In the end, Jerome did not kick Kevin-Prince, nor did they come to blows on the pitch. In the end, what was expected to be a strong sub-text to this game turned out to be a meek sidelight, and nobody was complaining. The contest between the half-brothers had featured prominently in the build-up to this World Cup game but thankfully, as the final whistle was blown at the magnificent Soccer City stadium on Wednesday, Mesuit Ozil and his wonderful goal had stormed the fans’ consciousness. Ghana’s Kevin-Prince and Germany’s Jerome Boateng didn’t really have scores to settle with each other, but both did want to make their point in their crucial Group D game. Kevin-Prince had been painted as the villain well before the World Cup – the one who ditched the land where he was born and where he learnt the game to embrace his father’s nationality and, worse still, being the player who ended the World Cup hopes of his former national captain with a brutal tackle. Jerome was the good boy. He chose the straight paths prescribed in his nation and even expressed his readiness to kick his brother if the situation so demanded. Indeed, the anger and bitterness against the older Boateng for the foul on Michael Ballack had risen to such a level that on the eve of the game, German manager Oliver Bierhoff had to step in and remind everyone to look at the larger picture. It was difficult to focus only on the larger picture on Wednesday as loud boos and furious sounds of the vuvuzelas accompanied the announcement of Kevin-Prince’s name. In contrast, not many in the 84,000-strong crowd seemed to notice that brother Jerome had been included in Germany’s starting eleven, having missed the two earlier matches. Just outside the Coca-Cola hospitality box high up in the stands – where the Indian media group is seated on an invitation from the sponsors -- a German fan vented his feelings against Kevin-Prince. “What he did is not right, it was totally unfair; let’s see what happens tonight.” As the game began, though, it was obvious that Bierhoff’s message had been drilled into the German team. They focused on the ball and not on the man. Kevin-Prince did get a taste of the German boot, but that was part of the game as he marshalled Ghana from the centre of the field. The former German under-21 player created a couple of clear chances, slipped in a telling pass or two and even had a crack at the target, but Ghana remained goal-shy. In contrast, Jerome had a much quieter game as left-back. He held his position and hardly ever crossed his brother’s path. In the 73rd minute, coach Joachim Loew substituted the younger Boateng, who seemed bothered by an injury but by then, the match had turned, thanks to that sweet and precise Ozil strike. At the final whistle, Kevin-Prince too trudged out along with his team-mates, defeated but far from disgraced. Despair, though, turned to joy, and wild celebrations erupted minutes later as the result of the Australia-Serbia game trickled in. From the verge of exit, the Black Stars were back, ensuring that the Boateng saga continued into the second round. On Wednesday at least, there were no losers in this story. Credit: www.deccanherald.com