The Senior national team, the Black Stars, put the icing on cake after their qualification for Mali 2002 Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-1 drubbing of the Crocodiles of Lesotho in their group six match played at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.
The result puts the Stars ahead in the four-nation group on 13 points, Congo DR on eight points after their win over Zimbabwe, while Lesotho and Zimbabwe finished on six points apiece.
By these results, Ghana and Lesotho have booked their tickets for Mali 2002.
Lesotho who held the Stars to a 3-3 draw in the first leg match, were no match for the Stars who proved too experienced for the soccer minnows of southern Africa.
After a minute's silence for the May 9 Accra Sports Stadium disaster, the Crocodiles kicked-off brilliantly as they looked like sweeping the Stars off their feet with their flawless and defence splitting moves.
The Stars hit back in the eighth minute and nearly took the lead as the visitors came under sustained pressure but the tight defence managed to scoop the ball as a header by Isaac Boakye beat goalkeeper Thite Tseliso.
The Crocodiles played it hard and strong with Mkhele Molefe attracting the yellow card of Malian referee Kanoute Moussa for a foul on Amankwaah Mireku in the 13th minute.
The visitors forced the first corner-kick of the match in the 16th minute as the Stars wilted under intense pressure but this could not be utilised.
Four minutes later, the Stars had an opportunity of scoring the leader as the defence of Lesotho failed to stop a move but Baffour Gyan fumbled.
The persistent attacks of the Stars paid off when a free-kick taken outside the penalty box by Stephen Appiah zoomed into the net with the Crocodiles goalkeeper Tseliso glued to the ground.
Appiah somersaulted three times in celebration and later limped off the field as the crowd cheered only to return moment later.
Baffour Gyan scored the second goal in the 30th minute as he towered above the defence to head the ball into the net as goalkeeper Tseliso looked on helpless.
Bolstered by this, the Stars never looked back as they attacked in burst crowning their pay excellence performance with the third goal in the 36th minute.
Charles Amoah added the "coup de grace" as he hit the back of the net with a ferocious drive after two goal attempts had been blocked by the solid defence of the Crocodiles.
Lesotho faded out of the game in the latter stages of the half as the Stars played the game their own way kicking the ball among themselves as the crowd cheered.
The visitors made a change before the re-start when Ntsonyana Teele came on for Seema Lehlohonolo but it was the Stars who had the game under control.
In the 49th minute, Pheko Malefetsane attracted the yellow card for a foul while Isaac Owusu of the Stars was also booked in the 62nd minute for a similar offence.
The Stars played a relaxed game midway in the second half and the Crocodiles exploited this as they redeemed a goal in the 63rd minute.
As the ball was floated into the goal-area of the Stars, the defence hesitated in anticipation of an off-side allowing substitute Teele to tap the ball into the net.
Gordon Ablordey came on for Emmanuel Duah in the 87th minute but with the Stars qualification certain, they recoiled into their shells allowing the visitors to dictate the pace of the game until the final whistle.
Line Up: James Nanor, Isaac Owusu, Jacob Nettey, Baffour Gyan/Issah Mohammed, Kofi Amoako, Amankwah Mireku, Stephen Appiah/Charles Taylor, Charles Amoah, Isaac Boakye, Princeton Owusu Ansah, Emmanuel Duah/Godwin Ablordey.
Meanwhile, in another Group 6 qualifying game, DR Congo defeated Zimbabwe 2-1 in Kinshasa, ending the Zimbabweans' dream of qualifying for the Nations Cup finals. The Black Stars have already qualified for the African Nations Cup next year with 10 points from their group.
DR Congo, who qualified alongside Ghana placed second in the table with eight points, with Lesotho and Zimbabwe level on six points apiece.
The final line-up: Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria, Zambia, South Africa, Liberia, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Togo, Senegal, Ghana, DR Congo, Egypt, Ivory Coast. Summary
KUMASI, African Nations Cup group six qualifier
Scorers: Ghana - Stephen Appiah 25, Baffour Gyan 31, Charles Amoah 37
Lesotho - Ntronyona Teela 63
Halftime: 3-0; Attendance: 30,000
Final standings
P W D L F A Pts
1. Ghana 6 4 1 1 16 8 13
2. DR Congo 6 2 2 2 7 9 8
3. Zimbabwe 6 2 0 4 8 12 6
4. Lesotho 6 1 3 2 7 9 6
Ghana and DR Congo qualify for finals
The result puts the Stars ahead in the four-nation group on 13 points, Congo DR on eight points after their win over Zimbabwe, while Lesotho and Zimbabwe finished on six points apiece.
