Accra, Oct. 29, GNA - Goldfields Ghana Limited, headline sponsors of Ghana's Black Stars are keen on renewing their sponsorship of the senior national team up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The three million dollar marriage of a three-year deal between the gold mining outfit and the Black Stars ends next March but the sponsors are enthusiastic on extending their association with the team.

Johan Botha, newly appointed Vice-President and Managing Director of the country's biggest single gold mining company announced this during a meeting with officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and members of the Stars technical team on Monday.

The meeting was to officially introduce Mr Botha, the successor of Mr Alan Ashworth who resigned his position after 17 months at the post. Mr Botha said his outfit is eager to extend its romance with the Black Stars with a package that will take the team through the qualifiers of the 2010 World Cup and beyond. He said that the package would be a booster to the Star's quest that would be fashioned out at a comprehensive meeting with the football association in the coming days.

An elated President of the GFA, Kwesi Nyantakyi affirmed the headline sponsors as reliable partners.

He paid glowing tribute to the mining group for the huge role they played in the qualification of the Stars for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.