Ghana -dangerous outsiders at World Cup 2010

Ghana, the first African team to qualify for South Africa after the hosts, can be dangerous outsiders at World Cup 2010.

Ghana's World Cup record: 2006 2nd rd.

How Ghana qualified: African Group D winners.

The Coach: Milovan Rajevac (Serbian, 55). Appointed: August 2008. WC experience: Player: None. Coach: None.

Rajevac is a Serbian who played for Borac Cacak, Red Star Belgrade, FK Vojvodina and Sloboda Tuzla.

The Country: The Black Stars were the only African side to advance to Round 2 of the World Cup in 2006, the sixth consecutive occasion an Africa nation had progressed beyond the group stages of a finals tournament. And, for the stats geeks, Ghana were the youngest team in the 2006 finals - with an average age of 23 yrs and 352 days.

Ghana beat Sudan 2-0 in Accra to become the first African side to reach the 2010 World Cup in South Africa from the qualifiers. Inter Milan's Sulley Muntari - once of Portsmouth - and Chelsea's Michael Essien scored the goals in each half to give Ghana an unassailable lead at the top of qualifying Group D. Essien said: "The people of Ghana wanted us to win and we did not let them down. What a fantastic feeling to be the first African country to qualify for the first World Cup to be staged in Africa."

And Anthony Annan hit a late equaliser as Ghana completed their successful qualifying campaign with a 2-2 home draw against Mali.

Telegraph verdict: With players such as Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari performing for some of Europe’s top clubs, then Ghana, who threatened to do well in Germany in 2006, could be a major force in South Africa. As long as they remain disciplined - tales of Essien and co going AWOL don’t help - can be dangerous outsiders.