Johannesburg: Uruguay will be chasing its first World Cup semifinal appearance for 40 years tomorrow while Ghana is bidding to make history for Africa.
The quarterfinal match at Soccer City brings together a two-time, World Cup winner which has not gone this far since 1970 and another which is in uncharted territory, carrying the weight of an entire continent.
For decades, Uruguay has been in the shadow of South American rivals Brazil and Argentina but has now joined them in the last eight at the World Cup on merit.
The 1930 and 1950 World Cup winner, Uruguay has a solid defense and a three-pronged attacking formation with Diego Forlan playing just behind Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.Coach Oscar Tabarez went to that system after the team labored to a 0-0 draw with France, and the result was two strikes by Forlan in a 3-0 victory over host South Africa.
Uruguay also beat Mexico 1-0 thanks to a goal by Suarez, who then netted two in a 2-1 victory over South Korea.
"He is quite calm as a coach, with a lot of experience, who knows how to handle the group very well," Forlan said of Tabarez. "The experience that he has from (the 1990 World Cup) and other teams has helped us all a lot."
Uruguay has been forced into a change in defense with Diego Godin ruled out with a thigh injury. But Forlan has recovered sufficiently from a damaged toe and will face the Ghanaians.
Ghana is without suspended players Jonathan Mensah and Andre Ayew but striker Asamoah Gyan is expected to recover from an ankle injury he picked up in the second-round victory over the United States.
The biggest problem for the last African team left in the competition is the enormous weight of expectations.But Ghana`s Serbian coach, Milovan Rajevac, says the prospect of becoming the first team from the continent to reach the last four will motivate his squad.
"We are not thinking about the pressure. We played very well at the African (Cup of) Nations so we have already proved that we are a team that knows how to compete," he said. "We will try to relax. You know it is good for us to be here. We are very happy with the whole situation.
"We have no obligation but still we want to use this opportunity to do our best and to make history."
Rajevac said his group of players was growing in confidence with each match.
"Of course, sometimes you feel a little pressure. This is the highest level there is but we just try to do our best every match," he said. "We give the maximum."
Rajevac said his team needs to beware Uruguay`s attacking threat.
"Uruguay have been very impressive," he said. "They are a South American nation with players playing in the best leagues in Europe. They have to be one of the best teams in the world. They deserve every respect and Forlan is a fine player.
"But we will play the way that has brought us success so far. We are not going to adjust our style and we will try to use whatever weakness we can find in our opponents. What is very important is to be able to change your system as the match demands."
Rajevac guided Ghana to the African Cup of Nations in February and has taken the team to the last eight of the World Cup despite the absence of its best player, Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, who has been sidelined with a serious right knee injury.
"When I came to Ghana it took a lot of hard work and now, after all this hard work, you can see the results today," he said. "I am very proud of everything we have done in the last two years."
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.