... Blacks Stars play Czechs
COLOGNE, Germany - Ghana needs to rediscover the scoring touch it showed in qualifying and warmup matches if it's to progress at the World Cup.

Coach Ratomir Dujkovic has been giving his players shooting practice all week after the Black Stars lost their opening game to Italy 2-0 and never looked capable of getting a goal.

Dujkovic said the preparation should pay off Saturday against the Czech Republic.

"I hope tomorrow they will score a few," Dujkovic said. "The (Czechs) have an advantage because they have three points and we have zero points, so we have to try and score from the beginning."

In training, Ghana employed unusual drills to try and revive their scoring skills - a game of tag in the penalty area, hand-to-hand passing and endless shots on goal.

On Thursday, Dujkovic took corner kicks himself to test attackers' reflexes.

His two key strikers are Asamoah Gyan and Matthew Amoah, but the coach has said he would encourage midfielders like Michael Essien of Chelsea and captain Stephen Appiah to push further forward.

"Essien knows everything, so you (don't need) to tell him to play this way or that way," Dujkovic said.

Essien had the most shots against Italy, followed by Gyan.

In qualification, Ghana scored 17 goals in 10 matches in a group that included South Africa, and notched up another eight in three friendly games since March.

Appiah said Ghana would have to start hard against the Czechs to upset their midfield.

"They have (Karel) Poborsky, they have (Tomas) Rosicky, they are very good players. So we have to go against them strongly," Appiah said.

"They have a strong midfield. But we also have good players, so it will be difficult so we have to hold them strongly."