Accra, Oct 10, GNA - The Parliamentary Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture has sent its salutation to the Black Stars for booking its qualification to next summer's FIFA World Cup championship slated for Germany. Mr Joe Baidoe-Ansah, Chairman of the Committee in a statement copied to the GNA Sports said that "we are pleased that for the first time in 48 years, Ghana as a nation will take part in the World Cup and would like to commend our team for this heroic victory". The Chairman said, " the qualification has come at a most significant time when Ghana football is soaring on the international scene and the success further puts our football back on the high pedestal".

Mr Baidoe-Ansah mentioned discipline, unity, team building and dedication as among the useful lessons the qualification has taught Ghanaians and underscored the need to maintain these ingredients during the soccer fiesta. The statement said, "we noticed the keen interest and high level of discipline the team maintained throughout the series, giving indications of your resolve to make this long cherished dream become a reality". He said the Stars demonstrated in practical terms that they were capable of achieving what for long had remained elusive to the country's entrance to the World Cup by correcting the erroneous impression that previously characterized Ghana's qualifications.

It congratulated the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and other private and corporate bodies for their high level of motivation to the team during the qualifiers. The Stars on Saturday ensured the qualifiers, which began a year ago ended on a blistering note with a 4-0 drubbing of Cape Verde in their last game played in Praia to pick the single group slot that qualifies them to a debut World Cup appearance. The Stars toppled the group with 21 points, five richer than South Africa, DR Congo, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and Uganda.