Appiah predicts world cup qualification

Accra, Nov 12 - GNA - Stephen Appiah, captain of the senior national team the Black Stars has predicted that Ghana would qualify for the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

The Juventus of Italy player, who touched down on Tuesday for the preliminary qualifier against Somalia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday said it was incumbent on the players to play above themselves and qualify for the World Cup to appease Ghanaians for their failure to make it to the Nations Cup in Tunisia.


Speaking to the GNA Sports just hours after arriving, Appiah said he was determined to contribute his maximum to the team effort and expressed the hope that the entire team would glitter on match day and bring the smiles back on the faces of Ghanaians.


He said the focus of every member of the team should be to overpower Somalia and enter the group stages and overwhelm all other opposition therein and give Ghana a historic World Cup ticket. The skipper said it would be unwise to underestimate Somalia in the face of the shocking results Rwanda and Uganda recorded against them in the Nations Cup race.


He advised all those who would make the team on Sunday to work hard and achieve a resounding victory to ensure that the second leg in Kumasi on Wednesday would be honoured for record purposes.

Appiah said he had absolute confidence in all the players coach Zumdick has invited, including the home based ones "who are playing well in the local league and expressed the hope that they would rise to the occasion to give Ghana football an new beginning.


On his form at Juventus, the Black Stars captain said, "I am living in another world as everything has changed in my life since I started playing for Juventus. In fact I can say that I am the happiest guy at the moment." He said he had been working hard to keep a regular shirt in the Turin club because "everybody at Juve is a big star and you really have to work hard to make the team."


Appiah appealed to Ghanaians for the support they had given so far and urged them to keep praying for him as he tried to distinguish himself on the field and bring honour to Ghana.