Ghana (National Football)

Before South Africa's final group game against France, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner and beaming Bafana Bafana fan, believed that a fairy tale would see the team to the next round. He added that one fairy tale had already come true.  25 years ago, when the fight against Apartheid was at its most brutal, no South African could have ever imagined that they would be hosting the World Cup in 2010.

It seemed an impossible dream but at halftime three of the five goals needed by Uruguay and Bafana were already in the books.

Sadly that never happened but as the Uruguay — Ghana semi-final progressed I began to think that Tutu's fairy tale was the Black Stars becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals with the added bonus being that it would be on African soil. South African fans took to the Black Stars, calling them 'Baghana, Baghana'.

After an uncomfortable first 20 minutes of the game Uruguay had done everything but score, I thought oh well, without Michael Essien and the critical suspension of Andew Ayew they had done the best they could. 

Ghana woke up and outplayed Uruguay for much of the remainder of the game.  At times, they looked more Brazilian than Brazil with their quick passing and their ability to beat their man. 

Little could anyone watching suspect that the fairy tail would turn into a Shakespearean tragedy.  It will go down in World Cup history as the most incredible ending to a game as well as matching the tragic irony of the West Germany — France semi-final in 1982. 

In extra time, I was willing them to score because I knew that if the game went to penalties they wouldn't win.

I suspect the team is still in denial but they visited yesterday with Nelson Mandela at his home in Johannesburg.  For at least a day all Africans were Ghanaian. 

Despite their loss Ghana showed the world their potential.  They can also show other African nations how to build a team that can compete successfully at the World Cup. The talent is there. The Ghanaian FA provided continuity by appointing Milovan Rajevac, their Serbian coach two years ago, provided the funding and took a step back. Rajevac's contract is up next month but hopefully he can be persuaded to stay for another four years. 

If you think the German team is young, Ghana had an even younger team at the cup.  They won the FIFA World U-20 Cup last year beating Brazil in the final.  Six members of that team played in this World Cup, with all but one getting playing time in the finals.

In all probability only 3-4 of the players will be too old for 2014.  Bear in mind, Ghana were a penalty kick away from going to the semi-finals without their best player Michael Essien who was injured and had to withdraw from the team.  He is only 28 and will probably be the team leader in Brazil. 

Their inexperience betrayed them at times but their incredible talent was often evident.  Some of the keys to their future are: (Their age is after the name.)

Jonathan Mensah (D — 19) He and his namesake John Mensah closed down the German frontline.  He was as good in the first half against the U.S. but faded in the second half, giving away the penalty and getting a second yellow which kept him out of the quarter final.  He has signed with Udinese in Italy after playing for a middling Premier League team for the past 2 years.

Andrew Ayew (M — 20) His father is Abedi Pele, 3 time African Footballer of the year.  He was a child prodigy signed by Olympique Marseilles.  His career faltered and he was loaned out to a French 2nd division team last season.  After his performance in the finals he will be back with Marseille this year.  He was the top rated Ghanaian player in their defeat of Serbia and gave Philipp Lahm headaches all through their game against Germany.  He also beat Steve Cherondolo virtually every time in the first half.  He picked up a ridiculous yellow when Jozy Altidore tripped over his own feet.  As it was his second yellow in the tournament he also missed the quarter final.

Dominic Adiyah (F — 20) He won both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball (best player) at the U-20 championships and was immediately signed by A.C. Milan.  He only saw action in extra time against Uruguay but showed enough to see why.   He would have been an instant hero to Ghana and all of Africa had Luis Suarez not stopped him from scoring the winner. 

Kwadwo Asamoah (M — 21)  Asamoah has already established himself as a key player for Udinese.  He played all but 30 minutes of Ghana's World Cup and garnered an 8.87 Castrol index rating, the highest on the team.   His value has been estimated at about 30 million euros, 

Others who impressed where Anthony Annan (M — 22), Samuel Inkoom (D — 21) and Lee Addy (D - 19).  Asimoah Gyan, Kevin Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari will all still be in their twenties when Brazil 2014 rolls around.

