That's On Point: The Web Site

We take a trip into deepest, darkest Africa for the United States final group stage opponent, the Black Stars of Ghana.

World Cup experience: Feels like the first time.

Group: E -- USA, Czech Republic, Italy

Odds: 15:1 win group; 251:1 win Cup.

World Rank: No. 50

How qualified: Won African Group 2, ahead of 2010 host South Africa. (National pride in the RSA was restored in the World Baseball Classic, oh wait, no it wasn't.)

Nickname: The Black Stars, Mos Def not-approved. On the Ghanian FA official website, there are links to the "Black Meteors," "Black Satellites," "Black Starlets," "Black Queens" and "Black Princesses." However all these pages are blank.

Key Players: Michael Essien aka 'the Buffalo' (Mid, Chelski); Stephen Appiah (Mid, Fenerbache); Sulley Ali Muntari (Mid. Udinese); Sammy Adjei (GK, Moadon Sport Ashdod (Israel))

Choice honey: Here's a coterie to whet your appetitte.

Icon: Tony Yeboah former Leeds United man and uncle to Freddy Adu. Scorer of countless fantastic goals. (Check out the video of this goal, second in the queue)

Tedious miscellania: Ghana's capital city of Accra is home to best named soccer club possibly in the world, the uber-cool named "Hearts of Oak." ... For what it's worth, Ghana is Coldplay approved, since its home kit is, "all yellow." ... Essien's summer $45 million transfer from Lyon to Chelsea was the most expensive ever involving an African player. ... In 1957 Ghana, which was former from a merger of Britain's Gold Gold and British Togoland, was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence. ... Manager Ratomir Dujkovic has coached in places most men only dream -- Rwanda, Myanmar and Venezula, prior to the Black Stars. ... Oddly enough, Ghana borders fellow Cup newcombers Cote D'Ivorie to the west and Togo to the East.

General notes: African Cup of Nations winner in: 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982. ... While all the pre-Cup hype on Ghana will center around Essien and Appiah, the Black Stars best player in Germany will be Sulley Ali Muntari. The midfielder played a major part in carrying Udinese into the 2005 Champions League. (Bonus fact, Udinese features, Al-Saadi Qadhafi (Son of Libyan leader, Muammar al-Qaddafi) in its first team.) And let's face it, anytime you get a guy named Sulley that's not from the greater Boston area, it's cause for celebration. ... Ghana recently lost to Mexico 1-0 in a friendly in Houston, it was by all accounts a dreary affair. ... Touted as a sleeper team, Ghana crashed out of the Group stage in January's African Cup of Nations, losing out to Senegal and Nigeria on goal difference.

Worth watching: From a United States supporter perspective, yes. If the Black Stars can trip up either the Italians or the Czechs it would be a boon to Bruce Arena's boys.

Will they win a game?: Let's not hope its against the U.S. in Nuremberg on June 22.

Suppe Sez: After stopping by a recent Black Stars training session, I realized Ghana could be a tough out in Germany. Cheetah-like speed up
front and brute strength in the midfield is always a dangerous mix.

Bottom line: From the American standpoint everyone has circled the final Group E match against Ghana as a must-win for the Nats. Let's just hope it's not a moot point by then. Basically anything is possible from these guys.

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QUUUUAAAAAIIIIDDDDDD, start the reactors, Iran up next.
For other capsules: Angola--Brazil; Cote D'Ivorie--England.