IT WAS no surprise to learn that Australia were conducting a training session back in Ruimsig just 12 hours after the referee's whistle had brought a welcome end to proceedings in Durban.

Six days separate the opening game debacle and the encounter with Ghana in Rustenburg. Pim Verbeek's squad has much work ahead of it.

The good news is that the Ghanaian midfield is still without three of its biggest names. Inter Milan's Sulley Muntari and Bologna's Stephen Appiah started on the bench against Serbia, Muntari was not risked, while the injured Michael Essien is out of the tournament.

The bad news is that, in their place, Ghana have a midfield that looks more than a match for anything the Socceroos might be able to throw at it.

At its centre on Sunday night was Anthony Annan, a neat and composed holding midfielder who sits in front of a strong and physical defence, sweeping up any scraps that fall between midfield and defence and prompting Ghana's next wave of attack.

Next to Annan they have Kevin Prince Boateng of Portsmouth, a tireless runner in midfield who broke up most of what Serbia had to offer, forcing their midfield so deep they were standing on their defenders' toes. Boateng drives the side forward, linking defence and attack, his performance good enough to make the absence of Essien an irrelevance.

In front of that foundation sits an attacking trio, with Udinese's Kwadwo Asamoah, Arles-Avignon's Andre Ayew on the left and Hoffenheim's Prince Tagoe on the right, who will ensure Australia's full-backs endure another busy night.

Up front, Asamoah Gyan leads the line. The Ghanaians had to rely on a soft penalty for the breakthrough, from a freakish handball against a team that had been reduced to 10 men, but struggling to break down the Serbian defence is no reason for embarrassment.

Both teams set up in a manner that suggested they knew this was a must-not-lose game in what they viewed as the play-off for second place behind Germany. Subsequent events would suggest this was justified.

Both defences looked mean and whoever spearheads Australia's attack should be well warned of the physical capabilities of John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah in the centre of Ghana's defence who muscled Serbia's Marko Pantelic and Nikola Zigic out of the game.

The Ghanaians will also enjoy the support of the vast majority of the crowd. The Socceroos will have a tough job spoiling the party.