Czech starters on the bench
The Czech Republic are facing a number of injury problems before their Group E match against Ghana. Striker Milan Baros has yet to make his 2006 World Cup premier with heel problems and Jan Koller, who opened scoring against the US, is out with an injured hamstring.

Africa's first win?
If Ghana are able to top the Czech Republic it'd be the first win for an African team at the 2006 World Cup.

Who's on the field?
Here's a look at the starting line-ups:

Czech Republic: (4-5-1)

1- Petr Cech; 2- Zdenek Grygera, 6- Marek Jankulovski, 22- David Rozehnal, 21- Tomas Ujfalusi; 4- Tomas Galasek, 11- Pavel Nedved, 8- Karel Poborsky, 10- Tomas Rosicky, 20- Jaroslav Plasil; 12- Vratislav Lokvenc

Coach: Karel Bruckner

Ghana: (4-4-2)

22-Richard Kingson; 15-John Paintsil, 13-Habib Mohamed, 5-John Mensah, 7-Shilla Illiasu; 11-Sulley Muntari, 8-Michael Essien, 10-Stephen Appiah, 20-Otto Addo; 3-Asamoah Gyan 14-Matthew Amoah.

Coach: Ratomir Dujkovic

Referee: Horacio Elizondo (Argentina)

The Czech fans clearly outnumber the Ghana supports in Cologne -- but the Africans make themselves heard during the national anthem.

1. min.
The Czechs get the ball rolling.

2. min.
Goal Ghana!!
Cech had just recovered from a corner kick when Asamoah Gyan hammered in a ball after Ujfalusi misses a clearing header.

3. min.
Celebration on the Ghana bench -- Bruckner and the rest of the Czech bench look a bit shell shocked.

4. min.
Nedved wins a corner after Pantsil heads a cross out.

4. min.
Jankulovski takes a try from long-range but sends his shot wide of goal.

6. min.
Cech sends the ball all the way down the field to Kingston in the Ghana posts.

7. min.
Czechs get into their game
After an initial shock, the Czech defense has returned to its stable self with Grygera distributing passes well.

9. min.
Lokvenc, on for injured Jan Koller, tries to get around a defender, but his lob goes right into Kingston's hands.

10. min.
Free kick Ghana

10. min.
Cech is able to handle the ball into the box without a problem.

11. min.
Motivated by an early lead, Ghana are pushing forward with all their might whenever they have a chance.

12. min.
Rosicky passes off to Nedved after beating two defenders, but the shot flies right into Kingston's hands.

14. min.
A set of fouls on both sides have taken the momentum of the match with both sides punctuating drives forward with shots that either go wide or are easily caught.

16. min.
Birds of a feather
Ghana show an initial style similar to the Czechs, staying relaxed on defense and looking for a counter opportunity.

18. min.
The ref wants a word with Muntari for kicking away a ball. No card here, just a semi-friendly warning.

19. min.
The card is for Otto Addo
Addo is booked for a tough slide tackle on the right side.

21. min.
The ref's new whistle
Argentine Elizondo is making sure the match doesn't get out of his control and calling a close match.

23. min.
Nedved and the Czech Republic don't look as sure of themselves as they did against the USA. Ghana's solid defending is keeping the Europeans from getting good chances on goal.

24. min.
Grygera wants to shake the game up and shoot from long range. Kingson watches the ball fly out without moving.

25. min.
Poborsky presses his luck
Poborsky gets the ball in close the bottom of the penalty area winning some space from the defense, but can't beat the second defender on his dribble to the spot.

26. min.
Czech Republic pack own box
The Czechs aren't taking any risks and call back all their players to defend a corner.

28. min.
Poborsky is pushed outside the Ghana area -- he wants a card for Mensah, but only wins a free kick that doesn't bring the Czechs closer to goal.

30. min.
Czech just wide
Poborsky takes a square pass from Nedved and fires it wide of the far post.

31. min.
Amoah misses two chances
Amoah was just a step behind a pass into the box, missing the volley. His turn brings him to the center of the goal, but the right-footed shot goes high.

32. min.
Cech comes up big against Gyan. Gyan broke free of his defender and took the pass from Appiah but fired directly into the Czech goalie, who was quick off his line.

35. min.
Kingson gets beat out coming out of the goal and can't his hands on a cross. Nedved's resulting shot is blocked by Mensah.

37. min.
Nedved and Essien collide near the sideline and Ghana's player is booked for going in with a high boot.

38. min.
Cech collects a weak shot from Amoah and quickly runs it out to the edge of the box. He wants his team to get the lead out.

39. min.
Ghana getting better of play
The Czechs look like they've lost their attacking nature. They're running less than the Africans and paying for it in shots. Either Petr Cech has a good eye or he was beat on a Appiah shot that missed the goal by mere inches in Ghana's latest chance.

41. min.
Gyan lands badly and limps off the field for treatment with only minutes until half-time.

43. min.
Rosicky charges in to meet a cross from Poborsky, but the volley goes wide of net in the Czech's first good chance of the last few minutes.

