The Black Stars came within 60 seconds of elimination as Portugal needed a 5th minute stoppage time equaliser to draw 2-2 with the USA.
In the 4th game of Group G, Ghana needed Portugal to beat the USA but it turned out nearly the opposite and now Group G’s last round of games would contain several permutations on who is likely to qualify.
Portugal took the lead as early as the fifth minute when Nani pounced on a defensive error to slot home past Tim Howard.
Portugal remained on the ascendancy but failed to add to their tally until the USA took over the game in the second half.
Goals from Jermain Jones and skipper Clint Dempsey meant that all of a sudden everything was going off-script for the Black Stars.
It took until the 95th minute, when a curling Cristiano Ronaldo cross was met by the powerful head of Silvestre Varela to keep the stakes as high as it gets heading into the final Group G games on Thursday.
Now a win would have suited the Black Stars much more but minus that, the draw is not a bad result and it requires certain swings in the last game for Ghana to make the Round of 16.
The FIFA rules stipulate that the criteria for qualification go hierarchically, Points, Goals Difference, Goals scored, then head-to-head.
As it stands, Germany has 4pts and a +4 goal difference. USA has 4pts and +1, Ghana 1pt and -1, Portugal 1pt and -4.
For Ghana to qualify, we need to beat Portugal, Germany beats the USA, and the goal differential should swing in our favour. Between the two games there should be a three goal swing; so Ghana win by two goals and USA lose by one, or we win by one goal and they lose by two.
A draw between Germany and USA means Ghana and Portugal will be both out. One thing we should note is the Germans have history with this kind of situation, as they beat Austria 1-0 in 1982 to eliminate Algeria with both sides barely playing after the goal in the 10th minute. The US coach is also German legend-Jurgen Klinsmann.
