GHANA'S quest to end a 30-year wait for an Africa Cup of Nations title will face its biggest challenge yet today when they battle Tunisia for a place in the semi-finals of the 2012 tournament.

The winners will tackle the victors of the other quarter-final between Zambia and Sudan in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, next Wednesday. Quarter-finalists at the 2010 World Cup, the Black Stars of Ghana have stayed on course for a fifth Nations Cup title even though they were far from convincing in the group phase. They laboured to pip debutants Botswana 1-0 before raising their game to down Mali 2-0, but were pegged back by Guinea 1-1 in their final Group D match.

Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic, who has promised to win the trophy on February 12, has pledged the team will improve.

Ukraine-based midfielder Derek Boateng, meanwhile, says he expects another tough match on Sunday. "Tunisia have a very good side. They are disciplined on the field, like Guinea," said Boateng, who saw his first action in the tournament against Guinea.  "We know that it is going to be difficult, but we hope to do our best to win the game and qualify."

Former Ghana skipper Sammy Kuffour said Tunisia's man to watch is Youssef Msakni, who scored a wonder goal against Morocco.

"He is a hugely talented player and we need to keep an eye on him at all times," warned Kuffour. "Maybe the coach will put someone on him, like we did with Seydou Keita when we played against Mali."

Current captain John Mensah has recovered fully from a thigh muscle problem, but it is still to be seen whether stand-in John Boye will be dropped to allow him to renew his partnership in central defence with Isaac Vorsah. Midfielder Anthony Annan suffered a personal loss following the death of his mother on Thursday, but he insisted on remaining with the team. Tunisia will be Ghanas biggest threat yet after they fought their way past north African rivals Morocco and Niger in the first round to finish behind inspired co-hosts Gabon in Group C.

Meanwhile, Tunisia is set to start Evian striker, Sabeur Khalifa ahead of more established strikers Issam Jemaa and Sami Allagui in today's Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Ghana.

Jemaa has been capped more than 50 times by his country and was the team's top scorer in the qualifiers for this tournament with five goals, while Allagui, an international since 2008, features for German Bundesliga side Mainz.

A top team official disclosed that coach Sami Trabelsi will settle for Khalifa to lead the attack in a 4-3-2-1 formation he hopes will beat one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Former Esperance of Tunis forward Khalifa, who made his Tunisia bow in 2010, has made tremendous improvements since his transfer last year to French Ligue 1 outfit Evian and has already scored once at this Nations Cup.

Esperance forward Youssef Msakni, who has netted two goals at the on-going Nations Cup, will play alongside Zouhaier Dhaouadi from Club African of Tunis behind Khalifa.

Skipper Karim Haggui, who was not risked against Gabon due to a booking, will return to partner Aymen Abdennour in the heart of the back four.

Meanwhile, TUNISIA'S players hope to wear black armbands in their Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal as a sign of respect for the more than 70 people who died at a league game in Egypt this week.

Tunisian Football Federation president, Anouar Haddad said on Friday his body had asked for permission from tournament organisers the Confederation of African Football to wear the armbands against Ghana at Stade de Franceville today.

It was a sign of Tunisia's "brotherly" ties with Egypt, Haddad said.

Tunisia is the only North African team left in the Cup of Nations after Morocco and Libya were eliminated in the group stage. Egypt, which was the three-time defending champion, didn't qualify for this year's tournament.

"I want to say something. For us, Egypt and Tunisia are two brotherly countries," Haddad said at Tunisia's team base in Bongoville, near Franceville, in Gabon.

"We had the same difficulties but unfortunately what has happened the day before yesterday with the victims, the 74 victims that have died, it is not normal.

"We Tunisians have solidarity with the Egyptian people. We ask Caf to allow us to play with the black armbands against Ghana as a sign of respect for the people who died."

Meanwhile, GHANA defender Masahudu Alhassan has told MTNFootball.com that his confidence has soared after making three appearances at the Nations Cup.

The left-back was a second half substitute in Ghana's opener against Botswana and played full throttle in the matches against Mali and Guinea.

The Genoa youth team player is making his debut at the tournament after catching the eye of coach Goran Stevanovic last year.

The 19-year-old has been touted as the solution to Ghana's problematic left-back position after over a dozen of players failed to hold onto the place.

"I feel confident now and ready for any challenge," Alhassan revealed to MTNFootball.com.

"The coach has confidence in me and I don't want to disappoint him. I don't want to think ahead of me so I'm taking it easy."

Alhassan played for Ghana's Under-20 at the 2011 African Youth Championship in South Africa.