Injured Ghana captain Stephen Appiah believes his country's quarter-final win against Nigeria on Sunday showed they had the mettle required to go a long way in the African Nations Cup.
The 27-year-old, who was ruled out of the competition before the start with a long-standing knee injury, has remained with the home team at the request of coach Claude Le Roy because of his inspirational presence.
His involvement with the team has already helped them reach the semi-finals, where they will face four-time winners Cameroon on Thursday.
The Black Stars were pushed all the way by the Nigerians in the last round when they had to come from a goal down and were then dealt a blow when stand-in skipper John Mensah was sent off after an hour, but Appiah feels they can now take heart from that turnaround.
He said: "We are happy that we are moving on to the next round. Okay, we have still not yet won the cup.
"But we have to take it match by match. Now we will see how the tournament continues.
"Nigeria are not easy at all, but we showed that we had the capacity to come back against them and that can only be good for us going forward."
The powerful midfielder also feels that their home advantage is key to their success.
He added: "We have wonderful players like Sulley Muntari, Laryea Kingston, Michael Essien, Eric Addo, Junior Agogo and John Mensah, the skipper, who are capable of challenging the top teams in the tournament.
"But the fans too have a major role to play by cheering the team to victory."
Meanwhile, Ghana's president John Kufour has also passed his best wishes on to the team after the victory over their west African rivals.
He said in a statement: "Even with a numerical disadvantage, they maintained their composure and dominated the game with superior tactical play that ensured victory, although it was a hard-won success.
"The continuous victory of the Black Stars has invigorated the spirit of the nation, with an unparalleled display of patriotism, a great show of sportsmanship and the 'can do it' attitude necessary for the success of all.
"As you dedicate yourselves to 'the host and win' mission, prepare yourselves for the battle ahead and be assured of the total support of my government and the country."
His involvement with the team has already helped them reach the semi-finals, where they will face four-time winners Cameroon on Thursday.
The Black Stars were pushed all the way by the Nigerians in the last round when they had to come from a goal down and were then dealt a blow when stand-in skipper John Mensah was sent off after an hour, but Appiah feels they can now take heart from that turnaround.
He said: "We are happy that we are moving on to the next round. Okay, we have still not yet won the cup.
"But we have to take it match by match. Now we will see how the tournament continues.
"Nigeria are not easy at all, but we showed that we had the capacity to come back against them and that can only be good for us going forward."
The powerful midfielder also feels that their home advantage is key to their success.
He added: "We have wonderful players like Sulley Muntari, Laryea Kingston, Michael Essien, Eric Addo, Junior Agogo and John Mensah, the skipper, who are capable of challenging the top teams in the tournament.
"But the fans too have a major role to play by cheering the team to victory."
Meanwhile, Ghana's president John Kufour has also passed his best wishes on to the team after the victory over their west African rivals.
He said in a statement: "Even with a numerical disadvantage, they maintained their composure and dominated the game with superior tactical play that ensured victory, although it was a hard-won success.
"The continuous victory of the Black Stars has invigorated the spirit of the nation, with an unparalleled display of patriotism, a great show of sportsmanship and the 'can do it' attitude necessary for the success of all.
"As you dedicate yourselves to 'the host and win' mission, prepare yourselves for the battle ahead and be assured of the total support of my government and the country."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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