Ghana battle South Korea looking to avoid 'k-drama' in Qatar

The Black Stars of Ghana return to the pitch on Monday for their second game at the FIFA World Cup.

Ghana is looking for a first win of the tournament after a painful defeat in their opener against Portugal.

The West Africans became the first team from Africa to score at least a goal but lost 3-2 to the Selecao.

With Senegal going one step better, with the continent's first win, the Black Stars will need a better defensive showing than against Portugal if they want to remain in the competition.

But first, standing in their way is the Asian giant, South Korea.

The Taeguk Warriors find themselves in a similar situation as their counterparts and opponents on Monday.

Korea kicked off their campaign with a dull goalless affair against Uruguay.

Led by the popular Son Heung-Min, the Koreans put in an average performance and will need to step up their game when they go head-to-head against Ghana.

When these two step on the pitch on Monday afternoon, it will be for the 11th time across all competitions.

Both sides have won four games each and draw the other three, with the Black Stars winning the last game between the pair 4-0 in a friendly.

In terms of their form heading into this encounter, South Korea is unbeaten in the last four while Ghana has won two and lost two in the same time.

Mohammed Kudus proved against Portugal that he remains one of the key players for the Black Stars.

With his dribbling, hold up play and eye for goal, the 22-year-old will be pivotal for the Stars in this game.

Another name to keep an eye on is Jordan Ayew. The Crystal Palace man netted a hat-trick the last times both nations locked horns eight years ago.

For Korea, the Kims will be the centre of attraction once again for the Warriors, alongside captain, Son, who needs to wake up following a quiet outing against Uruguay in the previous game.

S. Korea XI: Kim; Kim, Kim, Kim, Kim; Hwang, Jung; Na, Leo, Son; Hwang

Ghana XI: Zigi; Seidu, Amartey, Djiku, Baba; Partey, Samed; Bukari, Kudus, Ayew, Williams

With so much at stake in this particular encounter, I see both teams playing delivering a cagey affair as there will be no room for errors.

However, the Black Stars showed enough promise offensively and have scored in 10 of their 13 matches at the FIFA World Cup. So, i see the Africans edging this one but narrowly.

FT: S.Korea 1-2 Ghana