It was destined to be his fate that for Kevin Prince Boateng, a footballer born in Berlin to a Ghanaian father and a German mother, the complexity of his nationality should play up today at the highest level of football - the World Cup. For today, at the Soccer City Stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa, something will happen between Ghana and Germany that would sap deep into the emotions of Boateng, who, in the name of football, switched nationality from German to Ghanaian, probably to prove a point. Besides, Kevin-Prince will be playing against his younger brother, Jerome Boateng, in the German team. It is also common knowledge the antipathy he earned from Germans following a club match accident involving him and German midfielder Michael Ballack. The clash ruled out Ballack from the World Cup. Beyond the Boateng factor, it will be all hands- on deck as the Black Stars face the might of Germany in a duel, the result of which would summon one of them to an appearance in the round of 16. The Stars are just a point away from making that historic appearance for the second time on trot since Germany 2006 and it requires that team spirit, unity and esprit de corps be present among the players and officials for them to triumph. It is for this reason that Coach Milovan Rajevac may sit out Sulley Muntari again on the bench as the once trusted player continues to have a bout with his ego. Benched in the first match "because of unfitness, Muntari, who was one of the heroes of Germany 2006, was a second half substitute in Ghana's 1 - 1 drawn game with Australia. However, he appears to be on an ego trip, which does not augur well for team discipline, unity and esprit de corps for survival at a tournament like this. The feat is that once he has an axe to grind with the coach, he will hardly play to the coach's instructions or play his heart out. And that may be too dangerous for a team facing red-eyed Germany. Luckily for the Stars, Kwadwo Asamoan, Andre Dede Ayew and Kevin-Prince Boateng have formed a new triumvirate that works like a loom "in midfield, where previously" Muntari, Essien and Stephen Appiah had flown like the kite. The new triumvirate, backed by the brainy Anthony Annan in holding midfield, should be able to withstand the German machines. Perhaps the other headache for coach Milo is the disappointing form of Prince Tagoe. The once Prince of goals is finding it difficult getting his act together. He neither can score nor win balls and create chances for others. His substitution in the last match was appropriate, but the man who came on, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, was at best a fast athlete whose control over the ball proved ineffective. It will, therefore, be preferable to start skipper Stephen Appiah or young Dominic Adiyiah ahead of the two – Tagoe and Owusu-Abeyie. Adiyiah's presence may provide a better support in striking options for arrow-lead Asamoah Gyan, who has promised not only to score from the penalty spot but also from personal effort when in the striking range. But juxtaposed against the German forwards, Gyan and others may be light years behind Lukas Podolski and headmaster Miroslav Klose. But the good news is that Klose was red-carded in the match against Serbia and will be ineligible to play today. Podolski will, therefore, be the tormentor-in-chief for the Stars’ defence that will see the return of Isaac Vorsah and deputy skipper John Mensah. Mensah was strategically rested for today's game, but it was tactically a wrong move that Ghana dearly paid for in spite of the enterprise of the stand-ins, Lee Addy and Jonathan-Mensah. For, where lies the point to risk a draw in a match that you could have won for an outright qualification for the next round to render today's, game insignificant for Ghana? It was even a pyrrhic draw in view of John Paintsil's injury that makes him a doubtful starter today, but that gives Milo the option to introduce Samuel Inkoom, a youngster with a lot of drive on the right of defence. On the left side of defence, Milo is not willing to change slow operator Hans Adu Sarpei, simply because the defender is familiar with the German system of play .. Otherwise Lee Addy may do the trick in that position this time around, with goalkeeper Richard Kingson being constant. With this setting, Kevin-Prince should not feel intimidated playing against Germany. Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana