Ghana's Black Stars have hogged the limelight since the start of the World Cup through to their exit last Friday.

Going out to Uruguay in the quarter-finals on penalties following a 1-1 scoreline in 120 minutes was a difficult pill to take after Asamoah Gyan's penalty miss with the last kick of the game.

Gyan, most often Ghana's hero having scored three goals before the night failed to deliver the extra-time winner that could have sent the Black Stars into the semi-finals as he saw his spot kick crash into the crossbar.

But the team's sterling performances and the nature of their defeat to Uruguay at the Soccer City has earned Milovan Rajevac's side more praise and supporters as Africa rallied behind the only of six sides from the continent to have advanced to the knockout stages.

Amid the heartbreak, the Black Stars coach is now looking forward to an exciting future having presented the youngest team at the World Cup which included 16 players aged 25 or under in his 23-man squad.

“The team definitely has an exciting and bright future, and that's the main thing for Ghanaian football,” said Rajevac as he looked ahead to the next World Cup finals in 2014 to be hosted by Brazil.

“There are a lot of good young players, so they already have a core of a team for 2014. And although the way we lost was painful and shocking in the end, this will be great experience for the players and they have a lot of potential to achieve great things.”

The Ghana coach has been very proud of the Black Stars and expects the return of Michael Essien from injury to make a difference but was quick to point out that Gyan's penalty miss was unfortunate.

“Maybe we were missing some small thing, maybe if Essien were here,” he said.

“Missing a penalty like that can happen to anyone. Uruguay were luckier. I feel sorry for the people of Ghana, they supported us a lot. I am proud of our players but sad because we were unlucky in the final of the Cup of Nations as well.”