Expect fireworks along with a lot more maturity in four years time.  There is no reason why Ghana cannot become a world power in the near future.

That Uruguay’s Luis Suarez is a national hero is a travesty.

He was responsible for one of the most cynical and reprehensible examples of cheating in a game of football; an act that brings disrepute to the beautiful game.

His goal line handball was always going to earn Ghana a penalty. It was also always going to earn him a guaranteed red card and ban from the following game. FIFA had the opportunity to ban Suarez for more than one game, but took the easy way out.
None of that mattered.

Without that hand ball, Uruguay was almost certainly consigned to the World Cup scrapheap for another four years. Suarez had converted a certain goal into a second chance—a chance that was realised moments later when Asamoah Gyan slammed the penalty into the  crossbar and the rest, as they say, is history.

Uruguay eventually survived the penalty shootout at the end of extra time and are through to the semi-final round of the world cup. Ghana’s Black Stars leave the cup with their heads held high, knowing that they were the moral victors.

But moral victories don’t fill trophy cabinets.

FIFA is an organisation that prides itself on fair play. The Fair Play campaign came into being after another infamous South American example of a hand ball altering the course of a game. The infamous “Hand of God” incident has little that is positive associated with it, the Fair Play campaign is the only exception.

So, to allow this shameful episode to pass without review would make a mockery of this commitment to fairness, but let’s not hold our collective breath.

This World Cup has seen some fantastic football. Germany have been reborn into a side that plays a free flowing, exciting football. The Netherlands are finally living up to the potential they have promised so many times.

Even the minnows have got in on the act. New Zealand went through the group stage undefeated, including a famous draw with reigning world champions, Italy. Hosts South Africa put a hapless France to the sword.

But for every laudable act, there have been multiple examples of the dark side of the game.

Diving is rampant. Every touch leads to a player going down harder than an extra in Saving Private Ryan’s beach landing scene. Probably the worst example being Ivory Coast’s Abdelkader Keita, who first deliberately ran into Brazil’s Kaka, and then fell to the ground, clutching his face. Kaka was sent off for his trouble.

But nothing compares to Suarez’s handball.

There is no penalty that would prevent this kind of act. A player will willingly sacrifice himself for team success. In an interview after the game, Suarez was asked if he thought his action and the consequences were worth it. He had no hesitation in saying yes.

And why wouldn’t he? He had saved his team from certain defeat and allowed them to claim victory and a place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Perhaps the punishment should be not only the penalty and red card, but also a penalty goal. Only then, would the price for the handball be too great. No player should get the opportunity to become a hero on the back of an act of cheating.

FIFA should do everything to ensure that it never happens again.

The African teams have all been eliminated from the World Cup in South Africa, after Ghana exit Friday.  What i find odd is that these teams in my view were not eliminated because they lack skills, but rather for foolish or stupid decisions by individual players.

The reason i make these remarks are because of what i have observed watching the Africans play over the last two years is that scare regard is given to think before acting i will give examples.

Selfish Football

I have seen in this very world where players were not marked by any players and from what i can see they seemed to be on side and players with the clear option have chosen to fire shoots at goal from has far has the half line and in some cases from even further down the field.

Over Confident

Being confident is one of the most important things any footballer, athlete or even non sports can have about them, but being over confident is one of the worst attributes any person.  I have seen players try to take on and entire defense with clear options, which comes back to my first point that i line out additional i have seen players take free kicks close to half line fire shoots at goal from there.

Lack of Technical Discipline

The early stages of matches when coaches set out a defensive minded game i see player who are supposedly defenders in the the 18 yard box and then they have to be rushing back to prevent being hit on the counter attack. also when player is supposedly a forward is force to do more defending then a normal forward would have to do.

I could go on and on about but these three are just the main problems with the African sides has a whole.

It's still hard to comprehend what soccer fans witnessed yesterday. 

For those in America, fans had a chance to live through a "where were you" moment when Landon Donovan scored in the 91st minute to defeat Algeria in the group stages nearly two weeks ago.

People got another chance to witness one of those moments, but unfortunately it will not be for the joy and the happiness of the moment; but rather the utter despair, sadness, and realization that an entire continent was kicked in the stomach last night.

