Ghana's Rahim Ayew has scored twice at the African Nations Championship

The deadliest attack comes up against the meanest defence when Ghana play Senegal on Wednesday in the African Nations Championship semi-finals.

Ghana scored six goals in their three Group B games while in Group A Senegal conceded none in the first ever finals of a tournament for locally-based footballers.

They clash in Bouake while Zambia and the DR Congo meet four hours later in Abidjan.

After coming from behind to force draws with Zimbabwe and Libya, Ghana finally clicked on Sunday to outclass DR Congo 3-0 and justify their position as joint top seeds and title favourites.

Midfielders Rahim Ayew, eldest son of former African Footballer of the Year Abedi 'Pele' Ayew, and captain Edmund Owusu Ansah have both scored two goals each.

The Ayew brace proved particularly important as it wiped out a two-goal advantage built by outsiders Zimbabwe while the first Owusu Ansah strike cancelled a lead Libya held for much of their match.

Now they come up against Senegal, who conceded one goal in four qualifiers against Mali and Guinea and none in group encounters with Tanzania, Zambia and Ivory Coast.

Captain Sidy Ndiaye says Senegal carried a heavy burden into the tournament after the national team failed to make the final qualifying round for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.

Everything is possible as I have a young team that is disciplined and hungry for success Joseph Koto, Senegal coach

"This competition offers those of us representing Senegal with a challenge to restore the dignity of the national team after its elimination from the 2010 World Cup and African Nations Cup," he said.

Coach Joseph Koto has been upbeat since the two-week tournament kicked off.

"Everything is possible as I have a young team that is disciplined and hungry for success," he added.

Meanwhile Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac will be back on the bench on Wednesday having served his one match ban against the DR Congo.

The Serbian was banned after being sent to the stands by the referee during the game against Libya for persistent complaints.

Zambia and DR Congo have slipped after strong starts and both came close to not making the last four as the group phase reached a dramatic climax at the weekend.

Defender Dennis Banda scored four minutes into stoppage time to deprive Tanzania of victory and lift Zambia from third place to first in Group A after their shock 3-0 opening-day win over Ivory Coast almost counted for nought.

The DR Congo only advanced because Zimbabwe and Libya failed to take advantage by playing to a goalless draw.

Strikers Given Singuluma of Zambia and Mabi Mputu of DR Congo are proven scorers and potential match winners who share a passion to play professionally in Europe.

Singuluma destroyed Ivory Coast with a hat-trick but has not found the net since while Mputu, once linked with Arsenal, created both goals against Libya before finding the net against Zimbabwe.

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