Ghana - Team Fact Sheet

10 Cosmic Things to Know about Ghana's Black Stars

When you think of Ghana, you think of cocoa, coups, kente cloth, dashikis, highlife music, talking drums, African independence, and one of the best football nations on the continent.

This English-speaking nation of 24 million has produced quality sides for decades and it's no surprise they're in the World Cup for a second consecutive time. But they've got a lot riding on their shoulders: they're playing in front of a "home crowd," so to speak, in Africa.

This is their best chance to show the world what they're made of. No doubt there will be plenty of support for them down south.

So here's the top 10 facts you need to know about the Ghanaian football team:

10. Ghana's national side is nicknamed the Black Stars, which derives from the design on their flag. It symbolizes black emancipation from British colonialism in 1957.

9. The Ghanaian team is sometimes called the Brazil of Africa because of its high-quality play. Though Brazil typically spanks them in head-to-head competition, good signs are in the offing: in the 2009 Under-20 World Cup, Ghana beat Brazil in a penalty shoot-out 4-3. That's their future, people, so watch out!

8. Ghana went to their first World Cup in 2006 where they made it to the Second Round. After losing to Italy, they beat the Czech Republic and the United States to advance. Then Brazil, of course, dismissed them 3-0.

7. Ghana is coached by Serbian Milovan Rajevac who, until now, had coached only Serbian football squads. Let's see how he does in Africa.

6. Ghana enjoyed its biggest win in 1965 when it destroyed Kenya 13-0. Poor Kenya. It just so happened that Ghana was the best African team at the time, sweeping all the continental titles they played for. Those were Ghana's glory days. Will they return?

5. Ghana's national hero Abedi "Pele" Ayew has scored the most goals (33) and boasts the most caps (73). He played for Ghana from 1982-1998. Today he's the chairman of a Ghanaian football team, Nania FC.

4. Ghana has had 14 coaches since 2000: 6 Ghanaians, 3 Serbs, 1 German, 1 Frenchman, 1 Portuguese, and 1 Italian. Quite a multinational bunch! Hopefully this coach will last a bit longer than the last ones.

3. FIFA ranked Ghana 38th before the World Cup, which is far from the 14th spot they had back in 2008. Nevertheless, they're playing in Africa this time, so they're gonna be amped up!

2. Ghanaians love outer space! Ghana has the Black Stars (national team), the Black Meteors (Olympic team), the Black Satellites (Under-20s team) and the Black Starlets (Under-17s team). What's next: the Black Holes? (Doesn't quite have the same ring as the others.)

1. Ghana has won 4 African Cup of Nations titles: they beat Sudan in 1963 at home. They defended their title against Tunisia in 1965 in Tunisia. Then they won again at home in 1978 against Uganda. And the last time they won was in 1982 against Libya in Libya. But they're looking good again. We expect their black stars to shine in South Africa!