Accra, July 8, GNA - Parliament on Thursday hosted the senior national team, the Black Stars amidst hilarious waving of miniature Ghana flags with a call on the team to strive to qualify for next World Cup tournament in 2014 in Brazil.

Mr Cletus Apul Avoka, the Majority Leader who made the call advised the team against being complacent but to take up the challenge to train harder and qualify for the next World Cup tournament and the African Cup of Nations in 2012.

He noted that through discipline the team had been able to make Ghana and Africa proud and advised them to be more disciplined and work hard. He thanked the coach and the technical team for a good job done. Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority Leader in a poem he recited, lamented the sinister hand of Louis Suarez that scooped the ball out of the net to deny Ghana from reaching the semi-final and the finals of the competition.

He said the first time Ghana qualified for the World Cup they progressed to the one-sixteenth level and have now progressed to the one-eighth level and added that the next time the ultimate was to lift the ultimate Cup.

Ms Akua Sena Dansua, Minister of Youth and Sports said Ghana had drawn the attention of FIFA on the poor officiating that robbed Ghana from progressing to the next stage of the competition. She thanked the South African government and her people, especially former President Nelson Mandela and his ex-wife Winnie Mandela for the support and recognition accorded the Black Stars. Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, Speaker of Parliament on behalf of the House congratulated the Stars for their impressive performance. Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, member for Manhyia initiated the idea on Wednesday, July 7 and said that the Stars deserved to appear before the House for members to officially welcome and congratulate them on their wonderful performance in the FIFA World Cup in South Africa which made the whole of Africa proud.

The House suspended proceedings for some time to allow the members to interact with the team. Members of the team were entertained with music provided by the Ghana Police Band with most staff and members of Parliament taking pictures with the players, the President and Management members of the Ghana Football Association and the head coach Milovan Rajevac. 08 July 10