Ghana vs. USA is not exactly a continental clash, but bearing the wildest dreams of the entire African continent at the 2010 World Cup, Ghana’s Black Stars must be feeling an uncommon pride and pressure to succeed. In the shadowy ends of many an African mind, this should have been the occasion for an African triumph at the World Cup, but all hope is nearly banished, except in the unyielding Black Stars. Tonight, either of Ghana or the USA must make it to the quarter-final stage of the impressive tournament and whoever succeeds would be writing history. The US in her ninth World Cup finals and sixth consecutive appearance, has her pride and score to settle with Ghana in a carry-over from the tournament’s previous edition in Germany where the unsung Ghanaians sent them reeling out of the tournament at the group stage. Revenge definitely is on their minds. But the Black Stars, only in their second finals, are equally motivated. Acutely aware that the entire African continent is looking up to them to lift the gloomy cast from poor results that have seen the rest of compatriots Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria and the Ivory Coast booted out, they are promising their best. By beating the USA, (one of the two remaining CONCACAF representatives), the Black Stars will also be stamping their authority over the US, and the high lure of bettering their own record in the tournament may just push them into a semis berth to face either Uruguay or Korea Republic. The US has reached the semi final before, however while that 1930 record (Uruguay) may be too historical for a present bother, their runners-up finishing at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, and their 26th FIFA-ranking against Ghana’s 39th are ready pointers of what potent threat faces the Black Stars. Coach Milovan Rajevac must have a trick or two up his sleeves in warning the US to expect "a 90-minute war" in tonight’s encounter at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. In Ghana it is said that the blind do not issue empty threats of harm, he may well be stepping on stone.