Tamale, June 27, Football fans in the Tamale Metropolis have commended the senior national team, the Black Stars for reaching the knock-out stage despite the 3-0 defeat to Brazil. They have called on the rest of Ghanaians to accord respect to the playing body and the technical team for not disgracing the country in the biggest world sporting fiesta.

Speaking in separate interviews with the GNA Sports in Tamale after the match Ms Angela Osei, a staff of Robesta Enterprise in Tamale described the performance of the players as fantastic even though they failed to qualify to the next stage.

She said the game was characterized by biased refereeing and that Brazil capitalized on that to proceed to the quarterfinal stage of the competition.

Ms Osei said "I am overwhelmed with Ghana's performance and all of us as Ghanaians should give them the needed respect and honour" adding that the whole world has seen what the referee had done to the boys. Mr Kofi Apia said there was course for Ghanaians to still jubilate despite the defeat because, "They have done their best only that luck was not on their side".

Others who spoke to the GNA Sports indicated that playing with world number one team in a keenly contested event was not easy and expressed the hope that the crop of players in the team could take Ghana to places.

Even though Ghana failed to progress to the next stage the streets were chocked with fans jubilating in the Metropolis amidst whistling, hooting of horns and waving Ghana flags, an indication that they were not disappointed.

Drinking bars and mini spots were also full of some disappointed fans who decided to drink off the pain and disappointment in them. There was however, no motorbike display as in the cases of victories over Czechs Republic and the USA but there was drumming and dancing through the principal streets, which once again united the Abudus and the Andani and the NDC and the NPP in the Metropolis.