A second half brace by substitute Mubarak Wakaso was all Ghana required to book a place in the last four at the expense of Cape Verde at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
The two unanswered goals did not arrive on a silver platter on a day Ghana was well-matched by the debutants who appeared the better of the two sides throughout the entire duration of the clash at the Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth.
A dramatic end to the game the Black Stars had to win to be able to carry on their ambition of ending the nations search for a fifth Nations Cup glory made defeat difficult for the Islanders to hard to take.
Wakoso took Ghana ahead in 53 minutes from the spot after Captain Asamoah Gyan had been fouled in the Cape Verde box.
The Islanders response was instant with an invasion that saw Neves Fernando at the end of a poor defending by the Ghanaian defence. The Captain let fly one from 25 yards, but it went just wide.
Cape Verde fought on and within minutes came inches close to pulling even when goalkeeper Fatua Dauda was called to duty to parry twice goal bound opportunities to keep Ghana in the game.
Then came the turn of Gyan to trouble his markers at the opposite side when he held on well amidst shelving to pick out darting Emmanuel Agyemang Badu only for the latter well-positioned to be flagged offside.
As the debutants took over from here, it took Man of the Match, goalkeeper Dauda to stand in the way of the Islanders and a goal or more following systematic brilliant saves to keep the Black Stars advantage intact.
The Blue Sharks attacked in droves in hope of an equaliser. And while the game entered into the injury time with the entire Black Stars team in the penalty area to defend a succession of attacks, Ghana’s second goal was to arrive.
The losers set a camp in Ghana’s defence with every member of the team, goalkeeper Dias Josimar inclusive. After Stars managed to clear from a corner kick, Mubarak got to the end of the chase and raced towards the opposite end of the field.
With the Cape Verde players running back in hope of catching up the racing Espayol midfielder who was returning to the team after a game ban, Mubarak planted the ball at the back of the net to put Ghana two goals up seconds to end of the game.
The jubilation that greeted the goal was deafening, summing up the relieve of the supporters having sat on thorns all afternoon.
Ghana next play the winner of the Burkina Faso- Togo game at the semi finals billed for Nulsprit.
Line- up
Fatua Dauda, John Painstil, Harisson Afful, John Boye, Isaac Vorsah, Mohammed Rabiu/ Derek Boateng, Albert Adomah/ Mubarak Wakaso, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, Christain Atsu/ Solomon Asante, Asamoah Gyan, Kwadwo Asamoah
Source: GNA