That is obviously the feeling that the Ghana team, the people of Ghana, and Africa itself felt when Asamoah Gyan, a feared striker failed to convert on a penalty kick in the 120th minute, a moment where the world felt that the Ghanians were destined to become the first African team to advance to the World Cup semi-finals.

It was the same Gyan, whose two converted penalty shots in the group stage allowed his team to advance to a game against the Americans, in which Gyan then scored the game winner in extra time.

But as Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez was leaving the field in tears after getting a red card by doing his best impression of a volleyball player by blocking the ball out of his goal, Gyan had his shot hit the crossbar.  And while the Ghanians still had a chance to win in the shootout itself, everyone had to question how the squad could respond.

And as two Ghanian players nervously missed their shots en route to Uruguay's victory, it became painfully clear what Gyan's miss meant. 

And while there will still be great soccer to be seen, as we saw today with Germany's sterling 4-0 victory over Argentina and Spain's 1-0 win, last night's epic encounter could be the moment that is most remembered years from now when people reflect upon this World Cup.

The frantic conclusion to the contest was one of the more painful and sad sports moments I've seen in my life.  I am no fan of Ghana, but I was hoping their team could make history and bring joy to nearly a billion people on the African continent.   But to see Gyan miss that penalty shot, and see his team lose the shootout was bad enough.  

To witness the sad aftermath on the field was bad enough.  But to see people in the streets of Akkra, the capital of Ghana, literally on the ground sobbing uncontrollably, the television viewer got to witness the true gravity of the game of soccer.  In the stadium, it was the first moment in three weeks where no one could hear a vuvuzela!

People in America talk about how much sports mean to them.   They will do stuff like paint their chests, or cook huge meals before a football game, or get together with families for a big party.   But to people around the world, the World Cup is something that's more than just a sport.  It's a spectacle that will literally change how people feel about themselves, their country, and in some cases, life itself.

If you think I am exaggerating, you can find more examples than just last night.  The French and Nigerian governments are planning to investigate just why their soccer clubs were so disappointing.  In France's case, not only did they lose, but they embarrassed themselves and their nation along the way.  

For the casual sports fan who already has their own negative opinions of soccer as a "wussy" sport where everyone dives, a sport where no one scores; that fan might not appreciate moments like last night.  While our nation thought it was cute to rally around the American team and "rally around the flag" like so many would say, the fans that jumped on the bandwagon bailed off just as fast when the Americans lost last week.  But for those who live in Africa, the bitter taste left in their collective mouths will take at least four years to get out.

Personally, I at least can somewhat understand how all those fans feel.   One of the many curses in sports I live with is that I am a Chicago Cubs fan.   And nearly seven years ago, the Cubs were five outs away from making their own history by going to the first World Series in nearly 60 years.  But an unwise fan got in the way of our destiny, the Cubs went on to give up eight runs that inning, and the rest is history.  The team and its fans have not been the same since.

But forward the team and people of Ghana must go.  There were some positives to remember for the Black Stars, who were only the third African team to make it to the quarterfinals.  The team is also extremely young and has other young talent that will crack the line up in the next four years.  Most people don't know, but Ghana won the under-20 World Cup last year. 

However, while one might want to put a positive spin on last night, the images that will continue to be conjured up will be like the one on this article.  Farewell Ghana, but this is a memory I won't be that thankful to remember.

World Cup fans are advised to spend some of their time in Africa glimpsing lion and buffalo. Alternatively, you could try the Rat and Parrot for the big game.

Yeah, yeah, it’s a pub. But not just any drinking hole. This one’s reserved for wild life in Grahamstown, about 100 km inland from Port Elizabeth and tribes of celebrating Dutchmen in bright orange.

They call this the “City of Churches.” Last night it was a town of tears as Ghana, Africa’s last hope at the continent’s first World Cup, crashed out amid injustice and recrimination at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

Having witnessed the drama of Holland’s shock 2-1 quarterfinal win over champions-elect Brazil first hand in Port Elizabeth, I expected a quiet night as I made my first return to Grimstown (the less austere nickname) since 1982.

