He's without one of his top players and preparing his team to face the tournament favorite but Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic is full of confidence.

Leading Ghana in its first World Cup, Dujkovic is not just targeting a win over Brazil but a World Cup semifinal spot for the Black Stars.

With Michael Essien suspended, Africa's sole remaining representatives in the tournament face the stiffest of tests as they attempt to reach the last eight Tuesday.

Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and company finally appear to be hitting top form, as shown in their recent 4-1 crushing of Japan.

With the pressure now on Brazil to advance, Dujkovic is confident there are still a few more chapters to be written in Ghana's World Cup fairy tale if his side play their opponents and not their enormous reputations.

"I am confident we can get a result against Brazil, even without Michael Essien," Dujkovic said.

"Team spirit and collectiveness are more important to us than any individual and although we recognize tomorrow's game will be extremely tough for us, I still believe we will reach the semifinals.

"The thing we must not do is be intimidated by those yellow shirts. My players cannot afford to be standing on the pitch looking at their idols and wondering how they are playing. They have to try and stop them."

In contrast to his dark mood earlier in the competition, when he was being castigated by his own media, Dujkovic was almost deliriously happy as he looked ahead to the first competitive meeting between the team he dubs the 'Brazil of Africa' and the real thing.

As one of the players who must actually go out and win the game, key midfielder Sulley Muntari was understandably more cautious in his assessment of the challenge which awaits.

However, after Essien kept a promise to his roommate to guide Ghana into the knockout phase when Muntari was banned for the decisive Group E encounter with the United States, the 21-year-old feels an overwhelming obligation to return the favor.

"Michael promised me he would get us through against the United States, so I have promised him we will do the job for him," Muntari said.

"Nothing is impossible. Brazil have world class players, we all know that. But football is a game of chance. On any given day, anyone can be beaten."

Dujkovic, who has been linked with a move back to his native Serbia and Montenegro to take charge of the national side which performed so disastrously in Germany, has vowed to send Ghana out to attack.

"What is the point just defending our goal," he said. "Brazil will only score anyway."

However, Dujkovic refutes claims from the Brazilian camp that his team is overly-physical.

"The statistics probably come from our game against the USA (Ghana conceded 32 fouls) but I tell you this; my team will try and win the ball but the never, ever go out to foul someone and deliberately injure them," Dujkovic said.

"That is the difference between my team and some other countries in this competition."