Players upbeat about qualification for World Cup

Kumasi, June 3, GNA - Two players of the senior national team, the Black Stars have expressed optimism about the chances of the team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup/ Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Prince Buaben and Eric Bekoe both said that the Stars have the experience and quality to upstage any opposition in their group which also comprise Lesotho, Gabon and Libya and therefore urged all Ghanaians to support them to achieve their ultimate goal.

Speaking at separate interviews with the GNA Sports in Kumasi at the weekend, Buaben, a Dundee United midfielder said Ghana represents one of the African countries expected to cause an upset at the quadrennial championship following their sterling performance at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and that the team's qualification would be significant.

"We have a duty to qualify to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 to enable the team continue from where it left off in Germany so as to keep the hopes of Africa of annexing the World Cup on course", he stated.

Buaben expressed delight at the unity in the Stars' camp and the immense support the senior players continue to give to the young and upcoming ones, adding that this was very significant and a motivation to the junior players to enable them take over from the seniors at the appropriate time.

He said he was happy to have been invited by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to serve his country and promised to work hard to justify the confidence reposed in him.

Bekoe, lead striker of Kumasi Asante Kotoko admonished his supporters to pray fervently for him so that he can find his scoring boots and bang in enough goals for the Stars as he has been doing for his club. He said even though the competition at the Stars' camp was very keen, he has the hope to break into the first team in future as he has stepped up his training to enable him achieve his objectives.