Kudus was the hero for the Black Stars after he scored 2 to lead his country to victory.
Ghana was in dire need of some points after losing to Portugal. The Black Stars would have been out if they lost today. South Korea was also hoping for some points, having only gotten one so far.
Both sides started the game positively. They were looking to progress the ball quickly and create early chances. Ghana attempted to play the ball out from the back but were immediately finding themselves in the face of an intense South Korean press.
South Korea kept applying pressure. Their right-back Kim Moon-hwan motored down his wing but overhit a cross and put the ball out for a goal-kick.
But it was Ghana that would lead the match. Jordan Ayew and Muhammed Kudus stood over a free-kick. Kudus dummied and Ayew swung the ball into the box, where South Korea failed to clear and Salisu poked home in the ensuing scramble.
Ghana’s goal came completely against the runoff play leaving the Koreans shell-shocked, which explains why shortly after they would double their lead. Jordan Ayew whipped a delightful cross from the left into the South Korea penalty area and Mohammed Kudus got the faintest of touches with his forehead on the edge of the six-yard box.
Having roared out of the traps in this game and put Ghana under the most intense pressure, the Koreans wilted. They do, however, get a shot off here at the end of an attack, Son shooting over the bar. Son started moving centrally and playing like a number 10 in the final minutes of the first half but they wouldn’t get their deserved goal until the second.
In the 57th minute, Jo Gue-sung headed home from a Lee Kang-in cross from the left mere seconds after the substitute had taken to the pitch.
And then in quick succession like their Ghanaian counterparts, they would get their second through Jo who headed home from the edge of the six-yard box again, leaping highest to convert Kim Jun-su’s cross from the byline.
But that draw wouldn’t last long. Muhammad Kudus swept home his second of the game, firing a low diagonal shot past Kim into the bottom corner.
For the rest of the match, Koreans would try their chance but the Ghanians would come through. Left-back Kim Jun-su misses a decent scoring opportunity, shooting high over the bar when he had plenty of goal to aim at.
Son would also have a goalbound shot blocked and a Ghanaian defender throwing himself in front of the follow-up.
And, with the terrific win for the Ghanaians, which becomes the second thrilling game today (3-3 Serbia vs Cameroon), Ghana’s players should be beside themselves with delight. Meanwhile, Korea are bottom of the group with just one point from two games and will have to beat Portugal in their final game to have any chance of going through. Ghana go second, behind the Portuguese, with three points with a final group game against bitter enemies Uruguay.