This is the home of Rhodes University, where I graduated nearly 30 years ago with a scrap of paper which claimed I was a bachelor of journalism. I’ve been married to a keyboard ever since.

It’s also the home of South Africa’s burgeoning National Arts Festival; that dark drive from the delights of Dutch victory at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was supposed to be taking me away from the World Cup whirl we have been cocooned in for the past month.

But no, the art-farty thousands here have an astonishing appetite for drama, ballet, and all that jazz. Yes, I’m talking Ghana v Uruguay.

Shakespeare – or was it Marlowe? – couldn’t have scripted this one. The Rat & Parrot couldn’t bear to watch it. We were united in grief as Asamoah Gyan’s last minute penalty rocked the bar at Soccer City, not to mention the bar in the Rat.

As the only man in an England shirt at both quarterfinal gatherings, my immediate verdict (being an articulate analyst of the game for 40 years) was: “Bollocks.” Those around me used the more descriptive terms like “kak,”which I shall leave the Dutch to translate.

If foreigners who decried this World Cup want evidence of how wrong they were, yesterday was a perfect day for it. Port Elizabeth, heaving with 35,000 painted ladies (and men) in gold and orange, was stunning. Soccer City, packed with 83,000 Ghanaian fans, was humming. The Rat & Parrot, filled with actors and artists, was brimming.

From my perch in the Parrot on a metal strut under a table in the left-hand bar, it was clear Ghana were the better side. Last time I was in Grahamstown in 1982, Apartheid was in full cry. Now, black, white, and green were united by a passion for art, football, and Klipdrif (apparently it’s a local brandy, I thought it was medicinal).

For 90 minutes the Rainbow Nation showed it’s true colours. Not just the long departed gold of South Africa, but the deep black of Africa. Bafana Bafana had become Baghana Baghana. Even devoted rugby fans in the Rat appeared to accept their roles as continental cohorts.

When the Black Stars’ naughty boy Sulley Muntari put the “home” side ahead right on half-time, the place Rat nearly ruptured. Drinks and flags flew. But when the deadly Diego Forlan’s free-kick found a way past Wigan reject Richie Kingson for the equaliser, an eery silence fell.

And then that dramatic last minute. Desperate Uruguay cleared one of the line. Then another – but wait, surely… Luis Suarez had handled on the line. Off he went.

Up stepped Asamoah for the winning spot kick. Just 12 yards to propel the leather sphere. But as so often in the tournament, the lightweight Jabulani ball flew high… and hit the woodwork. Oh the pain.

Asamoah was inconsolable. When pictures of Suarez celebrating his miss were beamed around the world, football took another small step back into the dark ages when cheaters prospered. Still, he’ll miss the semifinal against Holland at Green Point on Tuesday.

We were in to the penalty shoot out. And somehow everybody knew. Uruguay. My guess is Cape Town will turn orange in response.

It was a single straw that broke the Camel's back. Or so they thought.

One strike to put Ghana through to the semifinals of the 2010 World Cup.

One strike to set the whole of Africa berserk in fits of celebration.

One strike that refused to score.

One strike that destroyed a dream.

And it was one stroke, a stroke of luck in the guise of an inadvertent (or deliberate) hand ball, that kept Uruguay alive in the World Cup. But for that hand ball, Uruguay would now be biting their nails while Ghana celebrate.

When all is said and done, the whole of Uruguay should thank Suarez for damning the rules of football for just a second and playing the goalkeeper. If this was inadvertent, they should hail him all the same.

One moment, they say, changes everything. That moment of handling the ball changed everything for Ghana. That's how cruel fate can be--today your friend, tomorrow an inconsiderate stranger, if not an outright enemy.

In the end, Ghana must be commended for playing gallantly and for doing everything they could to win the game. It wasn't to be, but they certainly gave it their all. They have everything to be proud of in their run at the World Cup.

Africa as a whole could derive lessons from Ghana's loss.

First, the truism that good things don't come easy.

