament.
Ghana, like the other 31 participating countries, met the deadline of October 21 in submitting their World Cup pre-list of 35-55 players to Fifa. The world football governing body will announce the final squads of 23/26 for each nation on November 14.
