Ghana first Africans to reach 2010

Ghana have overcome the hurdle of a captain without a club and the lack of a proven goalscorer to canter to easy World Cup qualification, making them the first country to book their place from the African qualifiers. A 2-0 home win over Sudan on Sunday ensured top place in their group, seven points clear of Mali and with two matches still to play. It means the Black Stars will play at a second successive World Cup finals next year in South Africa.

Key players have been Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari, who both scored on Sunday, but also surprisingly captain Stephen Appiah, who has been without a club for more than a year while battling with a long-standing knee injury. "It is still special for us professionals to return home and bring joy to the people of Ghana," Essien said. "Teamwork brought us success as in previous qualifiers. The people of Ghana wanted us to win and we did not let them down. What a fantastic feeling to be the first African country to qualify for the first World Cup to be staged in Africa."

Ghana have yet to concede a goal in four matches in the final round group and have benefited from a solid defence throughout the preliminary campaign. But coach Milovan Rajevac has still to find a settled attack and in 10 qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup, the team has managed only 18 goals. Injury to the likes of Asamoah Gyan, who plays in France, and Kwadwo Asamoah from Italian club Udinese, has exacerbated a problem the team have struggled with for years.

"We have a good group of talented players. It's a priceless honour for them to represent their country and qualify for a big competition like the World Cup," the Serbian said. "They are aware of what they can achieve and they have the quality to go on and on." * Reuters