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Ghana coach demands an improved performance from his players for the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Cape Verde as the Black Stars bid to reach the last four. The Black Stars, four-time champions will be up against the Blue Sharks in Saturday's clash in Port Elizabeth. Cape Verde, making their tournament debut, defied pre-tournament expectation to sail into the quarter-finals while the competition has bid goodbyes to the likes of defending champions, Zambia, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. �I have drawn their [players] attention to the fact that Cape Verde can be a threat and it is important that they all focus on them and take each game as it comes,� the Ghana coach, Kwesi Appiah said on Thursday in Port Elizabeth. Ghana clinched first place in Group B but Appiah expects his players to put in more intensity and go the extra mile to secure a semi-final place. The Black Stars after their opening 2-2 draw against DR Congo, beat Mali 1-0 and finished off the group campaign with a 3-0 victory against Niger. �We need to do extra work and the players need to fight more than what they�ve done already,� he said. The two sides last met in a friendly in November 2012, when a goal from Mubarak Wakaso handed Ghana a 1-0 win in Portugal. However, things have changed since that day with the Blue Sharks showing much improvement. �I have always said that even though we won 1-0 in Portugal in a friendly game and looking at the games they�ve played so far, I totally believe they are a strong side and it�s not going to be easy,� Appiah said.