Old foes battle again, Africa smiles for Ghana

European rivals Germany and England do battle yet again on Sunday while Diego Maradona's free-flowing Argentina expect to knock out Mexico for a second consecutive World Cup in the day's other big clash.

As millions around the world prepared to watch those games, parties were still going in Ghana and Uruguay after their teams blazed a trail into the last eight on Saturday.  

Ghana's 2-1 win over the United States after extra-time equalled the best World Cup performance by African sides when Cameroon reached the quarter-finals in 1990 and Senegal in 2002.

That raised the mood across Africa which is hosting its first World Cup but had lost five of its six teams early on.                          

"Ghana has lifted dampened hearts," said farmer Klu Borboley, offering free drinks to youths who had watched the game through the window of a pub in the town of Keta. 

Taxi drivers offered special half-fares, drinks flowed and one group of Ghanaians held a mock funeral of a US effigy.                                           

Uruguay underlined South America's great form in their 2-1 win over South Korea. The 1930 and 1950 winners are in the quarter-finals for the first time in 40 years and face Ghana.    

"There are only 3 million people in Uruguay and we waited a long time for this," coach Oscar Tabarez enthused.                          

European showdown                                     

History looms large over Germany and England''s 1400 GMT match at Bloemfontein's Free State Stadium.                                           

Though England won their only World Cup by beating then West Germany 4-2 in 1966, they paid for it in later decades, going out to them on penalties in the 1990 World Cup semi-finals in Italy and the 1996 European championship in London.

Not for nothing the old joke: "England invented football, but Germany win it."                                           

Neither team goes into the game in top shape. 

Germany have injury problems with striker Cacau confirmed out from an abdominal muscle strain, and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and defender Jerome Boateng doubtful.

England's problems are more psychological, the confidence and fluency of a near-perfect qualifying round deserting them in the first stage when they stuttered to two draws before sneaking through with a 1-0 win over lowly Slovenia.  

The nations' leaders David Cameron and Angela Merkel plan to break off from the G20 summit in Canada to catch at least part of the game together.     

There was no such civilised harmony among rival media gripped by patriotic fervour.

"We will fight jeering jerries on the pitches," said the Daily Star with a picture of England striker Wayne Rooney in a tin hat.      

While many find the UK tabloids' jingoistic wartime references distasteful, the Germans were not to be outdone.

"Jubeln, chillen, England grillen," (Celebrate, chill out and grill England) wrote Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "It's the first genuine day of summer. Hello summer! Good-bye England."

Maradona-Messi show                                          

No less intriguing is Argentina's game against Mexico which pits two attack-minded and slick-passing teams.

Just as happened with him in the 1986 World Cup that Argentina won, Maradona has built a team around his brilliant world player of the year, Lionel Messi. He has lit up the tournament with his dribbling and shots though is yet to score.                                           

"Mexico are nobodies' favourite. We're way down in the betting," said Mexico coach Javier Aguirre on the eve.

The Mexicans want revenge after Argentina dumped them out of the World Cup in Germany four years ago, 2-1 in extra time.   

Maradona, whose brilliant playing career was tarnished by drug problems, is enjoying a personal renaissance as coach.          

"All my life I've picked up the experience that today I'm giving my players with all my soul and heart, saying to the lads 'that's how it was for me'," the ever-passionate Maradona said ahead of the 1830 GMT game at Johannesburg's Soccer City.                                           

Beyond performances, the massive global audience is closely watching another crucial aspect of the tournament -- hair.       

Shaggy manes and bushy moustaches of yesteryear have given way to a new wave of bleached beards, tidy crops and trendy headbands, providing plenty to talk about if the action is dull.

Award-winning UK barber Mark Woolley said players were increasingly adopting more conservative and sophisticated styles. "There's been a definitive move towards the tailored city boy look," he said.