Ghana being cheered on by whole world, says Rajevac

Ghana carried Africa's remaining World Cup hopes into the quarter-finals but their coach said later that his team was being cheered by the whole world.

John Pantsil of Ghana celebrates with his country's flag after the victory over the USA at Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

RUSTENBURG // Ghana carried Africa's remaining World Cup hopes into the quarter-finals with an extra time 2-1 win over the United States but their coach Milovan Rajevac said later that his team was being cheered by the whole world. The Black Stars became only the third African side to advance to the last eight of a World Cup, enjoying a large section of home support as the continent's last representatives at the first African World Cup.

But Rajevac insisted after the drama-filled extra-time victory that his side's attractive playing style was winning fans from an area much wider than across Africa. "The whole world is watching these games. This is the World Cup we are talking about. Everybody loves good football and I think because of that Ghana has the support of the whole world and not only the African continent." Rajevac, an unheralded Serbian coach when he arrived in Ghana just over two years ago, said being the only African side left at the tournament did not impose an unnecessary burden on his team.

"The players showed they are a team who concentrate on what happens on the pitch. There are no other pressures." He looked to deflect persistent questions about the team's new-found position as flag bearers for African hopes. "Now, we are going to get ready for the match against Uruguay. There is lots at stake." Ghana play Uruguay at Soccer City in Johannesburg on Friday in the second of the quarter-final matches.

The previous African teams to reach the last eight are Cameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002). For the defeated Americans they took heart from showing an admirable fighting quality in staging several dramatic comebacks to force their way through to the knockout stages, but their coach Bob Bradley said giving away an early goal in the second round match at Rustenburg took a heavy toll. "The fact we gave away a goal so quickly, it was going to be hard to get back," he said of the fifth minute strike by Ghana's Kevin-Prince Boateng that had the Americans on the back foot at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. "We put a lot into it trying to get back to 1-1. We put ourselves in that spot one too many times."

* Reuters