The resignation of Mariano Barreto midway through Ghana's qualification for the World Cup was typical of the uncertainty which often undermines African teams.

But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

His unexpected exit led to the Black Stars seeking their fifth manager in just under two years, as they continued their search for someone who could harness their undoubted talent.

Barreto's sudden decision to return to club management in Portugal - with the relatively small club side Maritimo - was an acute embarrassment to the Ghanaian FA.

"The news shocked all of us and we initially thought it was a media gimmick," said vice-chairman Kwesi Nyantekyi at the time.

"We have a contract with Barreto and we would not be happy if what we are hearing turns out to be true."

Barretto had enjoyed a somewhat fractious relationship with the Ghanaian populace and press. The media in particular were scathing of his appointment and questioned his credentials for the job.

This subsided a little after he masterminded their qualification for the Olympic Games, but a poor showing in Athens merely cemented the opinion of many.

Following his departure, optimism was not improved when the little-known Serbian coach Ratomir Dujkovic took the reins in late 2004 and masterminded Ghana's drive towards the finals in Germany.

His first game ended with a draw against DR Congo, but Ghana followed it up with a 2-1 win over Burkino Faso and Dujkovic endeared himself to supporters when he oversaw a 2-0 victory over South Africa.

His masterstroke proved to be the recall of Borussia Dortmund striker Matthew Amoah, then with Vitesse Arnhem.

Amoah's cascade of goals at club level had apparently gone unnoticed under previous management teams but Dujkovic recognised his potential.

"The new coach invited me and I said 'Okay, I have to show what I have and what I can bring to the team' and, yes, it has really worked out well for me," said Amoah.

"Things have gone really nicely for me and for the team. I feel a big part of the set-up."

Ghana's success on the field saw them surge up the FIFA rankings from outside the top 75 into the elite 50.

Captain Stephen Appiah said: "Our coach has been very instrumental in our successes this year by bringing the much-needed discipline into the squad."

Having secured a place in the World Cup, Dujkovic now has to plot Ghana's next step at the finals. They have been drawn in the same group as USA, Italy and Czech Republic.

"I don't think we can get into first position, but naturally we will try and maybe we can surprise somebody," said Dujkovic.

"The favourites in our group are the Italians and the Czech Republic as they are both very, very strong. We have quite a few of our squad with experience of playing in Italy and they know a lot of their players, but that won't be a key to that particular match, of course.

"I am an optimist and my team will be optimistic also. We will fight until the last minute to try to get past the first stage, and if we manage that it will be like becoming World Cup winners."

African football appears to be on the rise and Dujkovic is looking for his charges to be at the forefront of it.

He explained: "I believe that Ghana will be the strongest in Africa in the coming years because we will now receive big money from sponsors, FIFA, etc and that will give us the facilities to do much better work."