John Pantsil figured as Ghana lost 1-0 to Australia in an international friendly played in Sydney on Friday.
The full-back was the only West Ham United player on view as club captain Lucas Neill was absent from the Socceroos squad for this match and possibly the World Cup qualification double-header against Iraq early next month. In this warm-up encounter, Pantsil's Ghana had plenty of pressure but were undone by a solitary strike by Australia's Mile Sterjovski. Early in the second half, the Derby County forward made the most of a John Mensah mistake to score from just outside the penalty area. Sterjovski did not finish the match as he was shown a late red card.
While Australia are well into their World Cup qualifiers in the Asian zone, Ghana begin their African campaign on 1 June at home to Libya before travelling to Lesotho on 8 June and then on to Gabon on 14 June who they then play again at home on 22 June. The reverse matches against Libya and Lesotho will follow on 7 September and 12 October respectively. In all 20 African sides will win through from this stage to the second group round, with the teams split into five groups of four. The teams that top each section in that stage will then get a place in the 2010 finals in South Africa. Both Pantsil and Neill played at the 2006 World Cup and helped their teams reach the second round.