Gold Fields sticking with Black Stars

Accra, March 25, GNA - Gold Fields Ghana Limited, headline sponsors of Ghana's Black Stars have avowed to stick to their sponsorship deal with the team despite the global economic crunch. Gold Fields has two million dollars out of the 6.7million five-year deal to spend between now and 2010 and Peter Turner, Managing Director of the company says the global economic crunch cannot stop their commitment to the goal.

He told GNA Sports in Accra on Wednesday that "We at Gold Fields carry out our promises and our commitment to the Black Stars remain unrivalled.

"We will not change our minds; credit crunch or not." Mr Turner said his outfit swims in the immeasurable joy that Ghanaians gain when the Stars glitter and that was enough to keep their support for the national "Team A".

Ghana hosts Benin in Kumasi on Sunday in the first game of the final round of qualifiers for the 2010 African Cup of Nations and World Cup. Mr Turner was buoyant about the chances of the team and called on Ghanaians to rally behind the Stars to make the journey smoother. "It is our wish that Ghanaians and Gold Fields will be celebrating qualification in November when the qualifiers are over." Dr Tony Aubynn, Corporate Affairs Director of Gold Fields urged soccer fans to throng the Baba Yara arena in Kumasi and lend their maximum "support and passion to the national quest to be among the 32 football nations to participate in the World Cup." Ghana is pitted in Group D alongside Mali, Benin and Sudan. 25 March 09