Uruguay reached the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time since 1970, but ended the hopes of Africa after winning a truly extraordinary match at Soccer City on a penalty shoot-out.

Ghana seemed certain to become the first African side to reach the last four of the competition when Luis Suarez saw red after handling on the line in the dying seconds of extra-time.

However, striker Asamoah Gyan, who had already converted two penalties in South Africa, skimmed the crossbar with the last kick of the game.

Gyan showed incredible guts to take the first spot-kick of the shoot-out but John Mensah and Dominic Adiyiah both had their low strikes saved by Fernando Muslera.

And Sebsatian Abreu then showed ice-cold composure to dink the decisive penalty beyond Richard Kingson as Uruguay sealed a semi-final tie against the Netherlands.

Suarez's deliberate handball, which came seconds after he had legitimately blocked one goal-bound effort with his knee, was a gamble that paid handsome dividends.

It was a truly remarkable final few minutes, surely some of the most dramatic in World Cup history, and came at the end of an engrossing and occasionally bad-tempered contest.

Both teams enjoyed periods in the ascendancy - and both were guilty of wasting numerous opportunities.

Sulley Muntari, almost kicked out of the squad after criticising coach Milovan Rajevac earlier in the competition, struck a long-range opener on the stroke of half-time, while the impressive Diego Forlan equalised with a free-kick 10 minutes after the restart.

La Celeste controlled the early part of the contest and their early endeavours twice brought them close to scoring but each time they were denied by Kingson.

The first was a reaction save after John Mensah inadvertently deflected a corner towards his own goal and the second an athletic finger-tip effort to deny Suarez, who will be suspended for the semi-final, after the striker capitalised on a slip by Isaac Vorsah.

But the South American side, already without injured defender Diego Godin, lost skipper Diego Lugano to injury towards the end of the first half, his withdrawal coming at a time when the Black Stars had started to find a foothold in the match.

Rajevac's side had offered almost nothing in attack until Vorsah, recalled in defence in place of the suspended Jonathan Mensah, headed wide from a corner just before the half-hour mark.

Gyan then narrowly missed after the industrious Kevin-Prince Boateng picked him out in front of the deep-sitting Uruguay defence with a square ball, while Mutari headed wide after latching on to a raking pass.

Even so, it looked as though the match would be goalless at the break until Muntari, gifted the time to assess his options, unleashed a vicious 40-yard strike that caught Muslera off guard.

Uruguay brought on Nicolas Lodeiro at the break and the game quickly became stretched as Tabarez's team searched for an equaliser.

Edinson Cavani felt he should have been awarded a penalty after he went down under a challenge from Vorsah, but there was no doubt about Forlan's free-kick from a wide angle that drew his team level.

"We are winning the cup," declares Sarah Obuobi at the bar of The Gold Coast club and restaurant in South Norwood. "I am announcing it here and now: Ghana is winning the World Cup."

Obuobi may be jumping the gun. But certainly this south London suburb is buzzing with excitement at the idea Ghana could become the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final.

On the streets outside there are more Ghanaian flags fluttering from cars than English ones and more people walking down the street in Ghanaian shirts than white or red English ones. The chat has changed from what was wrong with Wayne Rooney to whether Ghana really does have enough power up front to beat Uruguay in the quarter-final.

South Norwood, Thornton Heath and surrounding areas are home to many people of Ghanaian descent, and when the national team plays the neighbourhood becomes a magnet for fans of the Black Stars from all over London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Ghanaian cafes such as Adwoa's Kitchen have been heaving with football fans. Ghanaian hairdresser Olivia Johnson admits she is no football enthusiast but even she has been forced to switch over her television from a channel showing black-and-white films for the matches. "Everyone is going football mad," she said.

The Gold Coast's owner, William Quagraine, said there were more than 200 people inside the bar when Ghana beat the USA in the first knockout round – and about 2,000 outside, blowing whistles, beating drums, and singing.

