(By Veronica Commey: GNA Special Correspondent in Togo; courtesy Ministry of Education, Science and Sports)

Lome, March 12, GNA - Ghana's Black Stars is the most popular name on the lips of almost every soccer fan in Togo, despite the fact that several countries are participating in the African U-17 Championship currently ongoing here in Lome.

At least four out of five people can be heard mentioning the name of Ghana's senior nation team, the Stars obviously due to the current sterling performance of the team.

This development seems to overshadow the name of the Under-17 team, the Black Starlets, who are participating in the two week fiesta, despite their emphatic 3-1 win over Burkina Faso in their opening game. Most of the soccer fans are however convinced that every team clothed in the quartet colours of Ghana with the Red-Gold-Black-Green is as good as the Stars and finding out without their true names are needless.

The popularity of the Stars, according to information gathered by the GNA Sports is near bigger than the Togolese national team itself, the Hawks, whose popularity dipped immediately after their poor performance at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Amazingly, the soccer fans are therefore seem more comfortable endearing themselves with the exploits of the Black Stars than any other team in the world.

The Stars' growing popularity has in no doubt helped soar that of the Starlets who are favoured for the ultimate.

Some of the fans the GNA Sports spoke with were of the view that everything in Ghanaian colours could become a sell out without a second thought.

Most Togolese, according to the investigations feel deeply in love with the performance of the Stars in the maiden Mundial appearance with the 4-1 annihilation of the Super Eagles of Nigeria last month as the icing on the cake.

On the other hand, the fame of the Starlets has also being helped by their 3-1 win over Burkina Faso in their Group B opener on Sunday. For the Togolese, the Young Hawks who are currently leaders of Group A, their support for Ghana to top Group B also means avoiding each other at the next stage so that in case their current status remains unchanged it will ensure a meeting with Nigeria, also a favourite in Group B. The Starlets next play against Eritrea on Wednesday in a duel whose outcome could define their qualification into the next stage.