What if Ghana had won the match in the final minute? For those who believe in providence or in a higher power, they could wonder why Ghana had to play every possible minute of the game to win a duel already decided in their favor by fate.

For such a question, the stated truism would be an appropriate answer.

But beyond superstition or metaphysics, there's a broader lesson Africa could learn here.

Namely, that dreams (the good thing) seldom come to pass at the first try. Africa was poised to celebrate the achievement of  a first semifinal at the World Cup. It was an achievable dream, but in the end, the dream dissolved like a flake of snow.

Here is the moral: Africa has been lurching and heaving just beyond the line of economic and developmental breakthrough. In a number of African countries, notably Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, just one push (one strike, one stroke) of will power is the single essence required to push them over that line of limitation.

One act of restrain, one more minute of dogged will-to-power and the breakthrough comes.

What is often forgotten (conveniently most times) is that Africa is trying to do in 50 years what took the rest of the world a thousand years or, at least, half a millennium to do.

Africa has had to compete with nations that have had centuries of head-start, just as in football Africa is trying to accomplish in two decades what took other continents eight or nine decades to accomplish.

Brazil has competed in all of the World Cup tournaments and yet has  won the competition just five times. Germany has won it just three times. Now, Ghana trying to accomplish the difficult in just two tries.

Certainly, they should celebrate the success won in just two tries at the World Cup, Cameroon, Senegal, and Nigeria likewise.

Only three quarterfinals for Africa? And so what? We only just joined the party. Wait and see what we will accomplish in the future.

Not getting it yet economically and developmentally? The whole wide future is open, blank like a notebook, to be filled with future deeds of greatness. The greatness which is still latent will explode in no distant a future. Just wait for it.

Second lesson: If at first you don't succeed, try again, as says the common wisdom.

2006: Ghana reaches the last sixteen in Germany in her first try at the World Cup. 2010: She reaches the quarterfinal. 2014? We can only imagine.

1994: Nigeria has a blast of a run at the World Cup in the USA, almost (oh, that cruel word!) knocking out mighty Italy in a bid for the quarterfinal.

1998: She beats one of the best teams, Spain, on her way to the second round of the World Cup in France.

2002: Senegal stuns France at only her first try at the World Cup and on her first day too! Eventually, she would beat some of the best teams at the Korea-Japan edition of the World Cup to reach the quarterfinal, following in the footsteps of Cameroon.

And, of course, Cameroon's amazing run to the quarterfinal of Italia '90 is a stuff of legend.

All these examples are moderate and seem overblown when compared with the success of South American and European teams. But they become remarkable when considered in the light of the disadvantages and limitations which Africa has had to overcome to achieve her successes.

A battle fought in your backyard is yours for the taking. It is almost certain that you would not lose such a battle. Europe, and indeed South America, have held the advantages in football. They have played football in their backyards, as it were.

Africa joined the fray late in the game. But they are catching up soon enough. They are beginning to figure out the game (ask Kader Keita of Cote d'Ivoire). Soon the playing field will be completely leveled and international games will be everyone's to take.

The third lesson is a lesson in courage and bravery and pertains solely to Asamoah Gyan.

How heart-rending it must have been for him to miss the penalty that would have assured Ghana a victory. An experience such as this shatters the nerves. Yet Gyan was courageous and brave enough to not only agree to be one of the takers of the eventual spot kicks, but to be the first to do so.

It was an immediate call for him to face his demons. He did, and came through victorious.

Of course, there is a moral in this: Just as Gyan missed the penalty, life often consists of misses, but like Gyan faced his demons, there's often (if not always) a next time to defeat the drawbacks of life.

Fourthly, no matter how hard you try for success and no matter how hard you push for it, you may always count on an enemy to be in your way. Sometimes it is in the form of a deliberate hand ball.

At such moments, even the law might not help you. You may need to make your own destiny. And when you try and still fail, dust yourself up and try again. Next time, you may have the last laugh.

Finally, we may learn a lesson in perseverance in this loss. It sums up the foregoing points. The maxim is keep trying. Keep knocking. Keep pushing.

In his major speech on race relations, the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, cited the ongoing democratic experiment as analogous to the delicate issue of race and tolerance which is a work in progress.

