Ghana were fortunate to beat Angola in the African Cup of Nations quarter-final, but Udinese midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah rose head and shoulders above both teams.

Asamoah, 21, has been hyped as the new Michael Essien, but while he clearly has the ability to go all the way he is a different type of player to Chelsea's midfield general.

He shares Essien's speed and determination but, slim and agile and with a cultured left foot, he is a more crafty ball-player in the vein of Internazionale's Sulley Muntari, whose place he has taken in the Ghana starting XI.

Asamoah's first real contribution was to release Asamoah Gyan for the 16th-minute goal with a wonderful diagonal pass from just inside his half.

With Ghana sitting deep and soaking up Angola's pressure, Asamoah sprayed the ball around the pitch like a quarterback and, when called upon to keep possession, knew when to run and when to hold.

He also has some flair about him, flicking the ball up and sending a long-range shot that forced Carlos into a good low save with 10 minutes left, and was happy to do his share of the dirty work with a few big tackles in deeper positions.

Crucially though, he did not tire and looked better as the match progressed, showing superior stamina to his young team-mates.

Udinese have reportedly valued him at £27 million - a frankly ludicrous price tag for a club in their position - but he is worth at least half that and would challenge for a first-team place at any Premier League club.

Key moments

16' Sends a superb left-foot pass from his own half to assist Gyan's goal.

66' Plays a cross-field pass that puts Hamidu Dramani in, but the shot is straight at the keeper.

80' Almost gets a second for Ghana with an improvised flick and volley that Carlos tips behind for a corner.

90' Takes the pressure off his team-mates by running the ball down the left, eating up some time and chasing the ball back when he loses possession.

Player ratings

Passing: 9/10

Shooting: 7/10

Stamina: 8/10

Strength: 8/10

Tackling: 8/10

Approximate value: £15m