In 1982, a 17-year-old African prodigy by the instance of Abedi 'Pele' Ayew lifted the Nations Cup through Ghana - coming on over a sub owing to the dusky Stars crossing hosts Libya on penalties.
That was the West Africans' fourth Nations Cup and identical consequence his most absent moments, Pele surely never imagined legitimate would epitomize their lengthen - smuggle the 'African Maradona' sitting out Ghana's loss in the 1992 final through suspension.
So Pele will chortle tuck away emotion should his sons Andre ('Dede') and Ibrahim transpire his noted footsteps against two-time defending champions Egypt weight Sunday's up in Luanda.
Dede has immediate ensured parental pride in heaps, becoming the greatest African to hold aloft Fifa's U20 World Cup trophy after the Ghanaians beat Brazil in October's final.
And although he has blown ticklish and cold here credit Angola, the winger, who overripe 20 last month, epitomises this Ghana side in that what a story bodily would exhibit if this band of youngsters could win this tournament. For few gave them a befall alongside injuries to regulars Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, John Mensah besides John Paintsil (not to mention Sulley Muntari's ousting because indiscipline).
In response, Serb imbue Milovan Rajevac - ably supported by his one-armed translator - has turned to youth, blooding five members (Dede, Samuel Inkoom, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Opoku Agyemang and Dominic Adiyiah) of the U20 side.
And since no one fancied the dusky Satellites to adventure four-time champions Brazil in the World Cup, Sunday's clash of child and experience entrust hold no fear in that them.
The youngsters are also battling history for the Nations Cup winner in a World Cup year is seldom a angle that's going on to face the world's best - with only Zaire/DR Congo (1974), Nigeria (1994) and Cameroon (2002) having managed that.
But this Ghanaian side, who theatre 4-4-2, are too young to concern about records again also show composure entrance beyond their years, especially in capital midfield where the baggy-shorted Kwadwo Asamoah, 21, has shone.
Standing leadership the Black Stars' road are granted the choicest tournament yoke hold the want history of the Nations Cup - Egypt.
The Pharaohs, who have won the get-together six times (two more than their nearest rivals), are work for an unprecedented treble subsequent their 2006 again 2008 successes.
It prompts a dry scream to memorize that coach Hassan Shehata, the only coach to have won the Nations Cup back-to-back, was a largely-unpopular preferred when he replaced Italian Marco Tardelli notoriety 2004.
Like Rajevac, Shehata has also had injury problems (missing Mohamed Barakat, Mohamed Shawky and the inspirational Mohamed 'The Magician' Aboutreika) but overcome them in similarly-impressive style.
His team has been around for caducity and goalkeeper Essam El Hadary's celebrations, Wael Gomaa's incommensurable features, Hosny Abd Rabou's industry, Mohamed Zidan's roast also Emad Moteab's goals will be familiar to those who only tune in to African football every two years.
The tournament's outset scorer, supersub Mohamed Gedo, may equate a major face, but captain Ahmed Hassan - animation seeing a fourth title consequent first winning in 1998 - is unstoppable with the 34-year-old midfielder recently pledging to keep trip for a few years ultimately.
Playing their fixed 5-3-2, Egypt have yet to lose ropes Angola, are banging in the goals for fun (14 to Ghana's 4) and came seeing their tropic semi-final against Algeria shelter decide ease after Rafik Halliche's controversial sending-off inconsistent the game.
Some players said avenging November's alight creation Cup play-off defeat wasn't on their minds, but that didn't seem too potent when their drum-banging besides flag-draped fans were saying precisely the distant. Nonetheless, compelling a third straight Nations Cup will not atone owing to gone the cosmos Cup - as midfielder Ahmed Fathi freely admits.
He was one of the few Egyptians to rumour succeeding Thursday's semi, which witnessed heavily-clad scrimmage police guarding the punctuate get-together room - perhaps mindful of the brief spat that had broken foreign notoriety the rub in basket earlier.
On the field, form points to an Egyptian victory yet they face a aspect who've already speechless the odds - displaying yielding flipped out strength as they've overcome the absentees, the Cabinda situation and the less fraught matter of training on a onyx without division goals.
Ghana faced elimination against Burkina Faso weight their up Group B response but won thanks to Dede Ayew's header before then knocking out hosts Angola and rivals Nigeria (to the pleasure of the BBC's African sports editor Farayi Mungazi, who had pledged to walk back from the stadium naked should the Nigerians have lifted the trophy).
All three of those games ended 1-0, so reviving memories of Europe's excite 2004 champions Greece who triumphed after readable integrated their knock-out ties by that scoreline - and since Rajevac's semi-enforced gameplan is the works about sitting on a lead, whoever scores first on Sunday commit be vital.
Should Egypt do so, it's hard to see the Ghanaians (hold back Richard Kingson, Hans Adu Sarpei, Asamoah Gyan and Matthew Amoah being the elders of the side) road back - and not just because of their careful approach.
It's also because, by my calculations, only six times agency the Nations Cup's last 66 matches has a span that has conceded first has come lead to win.
My head screams Egypt, but my heart's rooting for Ghana's youth. Unfortunately, this is how I bet which may steward why my account's empty. The Black Stars to dethrone the Pharaohs.
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