"It was really crazy. People came from everywhere. Most couldn't get into the bar so they had to just stay outside and party. And afterwards everyone was outside – it was a huge celebration. There were traffic jams and I know a few people were angry at the noise and fuss but it was just a chance for everyone to express their delight."

What has been especially pleasing to Quagraine is that Ghana's success has been welcomed by people of all backgrounds. "England fans seem to be supporting us now that they have been knocked out. And people from other African countries are now backing Ghana – football fans from Nigeria, from Ivory Coast, from Cameroon all seem to be with us."

The team was swiftly embraced by the liberal left once England were defeated by Germany – or possibly before. The former London mayor Ken Livingstone is a fan ("I enjoyed one of the best holidays of my life in Ghana back in 1967"), as is the director of Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti, who is impressed that the team's reserve goalkeeper, Daniel Adjei, plays for a team called Liberty Professionals.

Even before the first ball was kicked, the UK-based anti-poverty campaign group World Development Movement (WDM) suggested that non-partisan fans ought to plump for Ghana when it ranked the country top of all the World Cup finalists in terms of social justice.

Kate Blagojevic of WDM said: "We're glad Ghana has done well. We picked them as our top team from the start. We've drawn up a table looking at issues such as carbon emissions, military spending and having women in positions of power. They topped the table and we're sticking with them."

But since the sad flight home of Rooney et al, thousands more England fans have turned to Ghana for less political reasons.

Ian Ebbs, who runs a website selling replica football shirts, said the site was selling six times more Ghana strips than during the group stages.

Outside the greasy spoon next to The Gold Coast, builder and England fan Jason Steele said he'd "lend" his support to Ghana. "Just this once, mind." Wearing a Jamaican football shirt, Steve Harris said he thought many members of the Caribbean community would get behind Ghana. "We will be there for our African brothers," he said.

Sixteen-year-old William Adams has taken the radical step of changing his name on Facebook to William Asamoah Gyan as a tribute to the Ghanaian striker of that name.

Adams's mother is Ghanaian, but he was a fervent England fan until their dismal exit. "The Ghanaian team plays with more spirit, more passion," he said. "They are my team now." And most of Adams's England-supporting mates have also jumped ship. "We're all Ghanaians now," he said.

Culled from www.theguardian.co.uk

The much-awaited BBC TV programme 'The Hairy Bikers, Mums Know Best' episode in which TGC featured, was broadcast on Tuesday 2 Febuary at 8pm on BBC 2 and is available via the stream below..Take a peep on BBC iplayer ...

The popular BBC TV cook stars Si King and Dave Myers, collectively known as 'the Hairy Bikers' much-awaited cookbook is out....

....and guess what?, it features two of TGC's most celebrated recipes of Akonfem( Guinea fowl) and Yam Balls.

With over 100 heart-warming and famed recipes, this food celebration cookbook includes the best dishes carefully hand-picked for its uniqueness and originality.

Patrons of TGC may well atest to this fact! Have you tried our Akonfem and Yam Balls yet? If not why not come savour its true quirkiness.

The Hairy Bikers' Family Cookbook published on hardbark,by Orion Books is available at www.amazon.co.uk.Get it and turn to pages 76 and 77...

Egypt entered the record books  yesterday, beating Ghana 1-0 in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations with supersub Mohamed 'Gedo' Nagy lifting the Pharaohs to their third straight title.

Ghana named an identical line-up to their last four win over Nigeria, with captain Richard Kingson taking up residence between the posts despite a late fitness scare.

The Black Stars made it to the final playing pragmatic rather than beautiful football, but they began in enterprising fashion, matching the Egyptians for speed and dexterity.

Some disappointed customers at our South Norwood branch couldn't help but disperse early as hopes for a Ghana win were shattered. Nevertheless, the party continued with the Totally Positive band dishing out some great tunes.

Well, done Ghana!! Better luck in the World Cup this summer.