Accra, Sept 11, GNA - The Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Sunday dispelled rumours that Black Stars' striker, Mathew Amoah, is dead.

The player, a key member of the history-making national squad, was reported to have collapsed Sunday morning while training and died later.

But when the GFA protocol officer Mr Alex Asante, contacted Amoah on phone at his base in Holland, the player told him that he was in a bus together with another Black Stars player, Abubakari Yakubu to honour a match.

GFA officials and the Black Stars Management Committee have condemned the rumours, saying they are "irresponsible and useless". They told the GNA Sports at separate interviews that the media ought to be circumspect in their reportage in order not to derail the nation's chances of qualifying for Germany 2006 World Cup. The Black Stars need a draw from their final Group Two qualifier against Cape Verde Island in October to make a long-cherished dream of playing at the World Cup a reality.

Amoah has scored some crucial goals for the Stars during the qualifiers, among them a notable match winner in the Ghana-Burkina Faso match at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium a couple of months a go.
He also scored one of the Stars' two goals in their 2-0 victory over South Africa at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg and last Sunday scored one of the Stars' two goals against the Cranes of Uganda. Ghana tops the Group Two Standings on 18 points, three more than South Africa and DR Congo. Burkina Faso follows with 12 points, two points better than Cape Verde while Uganda is rooted at the bottom with just seven points.