Accra, Oct. 16, GNA - The Ghanaian Community in Chicago, United States of America (USA) have sent a congratulatory message to the senior national team, the Black Stars for Ghana's qualification for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

They said, "We see the Stars first-ever appearance at soccer's most prestigious tournament, the FIFA World Cup as a sweet re-launch of Ghana's football prowess, considering the fact that the team has for the past 23 years been starved of glory in the soccer arena".

Mr Francis Kwateng, the Spokesman for the community and a former Chief Editor of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) now based in the USA signed the message on behalf of the Ghanaian community.

The senior national team had conquered Africa on four occasions with the last time being in 1982 when Ghana won the African Cup of Nations.

The message said "You have made us really proud" and therefore asked the players and technical handlers to continue to show the same level of discipline, self-confidence, dedication and hard work they displayed during the qualifying series.

"By so doing we are in no doubt that Ghana would make a mark in Germany and earn a more deserving place in the world's football map. We are confident that the Stars would live up to expectation as the flagship of Africa".

The message also praised the government for the keen interest and support it gave to the national team and asked all Ghanaians as well as the business community to contribute their quota towards further motivating the team to excel.