SOUTH AFRICA are hoping to ride a wave of emotional support when they meet Ghana in today's semi-finals of the African Nations' Cup in Johannesburg.
The home team. playing in their first finals tournament, are expected to attract a capacity 75,000 crowd to Soccer City for a match billed as the "premature final" of the competition.
Tunisia and Zambia meet earlier in Durban in the other encounter to determine Saturday's finalists.
South Africa won a dramatic quarter-final against Algeria last Saturday, a match which captured the public imagination and added spark to a tournament initially deserted by spectators.
"Everything is working well for us. Forward we go, backwards never, midfielder John Moshoeu told reporters.
Pre-tournament favourites Ghana will have captain Abedi Pele back in their starting line up. He was stretchered off in Sunday's quarter-final win over Zaire, but an X-ray revealed no crack or break on a swollen ankle.
Ghana, seeking a record fifth Nations Cup title, also welcome back striker Yaw Preko, who was ruled out of their three previous matches by injury.
South Africa will be without Leeds forward Phil Masinga, who serves a one-match suspension after receiving a second caution in the tournament on Saturday.
Zambia, who have averaged three goals a game in the competition, are favourites to reach the final for the second successive time.
Two years ago they were beaten 2-1 by Nigeria in the Nations' Cup final in Tunis, having had to rebuild their team following an air crash the previous year in which 18 members of the squad died.
"We've performed well here because of the experience we gained in the previous tournament," captain Kalusha Bwalya said.
They face Tunisia, the only squad in the tournament made Lip solely of domestic-based players.
"There is no secret to our success. we are a team who progress game by game," said coach Henryk Kasperczak, a former Polish international who has 10 players from the Under-23 side in his squad.
The final will be played at Soccer City in Jonannesburg on Saturday.
