Essien: Ghana 'realistic' about WCup challenge

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Ghana midfielder Michael Essien says the 2010 World Cup quarterfinalists are "realistic enough" to know that they have a much tougher challenge this time.

Ghana made the quarterfinals and barely missed out on the semifinals in South Africa after a penalty shootout loss to Uruguay. A place in the last four would have made Ghana the first African team to go that far at a World Cup.

In Brazil, Ghana faces Germany, Portugal and the United States in Group G. Only the top two teams advance.

Aware of the expectation on Africa's best-performing team in 2010, Essien said in an interview on the FIFA website "we are realistic enough to know we cannot aim that high from the start."