Accra, Sept 6, GNA - Ghana's Black Stars have officially qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with two Group matches to go after they beat the Desert Hawks of Sudan 2-0 in their Group D duel at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra on Sunday.
A goal in each half from Sully Ali Muntari and Michael Essien were enough to give Ghana a 12 point lead, seven richer that Mali who are in second place to become the first African team apart from host South Africa to qualify for the quadrennial fiesta .
The Stars who needed a win to authenticate their qualification despite two more games remaining had a quiet first half with only Muntari's 35th goal separating both sides.
The closest that Ghana came was in the fifth minute when skipper Stephen Appiah had a header at goal, but agonizingly missed target when the ball hit the crossbar and bounced back to play with the former Fenerbahce star ruing the opportunity.
The visitors broke off four minutes after the half hour mark and a back pass to Ghana's goalkeeper Richard Kingston made the keeper to make a forced retreat to keep the ball in play to initiate the Stars' reaction.
The quick reaction from then took only three passes to get Ghana in the Sudanese goal area and Muntari sent home a low shot, profiting from a goal mouth melee to send the stadium screaming.
The packed crowd will relish another goal and so was Appiah who almost turned a half chance into a goal but missed narrowly again to end the first half.
Ghana begun well from the recess and with only six minutes of play in the half, Chelsea's Essien delivered a masterpiece pile-drive from a flouting ball just beneath the Sudanese goal area. The Stars had mounted an invasion and Mathew Amoah and Muntari were better placed to score but a Sudanese clearance fell only as far as an advancing Essien who stroke a low one to consolidate the Stars' lead. With action reduced to midfield, the Stars from then decided to relax in the game as they exchanged passes that drew rings around their opponents as they showed off their skills occasionally and for Coach Rejevac Milovan to pull out Appiah.
Appiah was replaced by Laryea Kingston to a standing ovation and soon the excitement was intensified with the traditional 'Mexican waves' by the supporters that engulfed the entire arena, made up of the old, young and women.
Just when the waves were dying down, the touting of horns replaced the support base followed incessant cheers and claps as the Stadium was charged beyond anything seen in recent times signaling the level of excitement filling the 45,000 packed space.
Ghana has scored seven times and conceded no goal yet and will travel to Cotonou in October as guest of Benin and host Mali in November to complete the qualifier. Line-up:
Ghana - Richard Kingson, John Paintsil, Harrison Afful, Eric Addo, John Mensah, Anthony Annan, Michael Essien, Samuel Inkoom, Sulley Ali Muntari/Haminu Draman, Stephen Appiah/Laryea Kingston, Matthew Amoah/Asamoah Gyan
Sudan - Mustafa Hafez, Elbasha Ahmed, Abdalla Nasreldin/Mohamed Saeed, Kano Alaeldin, Abakar Hassan/Ahmed Musaab, Farah Saif Eldin, Mohamed Mudather, Koko Mashraf, Idris Ahmed, Dama Sami, Abdalla Mohamed/Fadlalla Ragei
