Ghana send USA packing
Ghana's Asamoah Gyan scored three minutes into extra time to send Africa's last World Cup contender into the quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory over the United States on Saturday.
The Black Stars booked a last-eight meeting with Uruguay on Friday at Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium.
The South Americans had secured their progress with a 2-1 victory over South Korea earlier on Saturday.
Ghana become only the third African team to reach a World Cup quarterfinal, matching the achievements of Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002.
"I am the happiest man in the world," said Gyan.
"In 2006 we made the second round, now we have gone a step further. We have made Ghana proud and the whole of Africa proud."
The Black Stars, who also defeated the Americans to eliminate them from the 2006 tournament at the group phase, are the last of six African teams that began the first World Cup on African soil.
Kevin-Prince Boateng gave the Africans the lead in the fifth minute but the Americans, who fought back to draw after falling behind against England on the same pitch two weeks ago, equalised in the 62nd minute via a Landon Donovan penalty.
Former US President Bill Clinton and British rock legend Mick Jagger watched as four-time African champion Ghana denied an attacking US side the decisive goal late in normal time, setting the stage for two 15-minute extra-time periods.
The wait for the game's pivotal moment lasted only three minutes.
Ghana's Andre Ayew launched a high, bouncing pass upfield to Gyan, who tried to keep control as he was bumped into by US captain Carlos Bocanegra -- Gyan's friend and teammate with French club Rennes.
Gyan came away with the ball and met it on the bounce two strides later to blast a left-footed shot over US goalkeeper Tim Howard for his third goal of the tournament, taking him to a share of the lead in the goal-scoring chart.
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