But Africans had put a lot of hope in them, given the maiden performances of Cameroon, Nigeria and Senegal in previous tournaments. Now it’s Ghana getting all the praise.

Confederation of African Football President Issa Hayatou must have carried the support of the continent to the Ghana side when he visited them at their training camp.

Benin President Yayi Boni, ending a two-day visit to Ghana, also praised the team, while Ghana President John Agyekum Kufuor has been loudly cheering his boys, telling them to be afraid of no one.

‘Those who you will play against are not superhuman beings. Boot for boot, you are better than some of them,’ said Kufuor.

Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson speaks for millions of Africans with her decision to take Tuesday off in order to cheer the Black Stars on.

‘I had the opportunity to speak to President Kufuor on Friday and thanked him for the support we have received from Ghana and also congratulate him on the impressive performance,’ she said.

‘Normally, I’m not a person to take the day off from work, but on Tuesday when Ghana plays Brazil, I am going to close down the office and watch the game,’ the Ghana News agency quoted Sirleaf-Johnson as telling a delegation that went to Monrovia for a ground-breaking ceremony to restore electricity to the country.

Liberians have been backing Ghana - after all, thousands of them lived in Ghana for years during the 15-year bloody civil war that rocked the country.

The Nigerians, although traditional soccer rivals, have also been cheering the Ghanaians