Particularly resonant in his speech was a reference to how the founding fathers of the USA, coming to a stalemate in a convention at Philadelphia, stroke a compromise with the understanding that the process of attaining nationhood is continuous and requires years to attend perfection.

For Africa, in football and other aspects of her society, the quest to attain her dreams is a process that requires years, decades, and even centuries of trying and failing. What matters is rising and trying again.

No one can doubt the achievements of the USA as a nation, but with every good thing, every achievement, one may find a concomitant negative thing. However, these negative things cannot and should not negate her successes. We may certainly celebrate the changes (for the better) that we see.

Likewise, although Africa is yet to realize her potential, and there are indeed negative things upon which we could focus, it is best and proper to celebrate the good things that are happening in the continent. Africa has enough achievements worthy of celebration.

One last example: It comes from the movie, Karate Kid , currently playing in theaters.

Mr. Han teaches Dre Parker Karate by using the most mundane of things. But the most striking thing is how he develops strength and character in the boy by making him stay on task, repeating a particular chore over and over again: a lesson in perseverance.

There is one task that the boy is seemingly unable to accomplish no matter how hard he tries, which is to strike a bell dangled high in the courtyard with his foot. But as he continues trying, he is finally able to do so. It is after this that Mr. Han pronounces him ready to fight his demon in the form of the bully, Cheng.

For now, the high bell for Africa is the semifinals at the World Cup. Though she couldn't achieve this target this time, if she keeps trying, she will eventually hit the target. And that goes for all of her struggles.

Let me thank the reader for persevering with me to the end.

Gracias.

Goodbye Kaka, your Brazil side played like complete Dunga, and now it's Holland who are going nuts.

Meanwhile, the whole of Uruguay is celebrating the Hand of Uruguayan God after Luis Suarez's ill-advised/well-advised handball/save on the line denied Ghana a sure goal in injury time of the second half of extra time. In the end, it proved to be the turning point in one of best games of the World Cup.

Netherlands 2-1 Brazil

I was sure the Dutch were going to lose. They had the talent, but the players seemed to hate each other and there wasn't enough courage to go round.

But after being 1-0 down at the half and getting lucky with an equaliser after some astonishingly awful Brazilian defending (Melo's own goal tipped off the gloves of keeper Julio Cesar), it was the men in orange who suddenly looked good value to go to the semi-finals and beyond.

After they conceded, Brazil looked like flawed machine, unable to string together passes or shots. Wesley Schnejder's header—also a product of horrible Brazilian defending from a set piece—instantly turned Dunga's men into 10 nutjobs (Kaka looked like the only competent player on the pitch in blue for the last 25 minutes).

Melo, after conceding the own goal, got sent off for a vicious and needless challenge.

The football purists might mourn the end of Brazil at the World Cup, but no-one's going to miss a side who seemed to enjoy lying on the floor rather than playing the beautiful game. It was Holland who played the game—and now, if Arjen Robben could just realise that there's other people in the park other than himself—this team will be World Cup winners come a week from Sunday.

Uruguay 1-1 Ghana (After Extra Time; Uruguay go through on penalties)

Luis Suarez must not know what to do right now—celebrate or cry. If it wasn't for his handball on the line which denied the Ghanaians victory at the end of extra-time in a brilliant, breathless battle for a semi-final place (Paraguay and Japan take note: THAT was how to play a game of knock-out football), he would be going home to Montevideo.

However, he must also be a little annoyed at himself because he denied himself the chance to play for a place in the final. He'll be sitting in the stands watching his team battle the mighty Dutch and he'll be sorely missed. After all, it was his finishing which got Uruguay to the quarters in the first place, and now Diego Forlan has to play on his own, and could well just end up in a Dutch pocket.

As for Forlan, what can you say? He's been one of the players of the tournament, and his free kick was yet another signal to Sir Alex Ferguson that getting rid of him while he was at Manchester United was probably one of the greatest managerial mistakes The Scottish Great One has ever made.

Can you imagine him playing off Rooney now? It's enough to make a United fan drool. His penalty was scorching, and I can't wait to see what he conjures up against the Orange army.

