FIFA Technical Study Group member Kalusha Bwalya praises a victorious Ghana team as a team who "came up with a plan and stuck to it" against the Czech Republic.

Below is Kalusha Bwalya's statement on Ghana:

It was a great performance from a team that keeps on growing.

Ghana knew what they wanted to do today. They were not hesitant, they came up with a plan and stuck to it.

Their influential players, Michael Essien and Stephen Appiah are playing in key positions, but Ghana did well in every department.

The goalkeeper, Richard Kingson, did well and the concentration of the back four was exemplary.

It was difficult to keep the big centre-forward, Vratislav Lokvenc, in check but they were always up to the challenge and if the ball did get past them, then the keeper was extremely reliable.

Appiah, the more offensive midfielder, and Essien, playing the holding role, were the driving force, while Asamoah Gyan had an exceptional game up front.

He proved a gateway for Ghana, showing himself for the longer pass, holding the ball up well and using his strength to the full.

But choosing the Man of the Match was not easy because it was a solid team performance and attack-minded always. Ghana were a joy to watch.

Mind you, the Czechs are a super team, tried and tested. Tomas Rosicky and Pavel Nedved are world-class players and after every Ghana attack they came back searching for the equaliser.

It led to a very open game. If you look at ball possession and running with the ball, the technique used was high quality.

A word for Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech who was outstanding, making several fine blocks to keep his side in the game especially after they went down to ten men.

The goal came in the second minute but Ghana showed they meant business from the kick-off.

The goal which arrived in only the second minute was reminiscent of the purposefulness of their play.

In the second half Ghana tried to kill off the match but you always felt the Czechs had a chance even after the penalty and until the second goal came in the 82nd minute.

We felt that one of the African teams would soon win a match, so it was good to see that a promising team, still developing, can beat a super side like Czech Republic.

They started here where they left off against Italy.

The performance has cheered a lot of people in Africa and beyond.