6 September 2009

Ghana's Black Stars became the first African soccer team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup when they beat Sudan at home in Accra by two goals to nil.

Although the win was widely anticipated, the team's place at the top of its group was sealed by a 1-1 draw between Benin and Mali, two other teams in the group, in Cotonou.

But Nigerians were disappointed when Tunisia held the Super Eagles to a 2-2 draw in Abuja. As a result the North Africans retain the top slot in the group, while Nigeria trails them in second place. In the other match in the group, Mozambique beat Kenya 1-0 at home in Maputo.

In Lome, Togo drew its match against Morocco (1-1). In the same group, Cameroon, playing away in Libreville on Saturday, prevailed over Gabon by two goals to none, but Gabon remains at the top of the group.

Also on Saturday, Côte d'Ivoire crushed Burkina Faso 5-0 at home in Abidjan, putting it on the verge of also qualifying for 2010. In that group, another home team, Rwanda, went down in Kigali to visiting team Egypt, 0-1.

In a statement issued in Johannesburg Sunday, the local 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee congratulated Ghana, saying it was "fitting that the first country to gain independence on the African continent is also the first country from Africa to qualify for the first World Cup on African soil."

The committee's chief executive officer, Danny Jordaan, added: “I am overjoyed that one of the continent’s greatest teams will be playing in Africa’s first FIFA World Cup."

allafrica