Ghana, aside from hosts South Africa, were the first team from Africa to qualify for the World Cup and they will be disappointed not to make a sizeable imprint on the 2010 African Nations Cup 'dress rehearsal'.

Under French coach Claude Le Roy Michael Essien and the rest of the Black Stars made a bold show to win the 2008 edition on home turf, taking third place.

With Le Roy since replaced by Serb coach Milovan Rajevac Ghana certainly haven't gone backwards but their World Cup credentials will be tested to the full in a group which has them pitted against Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast, Togo and Burkina Faso.

They regularly arrive at the African Nations Cup branded among the favourites but it is 28 years since they won the last of their four continental titles.

The only occasion since then they have come close to lifting the crown was in 1992 in Tripoli when they lost a marathon penalty shootout against surprise packets Ivory Coast after a goalless 1992 decider.

They make a cohesive unit under Rajevac but the wily Serb has suffered a series of setbacks in the build up to Angola with central defenders John Pantsil and John Mensah and midfielders Stephen Appiah and Laryea Kingston all ruled out through injury.

Fulham defender Pantsil was hurt in his club's 2-1 Premier League defeat against Chelsea last week, will be replaced in Ghana's 23-man squad by Getafe's Derek Boateng.

Regular captain Appiah misses his second successive African Nations Cup.

Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari also misses out, not because of injury but ill discipline.

That will mean ever more responsibility for Essien to shoulder in midfield.

Ghana, who won four consecutive matches to seal their ticket to South Africa, tuned up with a goalless draw against the hosts in a friendly, albeit lacking many of their key players.