Cameroon came into the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with a big name, Samuel Eto'o, and were predicted to finish no worse than second in their group and advance to the knockout stage.
Then Japan beat Cameroon 1-0, and their chance to make the knockout stage requires that they beat Denmark and probably draw the Netherlands. In other words, they are probably done.
Ivory Coast came in with an even bigger star, Didier Drogba, but have been drawn into this year's group of death and will need to beat Portugal or Brazil in order to advance. And Drogba, by the way, has a broken elbow and may try to play in a cast. Their chances of advancing, before their first game is even played, seem far-fetched.
Nigeria played well, or at least their keeper did, against a tough Argentina squad. They will have games against Greece and South Korea, much weaker sides, to prove themselves.
The host nation of South Africa scored the tournament's most memorable goal so far, and managed a draw against a superior Mexico team. They have games against Uruguay and France to prove that they are capable of scoring enough to win a game.
Then there's Ghana.
Going into the tournament, Ghana had more doubters than any of the teams above. Michael Essien, the Chelsea midfielder and Ghana star, was ruled out of the side due to injury. His replacement would be Kevin-Prince Boateng, a man best known for injuring Essien's Chelsea teammate Michael Ballack during the FA Cup Final in May.
Any doubts about Ghana were answered, however, when Asamoah Gyan converted a penalty kick in the 84th minute against 10-man Serbia and the Black Stars became the first African team to win on African soil.
Ghana still has to get through a tough group that includes an inspired German side and an Australian team looking to take out their anger on somebody, but it looks like they will progress, which may be more than can be said of any other African team in the tournament.
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