When the Black Stars of Ghana take the field against the United States at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Saturday evening for a FIFA World Cup round of 16 match, Amakhosi striker Nkosinathi Nhleko like most of South Africa and the continent of Africa will be throwing his support firmly behind them.

Nhleko has another reason for supporting the Black Stars as his former teammate and friend Richard Kingson, who plays his club football in England with Wigan Athletic will be between the posts for Ghana against the Americans.

Thus far Kingson has played in all three of Ghana’s group games and has conceded just two goals and has performed commendably for them, in addition he has pulled off a number of telling saves which has ensured that the ‘Black Stars’ were the first African team through to the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup.

Nhleko and Kingson forged a friendship three years ago when they played together at Swedish club Hammarby. Kingson joined Nhleko at the club in 2007 when he joined from Turkish club Ankaraspor on loan.

Speaking to kaizerchiefs.com about his friendship with Kingson Nhleko said, “When I was playing in Sweden Richard joined the club I was at, we became friends and used to spend time talking about home and African football in general. He was a very friendly person and we got on well, he is a great player and a very hard working guy on the training ground”.

Kingson left Hammarby and transferred to Birmingham City in England where he spent a season before joining Wigan Athletic at the start of the 2008–2009 campaign and has been there since. Nhleko believes that all of Africa should be proud of what Ghana have achieved thus far at the World Cup.

“We have to look at the group Ghana were in with Germany, Serbia and Australia and really applaud the fact that they came through this group and progressed to the round of 16, the whole country and the continent should get behind them and I think that they can beat the USA. The Americans are a tough team I do feel Richard will do a good job in goal and they will go on to the quarter finals.”

Nhleko is hoping to get hold of Kingson when he has some free time hopefully before the quarter finals, “on the second day they were in South Africa I wanted to meet him as they had an opening training session for the public. They then moved their base away from Gauteng after a day and shifted to Sun City so it was a bit hard for me to go out there to see him; I plan to get hold of him after Saturday’s game”.