But while we celebrate light blue, we must also commiserate with Ghana. If there was justice in the world, Ghana would have gone through. Asamoah Gyan's penalty would have hit the back of the net, and the cruel lottery known as penalties would never have happened.

In fact, it was a game that anything other than penalties would have been an unfair outcome. Both sides attacked each other for the best part of 120 minutes, continually searching for the winning strike and exhausting their own fans—and the neutral—as they searched for victory.

But unfortunately, the night was about the Uruguayan Hand of God, and now Montevideo's in heaven.

On a day that saw the mighty Brazilians ousted from the World Cup, another fairytale story came to an end, as Ghana lost out to Uruguay on the penalties.

The only African country in the quarterfinals had huge hopes resting upon them, as the whole African continent was supporting the Black Stars to shine bright and progress further.

This was Ghana's chance to make history, but a penalty miss from Asamoah Gyan in the dying minutes left the Africans' dreams in shatters and Gyan in tears.

The match was a not as exciting as the earlier one in the day, but nevertheless, it was a superb display of determination, luck, and football. The high-flying Black Stars took the lead in the last moments of the first-half, courtesy of a superb Suley Muntari goal.

Uruguay levelled with a goal from the in-form Diego Forlan in the 55th minute. Both teams played impressively and with full confidence. Ghana had a host of chances but they failed to convert them. Their inability to finish a good move made their undoing and the two teams were tied in normal time.

During the extra time, Ghana and Uruguay both created some good chances but failed to utilise them properly in their advantage. Then in the last minute of extra time, a melee in front of the goal forced the talented Luis Suarez to commit a handball.

Ghana's star striker Asamoah Gyan took the ensuing penalty resulting from the handball and he missed his chance as he hit the ball in the crossbar. With his miss, Africa's dreams of further progress were undone. Gyan will rue the missed penalty for the rest of his life because it would have meant a certain semifinal spot for Ghana and a place for them in history.

Whereas Gyan turned villain as he missed the penalty, that handball turned out to be the most crucial mistake committed for the good, as it saved the certain goal and Uruguay won the game in the penalty shootout and will now face Netherlands in the semifinals.

While Gyan will have to take responsibility for shattering African dreams, Uruguay's Luis Suarez emerged as the hero. He took a red card and indirectly helped his team win the match.

Another Uruguayan hero is their shot stopper Fernando Muslera. He stopped Ghanaian captain John Mensah and Adiyiah's shots to help his team book their semifinal berth.

The end of the match showed contrasting pictures, as jubilant Uruguay celebrated their victory while Africa's charismatic Black Stars were in tears. Asamoah will rue his penalty miss, as that miss took away their chance of creating history.

But football is about all of these emotions and the Africans should be proud of their achievements so far.

Going into the World Cup quarterfinals, we have experienced some great play from all eight of the remaining sides in the 2010 World Cup.

From the great offense of the Dutch, to some great play from Spain, and great defensive work from the Brazilians, to the great young players on both Argentina and Germany, there has been some serious talent on display.

However, there is one quarterfinal match that stands out among the rest as being a match that no one thought would happen.

And that match is taking place at Soccer City in Johannesburg, the site of the 2010 World Cup final on July 11, as Uruguay face Ghana; The winner moving on to the semifinal.

In the round of 16 both sides won 2-1, as Uruguay beat South Korea by that score at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth while Ghana beat the United States in extra time at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg.

And with this humongous match looming, here is my official match preview of Uruguay v Ghana.

Team News:

Uruguay:

For Uruguay, Diego Godin is unlikely to feature in any capacity due to injury, and Alvaro Fernandez is expected to replace Alvaro Pereira in midfield.

Ghana:

Ghana will be without Jonathan Mensah and Andre Ayew after they picked up their second yellow cards of the tournament against the United States.

Along with that, John Mensah and Kevin-Prince Boateng both could miss this match due to injury.

Key Players:

Uruguay:

For Uruguay, their key player will be the man who scored both goals for Uruguay in the round of 16, Luis Suarez .