45+1. min.
Czechs missing on offense
Injuries to Baros and Koller have taken the bite out of the Czech attack. Poborsky and Lokvenc aren't able to pick up the slack.

45+1. min.
Ghana take lead into locker room


45+1. min.
The Ghana defense is standing well against the Czech, and much better than it did against the Italians. On offense they are also creating problems for the Czech defense, which is allowing them into the penalty area where the Ghanaians shots aren't as lethal as they could be.

45+1. min.
When it was clear Koller wouldn't be back in time for the match with Ghana, Czech Republic coach Bruckner said the team would have to switch up it plans. After trailing Ghana for nearly all the first half, there are probably some more changes in store for the second half.

46. min.
We're off in the second half.

46. min.
Nedved hammers the ball home
Only to have the goal called back for offsides.

47. min.
One change each
Now that the action has slowed down a bit, there were two subs made before the second half kicked off. Jan Polak replaced Galasek for the Czechs, and Otto Addo came off for Derek Boateng for Ghana.

50. min.
Lokvenc booked
Lokvenc gets his second card of the Cup and will be missing during the Czech Republic-Italy game. The Czechs will have to hope one of their other strikers is fit.

51. min.
Grygera finds Lokvenc on a long ball, but the cross glances of the forward's head and sails out.

52. min.
Gyan takes the ball on kick from goalie Kingson, beats three defenders and nearly gets a rocket of a shot past Cech, who had to use all his abilities as World Goalkeeper of the Year to block the shot.

54. min.
Gyan is obstructed on his next break through the defense and wins a dangerous free kick.

55. min.
Essien sends the ball into the wall, but Ghana win it back and continue on the attack.

56. min.
Czechs switch up attack
Poborsky replaced by Jiri Stajner.

57. min.
Kingson saves
Plasil gets the ball after it floats through the penalty area, striking it on the run, his shot is pushed over the crossbar by Kingson.

59. min.
Jankulovski is ploughed down by Cech but able to continue in the match.

61. min.
Ghana aren't holding back
Aware of how quickly the Czechs can switch from defense to dangerous, Ghana continue attacking and fighting for every 50-50 ball --though the pace has slowed a bit.

65. min.
PENALTY GHANA!!


67. min.
Amoah was free in the box had his foot clipped by Ujfalusi and Elizonda calls for a penalty kick

65. min.
Ujfalusi thrown out of the game
He'll miss the next game after tackling Amoah.

66. min.
Gyan hits the post
Cech went the other way, but Gyan hits the post and the Czechs clear.

67. min.
Gyan was booked
Before taking the penalty kick, Gyan was given a yellow card for shooting the ball into the goal out of frustration before it was given free.

68. min.
Czechs make final switch
Pasil leaves and Libor Sionko comes on.

71. min.
Cech saves again
The Czech goalie sprints out and collects the ball with a slide before Amoah can add another goal to his tally.

72. min.
Led by powerhouse Nedved, the Czechs are becoming frantic as they see the time tick away. Nedved has just sent another long cross off the field.

75. min.
The Ghanaians are encamped in the Czech penalty box -- the defenders don't seem interested in marking any of the men and it's again up to Cech to keep his team in the game as Amoah fires at him point blank.

75. min.
Derek Boateng gets booked
He played the ball, but Rosicky takes a good fall the ref pulls out the yellow card.

76. min.
The free kick goes over the bar. Between crosses into nothingness and being called chronically offsides, the Czechs are putting in a poor performance.

78. min.
Essien gets free on a run into the box; his shot doesn't have much power behind it and Cech clears with his right foot.

79. min.
Essien sets Gyan free in front of the goal after a taking a long pass but Cech comes up big and manages to hold the ball between his legs.

80. min.
Matthew Amoah out for Eric Addo.

82. min.
In his first play on the ball Eric Addo is called for being offside.

82. min.
GHANA MAKE IT TWO!


83. min.
Gyan beats the offside trap before passing square to Muntari who, finally, hammers a ball past Cech. The keeper didn't have a chance from such close range.

84. min.
Muntari booked
He will also miss the third game against the USA.

86. min.
Change for Ghana
Gyan leaves for Razak Pimpong.

88. min.
Ghana offsides
Essien is the most recent Ghana striker to be called offsides. The Ghanaians are trying to push forward but the Czech defense is pulling up in front of them.

90. min.
Time is running out for the Czechs -- three minutes of extra time in Cologne.

90+1. min.
Kingson grabs it
In contrast to other keepers up by two goals, he doesn't waste any time and tosses the ball out right away.

90+3. min.
Booking for Mohamed on slide tackle from behind.


90+3. min.
Two last saves from Kingson and it's over
Kingson keeps his shut-out after saving a free kick from Sionko and again from Polak.

90+3. min.
Apparently demoralized after the loss to Italy, Ghana have returned to top form and are the first African team to claim three points in the 2006 World Cup.

90+3. min.
Group E remains wide open going into today's final match between Italy and the USA. If the American underdogs pull out a win similar to the Ghana's here in Cologne, it would leave all four teams with three points