Rarely does sport produce two winners in a single match. It felt very much like that at the splendid Soccer City on Wednesday night which was set alight by Mesut Ozil’s match-winning goal for Germany and the qualification for Ghana — the first African team into the last 16 of the World Cup being held for the first time on their continent — as a consequence of Australia’s thrilling win over Serbia.
The indefatigable Ozil had netted on the hour, a superb left foot volley from the top of the box that passed between the lunging shoulders of two defenders and sailed to the right of Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson to trigger one unforgettable roar of the night from fans and their vuvezelas.
That sound too was put in the shade about 40 minutes later when the giant screens screamed the message ‘Australia 2-1 Serbia’ just after the teams had exchanged jerseys and shaken hands with the Brazilian referee.
As the message flashed from the other game held miles away, the Ghanians in the 83,000 crowd, who far outnumbered German supporters, let loose a cry more piercing than that of the loudest banshees.
Justice had been done it was felt the two teams had played a pretty open game of chances missed or saved, with Asamoah Gyan and Andrew Ayew threatening a young and shaky German defence as much as the marauding German forwards ran rings around Ghana.
The sporting spirit behind many throw-ins being deliberately tossed away on the night was intact to the very end as a tiring Ghana were unable to find the equaliser for the draw that would have guaranteed them a berth in the last 16 on their own steam. And Ozil had run himself right off his feet and was watching time go by like sand in the hourglass before Germany sidestepped the ignominy of being the first from their country to exit before the knockouts in the long history of the Cup.
Ozil could have put Germany ahead much earlier but he tried to tap with his left foot past the scrambling Kingson rather than power his drive in the definitive one-on-situation. Considering so many chances were frittered away, this was a good match rather than a great one although history was already made at kickoff when two (far from fraternally friendly) brothers — Jerome and Kevin-Prince Boateng — faced each other for the first ever time in a World Cup.
The status of a young star of the 2010 World Cup is already certain for the ‘man of the match’ Ozil, a third generation Turkish immigrant. The prospect of an England-Germany clash on Sunday is considered a grand sporting proposition in Europe and Klose will be back for Germany after his one-match suspension for a red card. But it would be a pity if Ozil is then denied the freedom of leading the charge, which he managed in fantastic fashion against Ghana.
It seems an eternity has gone by since the kick-off a dozen days ago and the last 16 placements are just about in place. Greater clashes lie ahead that soars into psychologically unknown territory even as the fear of being hanged concentrates the minds of the contestants.