Black Stars captain, Stephen Appiah earned his 50th cap for Ghana when he led the national team draw 1-1 with Australia on Tuesday at the Queens Park Rangers' Loftus Road stadium.

Appiah was presented with a trophy by the President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi for his service to the national teams before the second half of the game against Australia.

The player who turns 26 next month received his first senior cap on his 16th Birthday when Ghana played Benin on 24th December,1996.

He has managed 50 caps and scored 12 goals, as of November 14, 2006.

Appiah, the heartbeat of the Black Stars and also the driving force behind the team started his professional career with Accra Hearts of Oak in 1995.

In 1995, Appiah won gold with Ghana's under-17 side, the Black Starlets at the FIFA Under-17 World Championship although, as the youngest member of the team, he played in only one of their matches.

After spending three seasons with the Phobians, he signed up for Italy's Udinese in 1997.

The midfielder, also helped Ghana reach the last eight of the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1999

The Fenerbahce player was the most outstanding player at the 2004 Olympic games in Greece when he captained Ghana's Black Meteors.

He was was voted as one of the 10 All-Stars of that Olympic Football Tournament.

As captain of the Black Stars, Ghana's senior national team, he led the team to their first ever FIFA World Cup qualification this year in Germany.

Among his honours as a player include being crowned Ghana Footballer of the Year in 2005.