Owusu's fitness has bedevilled him since joining Adelaide in the off-season, resulting in a stop-start season with one goal from seven starts. 

But with his fitness - albeit not his match fitness - as strong as it's ever been since his arrival, the 2010 Asian Champions League in a three months time could be the turning point. 

The powerful forward says the standard of the A-League and ACL is good enough for him to be considered again for the Ghanaian national team - if he gets his chance at club level.

"A lot of our [Ghanaian] boys are playing in the Prem, Germany and Holland and if I was playing regularly you never know, it's all about knocking on that door and making them aware of you and planting the seed, really," he told au.fourfourtwo.com today.

"The A-League is the elite competition in Australia with some very good players, and of course the ACL is too. You never know, there could be a flicker if I'm playing at the turn of the year."

After missing almost the entire A-League pre-season due to swine flu, Ghana's national coach, Serbian Milovan Rafevac, will need to see Owusu playing regularly if he's to have any chance of selection.

A spot in the Ghana squad can never be totally discounted if Owusu begins playing and scoring and there are injuries in their squad. The A-League concludes across February and March and the ACL group stage runs till May. There's ample opportunity to shine if picked regularly.

And Asia will provide a timely test. Looming as stiff opposition in the ACL group stage are reigning ACL title holders Pohang Steelers, China's Shandong Luneng and a yet-to-be-determined J-League side

Born in Slough, England, Owusu has played four times for Ghana (two full internationals and two club friendlies) since debuting in 2005.

In fact, it was one of these country v club friendlies that cruelled any chance he had of playing for his motherland at World Cup 2006.

Three months before the Black Stars' first ever World Cup in Germany four years ago, the muscular forward ( full name Akwasi Osei "Lloyd" Owusu) tore his groin in a friendly against VFB Stuttgart.

It wrecked his World Cup ambitions and put his club career on hold for then-club Brentford. The Ghanaian FA flew him over to Germany to watch the national team play Brazil and another game but it only underlined his sense of what could have been.

"I would've given it my all at any given time called upon. I almost played in the World Cup but unfortunately in sport, these things happen. You have to take it and be stronger for it," he said.

"At the end of the day I'm happy enough to have represented my motherland. No regrets."

Owusu assessed the current Ghanaian side as having more strengths than weaknesses. And the wave of support coming from nearby Ghana is likely to be very strong.

"There could be some shocks in the group," he predicted. "We've added a lot more experience over the last four years not only from playing in the last World Cup.

"They're a more stable squad rather than chopping and changing and some world class players like Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Stephen Appiah, the list is endless."

This time, the Reds man is hoping the footballing gods will be kinder to him in the lead up to the World Cup. Either way, the green and gold versus Black Stars banter at Hindmarsh has already begun.

"I didn't actually see the draw till I got to the training ground and Travis Dodd told me Australia had drawn Ghana," said Owusu. "Obviously there was a bit of banter between the boys blowing around."

Owusu wouldn't be drawn on the what-ifs of staying in England would've done for his national team chances. And he refused to be drawn on the woes of the bottom placed Reds who've endured their own miserable season. 

When quizzed on the club's problems and potential solutions, Owusu was tightlipped.

"We should just keep everything in house," he said. "We're players just trying to do a job. We'll keep ticking over, professional and keep working hard and hopefully things will turn around.

"But I believe if called upon, I can do the job."