Sarpei bullish on semi-final spot

Johannesburg -Ghana international defender Hans Sarpei has tipped the Black Stars to make history and become the first African team to reach the last four of a World Cup.
On Saturday, Ghana equalled Africa's best-ever World Cup performance by advancing to the quarter-finals thanks to a hard- fought 2-1 victory over the United States.
Cameroon and Senegal also reached the last eight - in 1990 and 2002, respectively.
The Black Stars tackle Uruguay on Friday at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. Sarpei, a left back for Bayer Leverkusen who turned 34 on Monday, said they would be gunning for the semi-finals.
"We are dreaming of going to the semi-finals and even the finals. But Uruguay is next, so we have to focus on them," Sarpei told the Ghana Football Association's (GFA) official website.
Ghana defender John Paintsil, who plays for Fulham, had predicted earlier that Ghana would reach at least the semi-finals.
The whole of Ghana, and parts of the rest of Africa, partied all night after Ghana defeated the United States.
Ghana's football-loving president, John Atta Mills, attended the match and led a team prayer session in the dressing room at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg as the Black Stars kept Africa's hopes alive at South Africa 2010.
The experienced Sarpei, one of nine Ghana players who made their World Cup debut four years ago in Germany, said he expected even bigger celebrations when they go through to the semis.
"We know we are making Ghanaians very happy, but we don't know the level of celebration back home in Ghana," Sarpei said Monday.
"I think that if we beat Uruguay, the whole country will break down, and we want to do that."
Meanwhile, the GFA has appealed the booking given to forward Andre 'Dede' Ayew, which rules him out of the match against Uruguay.
Ayew, 20, is the son of legendary Ghana star Abedi Pele.