By these results, Ghana and Lesotho have booked their tickets for Mali 2002.
Lesotho who held the Stars to a 3-3 draw in the first leg match, were no match for the Stars who proved too experienced for the soccer minnows of southern Africa.
After a minute's silence for the May 9 Accra Sports Stadium disaster, the Crocodiles kicked-off brilliantly as they looked like sweeping the Stars off their feet with their flawless and defence splitting moves.
The Stars hit back in the eighth minute and nearly took the lead as the visitors came under sustained pressure but the tight defence managed to scoop the ball as a header by Isaac Boakye beat goalkeeper Thite Tseliso.
The Crocodiles played it hard and strong with Mkhele Molefe attracting the yellow card of Malian referee Kanoute Moussa for a foul on Amankwaah Mireku in the 13th minute.
The visitors forced the first corner-kick of the match in the 16th minute as the Stars wilted under intense pressure but this could not be utilised.
Four minutes later, the Stars had an opportunity of scoring the leader as the defence of Lesotho failed to stop a move but Baffour Gyan fumbled.
The persistent attacks of the Stars paid off when a free-kick taken outside the penalty box by Stephen Appiah zoomed into the net with the Crocodiles goalkeeper Tseliso glued to the ground.
Appiah somersaulted three times in celebration and later limped off the field as the crowd cheered only to return moment later.
Baffour Gyan scored the second goal in the 30th minute as he towered above the defence to head the ball into the net as goalkeeper Tseliso looked on helpless.
Bolstered by this, the Stars never looked back as they attacked in burst crowning their pay excellence performance with the third goal in the 36th minute.
Charles Amoah added the "coup de grace" as he hit the back of the net with a ferocious drive after two goal attempts had been blocked by the solid defence of the Crocodiles.
Lesotho faded out of the game in the latter stages of the half as the Stars played the game their own way kicking the ball among themselves as the crowd cheered.
The visitors made a change before the re-start when Ntsonyana Teele came on for Seema Lehlohonolo but it was the Stars who had the game under control.
In the 49th minute, Pheko Malefetsane attracted the yellow card for a foul while Isaac Owusu of the Stars was also booked in the 62nd minute for a similar offence.The Stars played a relaxed game midway in the second half and the Crocodiles exploited this as they redeemed a goal in the 63rd minute.
As the ball was floated into the goal-area of the Stars, the defence hesitated in anticipation of an off-side allowing substitute Teele to tap the ball into the net.
Gordon Ablordey came on for Emmanuel Duah in the 87th minute but with the Stars qualification certain, they recoiled into their shells allowing the visitors to dictate the pace of the game until the final whistle.
Line Up: James Nanor, Isaac Owusu, Jacob Nettey, Baffour Gyan/Issah Mohammed, Kofi Amoako, Amankwah Mireku, Stephen Appiah/Charles Taylor, Charles Amoah, Isaac Boakye, Princeton Owusu Ansah, Emmanuel Duah/Godwin Ablordey.
Meanwhile, in another Group 6 qualifying game, DR Congo defeated Zimbabwe 2-1 in Kinshasa, ending the Zimbabweans' dream of qualifying for the Nations Cup finals. The Black Stars have already qualified for the African Nations Cup next year with 10 points from their group.
DR Congo, who qualified alongside Ghana placed second in the table with eight points, with Lesotho and Zimbabwe level on six points apiece.
The final line-up: Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria, Zambia, South Africa, Liberia, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Togo, Senegal, Ghana, DR Congo, Egypt, Ivory Coast.
Summary
KUMASI, African Nations Cup group six qualifier
Scorers: Ghana - Stephen Appiah 25, Baffour Gyan 31, Charles Amoah 37
Lesotho - Ntronyona Teela 63
Halftime: 3-0; Attendance: 30,000
Final standingsP W D L F A Pts
1. Ghana 6 4 1 1 16 8 13
2. DR Congo 6 2 2 2 7 9 8
3. Zimbabwe 6 2 0 4 8 12 6
4. Lesotho 6 1 3 2 7 9 6
Ghana and DR Congo qualify for finals
