Goalless Ghana remain optimistic

Ghana go into a game they have to win on Wednesday unconcerned by not having scored at all in the competition.

The Black Stars - joint-second in Group B along with South Africa - meet bottom side Burkina Faso knowing that only victory will do.

South Africa will be playing leaders Morocco at the same time, and only the top two will go through to the quarter-finals.

But Ghana's players will not be kept up to date with that match.

'Worrying'

"We do not need information from that match in Segou, we just have to win and then we will qualify," Ghanaian FA chairman Ben Koufi told BBC Sport Online.

"The players know they have to win and it is a win and nothing less that they are looking to achieve," Koufi said.

But the Black Stars have yet to score a goal in the 2002 African Cup of Nations.

"It is worrying and football is all about goals, but we hope to rectify that against Burkina Faso," said Koufi.

The Ghanaian FA took a brave decision in not calling up top names like CK Akunnor, Kwame Ayew and Sam Johnson but Koufi remains adamant that his association got it right.

"It's irrelevant if people think we have taken the wrong choice, we are building a team for tomorrow. Our emphasis is on youth and if we didn't start building now, I don't when we can build."

He also defended the Black Stars' kit - which had been one of the things Samuel Ossei Kuffour took issue with before his departure back to Germany last week.

"I don't see anything wrong with the kit. It has the name on the backs and it is the Black Stars kit," Koufi said.

Ghana midfielder Emmanuel Duah told BBC Sport Online: "We're definitely going to win this match to qualify.

"Although the Burkinabe strikers are strong their team is not good defensively and that's where we'll strike."

The player, who earns his living with Portuguese club Uniao Leria, added: "Although we didn't bring some of our strikers for the tournament, now is the time for us to score goals and we'll get a bagful."

Coach Fred Osam-Duodu said he has got the Black Stars focused for the match.

"It's now a do-or-die affair and the players know that we must win," he said.