Ghana's Black Stars make a name for themselves (News Feature)

By Barry Whelan Jun 27, 2010, 13:45 GMT

Johannesburg - Kevin-Prince Boateng gave another measured performance, Asamoah Gyan struck a splendid winner for his third World Cup goal, Andre Ayew looked every bit the youthful prodigy and Richard Kingson hardly put a foot wrong in goal.

Ghana are showing they are much more than the injured Michael Essien at the World Cup where a victory over Uruguay in Johannesburg on Friday would now put them into the semi-finals.

But while Essien is at one of Europe's leading names in Chelsea and fellow midfielder Sulley Muntari plays for European champions Inter Milan, some of the Black Stars' leading lights in South Africa are plying their trades at unfancied clubs and have experienced the bitter feeling of rejection.

That may now all change as a result of their exploits at the World Cup, with reports indicating top clubs are already taking notice of players like Boateng and Gyan.

Boateng, an under-21 international for Germany, was virtually persona non grata in the country of his birth after his foul in the FA Cup final on Chelsea's Michael Ballack which put the erstwhile Germany captain out of the World Cup.

Cashed-strapped Portsmouth, placed in administration and relegated last season from the Premier League, need to sell the 23-year-old but the club's administrator Andrew Andronikou said this month that Bundesliga clubs had completely lost interest in the midfielder following the foul.

'Boateng was being hawked around Germany - and it has since cooled after that particular tackle,' he said.

'We had a meeting with two German clubs before the Cup final. Well, they are not ringing any more,' he said.

Boateng's assured performances in South Africa look, however, to be making some clubs take notice. According to Britain's Daily Mail, Serie A side Lazio are believed to be ready to make an offer.

No German club is yet known to have shown an interest, although Borussia Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp wanted to keep the player when he was on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in the 2008-2009 season but terms could not be agreed at the time.

Klopp also vehemently defended Boateng after he was criticised for over-aggressive play following a foul on Wolfsburg's Makato Hasebe which led to a four-match ban.

The foul on Ballack did nothing to improve Boateng's bad-boy reputation, but he has shown in South Africa that he is a cultured and intelligent player in central midfield for Ghana.

He scored his first goal since switching allegiance to Ghana when he opened the scoring in Saturday's 2-1 defeat of US in Rustenburg. And although he is a tough tackler, he usually also wins the ball cleanly. In 344 minutes of play at the tournament, he has committed just nine fouls.

Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac rates Boateng highly and is desperate to get him fit for Friday's quarter-final with Uruguay after the player came off with a hamstring injury in the 77th minute.

Gyan meanwhile has attracted the interest of Premier League side West Ham United following his goals here, it has been reported.

Gyan, 24, caught the eye of a number of top European clubs after a memorable 2006 World Cup when the then Udinese player scored the fastest goal of the tournament in Germany and also his country's first at a World Cup finals.

AC Milan, Manchester United and Arsenal were all reported to be interested but the striker's career went flat and instead he went to unfashionable Rennes in France.

Ayew, meanwhile, showed against the US why he was such a highly regarded young player who was acquired by Olympique Marseille and given his debut as a 17-year-old.

Three years later the son of Black Stars legend Abedi Pele has set down a marker, winning the man-of-the-match award for his display against the US after his career seemed to be stagnating on loan at French second division side Arles-Avignon.

'I'm very happy for him. He's imposing himself little by little in the team and he's clearly one of the most talented players in the squad,' said team-mate John Pantsil.

Unfortunately the midfielder will be suspended for the quarter-final against Uruguay and can only hope for another appearance if the Black Stars get to the semis.

Keeper Kingson will be hoping that his display in stopping the US with a string of important saves will increase his stature at Wigan Athletic where he is merely the third choice.

The 32-year-old, number one for Ghana since before the 2006 World Cup, is capping a remarkable career which has included a six-club odyssey through Turkey where he became naturalised and changed his name Faruk Gursory.

A short spell at Swedish side Hammarby was then followed by a move to Birmingham City, where he played just one game and was reportedly criticised by co-owner David Sullivan as 'a complete waste of space,' and then on to Wigan where he has made just four appearance since 2008.