WESTERBURG, Germany _ Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech is happy to share his views of the World Cup with his Chelsea teammates who participate in the tournament in Germany with one exception _ midfielder Michael Essien.

The two don't have any unresolved problems with each other, rather the teammates who won their second straight English Premier League title in April subsequently became rivals as Essien's Ghana will take on the Czech Republic in their second World Cup game on Saturday in Cologne.

"He's a nice guy. He keeps smiling. We have a good relationship but that means nothing ahead of the match," Cech said after Thursday's training session held behind close doors at the team's base in the central German town of Westerburg.

"I'm in touch with Arjen Robben, John Terry and Frank Lampard, but not with Michael Essien. His team is in our group," he said. Robben plays for the Netherlands while Terry and Lampard are on England's team.

The United States and Italy are the other two teams in Group E.

"I will talk to him after the match," Cech said. "I hope I'll be the happy one."

Cech, who at 24 has 42 international appearances, praised Ghana's ability, especially the midfield.

"They're a very good team. They also have Stephen Appiah and many other players who have no problem to score," he said. "All their midfielders are dangerous.

"We watched their game against Italy. They were excellent in the middle of the field but failed to score."

Following the Czech Republic's 3-0 win over the United States and Ghana's 2-0 loss to Italy in the first matches, Cech suggested that the Czechs were in a better position ahead of their encounter with Ghana.

"They lost their first game and now have to win at all cost if they want to have a chance to advance. We've already got three points and that's an advantage for us."

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