Suarez is a proven goalscorer (with 49 at Ajax this season), and after a slow start he has scored three goals in this World Cup and is poised to make a major transfer after the tournament is over.

Ghana:

Meanwhile, for Ghana, their key player will be the man who has scored three of Ghana's four goals in South Africa, Asamoah Gyan .

Gyan scored the winning goal against the United States in extra time.  He can be a great goalscorer when he is not injured, something that fortunately has not happened thus far in the World Cup.

What each side must do to win:

Uruguay:

Uruguay will need to be sure to take advantage of all of their chances and keep up their great defensive effort against Ghana.

Ghana:

Ghana will need to put together a great defensive effort, similar to the one they had against the United States, and be sure to score on the counterattack.

Biggest key to victory:

Uruguay:

Ghana's defense is beatable, and you need to make sure to keep the ball as deep as possible in their own end.

Ghana:

Ghana will need to have a strong counterattack here, which will be the Black Stars best chance of scoring on a tough Uruguayan defense.

Projected Lineups:

Uruguay (4-3-1-2)

                                                           Muslera

               M. Pereira              Lugano                   Victorino               Fucile

                              Perez                   Arevalo                  Fernandez

                                                           Forlan

                                            Suarez                     Cavani

Ghana (4-4-2)

                                         Asamoah                     Adiyiah

                 Inkoom               Annan                   D. Boateng              Muntari

                 Pantsil              Mensah                      Vorsah                  Sarpei

                                                          Kingson

X-Factor:

Ghana is the final African team in the tournament, and the only one to make it out of the group stage.  With the entire continent rooting for them (not to mention the stadium), can they pull through against the Uruguayans?

Prediction:

This should be a great match, following the Netherlands v Brazil match earlier in the day.

But, sadly for South America, they will see their first nation eliminated by a nation outside of South America, as Ghana will be able to win 2-1 to become the first African side to reach the World Cup semifinals.

With the quarterfinals set to kick off on Friday afternoon at 4pm local time, the World will be watching as Brazil will face the Netherlands.

While both had relative ease through the group stages and then breezed through the Round of 16, now they face a tough battle ahead.

Many similarities can be drawn between the two; both pose great individual talent yet they have been groomed well enough to embrace a total team effort.

The next match to follow is that of Uruguay and African hopefuls Ghana—a match that won't be missed by many Africans.

The host South Africa has called on its people to stand united and support Ghana. While Ghana pose a threat going forward with Asamoah Gyan, they lack defensive ability.

On the other side, Uruguay doesn’t have a potent defense, but going forward with Luis Suárez and Diego Forlan they are lethal.

Uruguay will look at the other quarterfinalists and feel this might be their best chance to progress, simply due to the pressure that could be placed on Ghana to produce.

Saturday will feature the third and fourth quarterfinal matches. The afternoon kick-off will see another eagerly anticipated clash when two former champions go head-to-head in Cape Town, Diego Maradona's Argentina will face Germany.

Argentina is the fourth of the South American teams that pose one of the most attacking forces at the World Cup. While many would fear the individual brilliance that Argentina possesses, Germany has a great team going forward coupled with good players on the flanks.

Argentina will have to ensure they compact at the back, going forward they have enough but the key will be for Maradona to find the right balance.

Saturday evening will dish out another great encounter when current European Champions will look to overcome Paraguay.

While many anticipate a walkover by the Spanish, I personally feel the Paraguayans will be hungry and could prove a tough nut to crack.

Spain will look to dominate through their possession game and try to break down the defence pass-by-pass.

Although we can make our prediction, football seems to always surprise us, what we might think happen, usually doesn’t.

For many who are hoping for a classic, let's pray we are not disappointed.

Remember the much-awaited clash between Brazil and Portugal in the group stage? Luckily for us, this is a knockout match, which means both teams will look for goals and try to defend their goal line.

Another factor that unfortunately has to be taken into account is the referee. We have already seen a number of dubious decisions that have in some way been a reflection of the final outcome.

In my opinion, all four South American teams have a chance to qualify for the semifinals, with Paraguay having the toughest match of the lot.