Ghana erupts in celebration

Ghanaians poured on to the streets of the capital Accra on Saturday, screaming, waving flags and jumping on the bonnets of cars after their team's stunning 2-0 FIFA World Cup? win over Czech Republic. Roars of "Go Ghana, the African Brazil!" rose above the sound of car horns as groups of fans cheered from the back of open trucks driving in procession down Oxford Street, a bustling road in the central Osu area of town.

"We have done what we needed to do ... we are going to beat the US about 3-0. We shall go to the final, not the quarter-finals," said Stephen Adu Asante, an ecstatic T-shirt vendor.

The tournament debutants hope to clinch a place in the second round by beating the USA in their final Group E game in Nuremberg on 22 June.

Striker Asamoah Gyan fired Ghana ahead in the second minute against the Czechs in Cologne before the Black Stars doubled their advantage eight minutes from time through Sulley Muntari.

"God is great, God is wonderful. I don't know what to say. I feel happy. We will get to the final," said one fan, Evelyn Azewoda, as the street behind her flooded with the national colours of red, yellow and green and people banged pots and pans in celebration.

The victory gave fans across Africa cause for celebration after disappointing results for other teams from the football-mad continent, particularly Ivory Coast's unfortunate early elimination.

"All Africans were behind Ghana today," said Idy Diallo, a musician in Senegal's capital Dakar.

"Other nations must respect African teams now, they can see Africa wants to go all the way. We're going to win the World Cup."