President J.E.A. Mills has sent a congratulatory message to the senior national football team, the Black Stars, for qualifying for the World Cup next June in South Africa.

Ghana beat Sudan 2-0 on Sunday in Accra to confirm their place at next summer’s showpiece even with two games to spare in Group D.

The Black Stars have kept a clean sheet in the final round qualifiers are top of the table with 12 points, seven more than the second-placed side.

Below is a statement from President Mills congratulating the Black Stars:

Our male senior national football team, the Black Stars, has done the nation proud once again by qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa and on behalf of the Government and people of Ghana, I congratulate the team for flying high the flag of Ghana.

For the second time back-to-back, our gallant footballers have appropriately positioned Ghana’s football on the world stage.

The feat has not come easy, and I congratulate all; football administrators, football fans, the technical bench and especially the players, for qualifying with two games in hand.

While basking in the achievement, it is important that we do not rest on our oars.

The bigger challenge is ahead and we must work tirelessly to excel at the Cup of Nations in Angola, move on to the world stage, and do extremely well.

We did well in Germany; South Africa must be better.

Kudos to skipper Stephen Appiah and his team mates, and I assure them that Government will continue to give them all the support they need to prepare adequately and shine at the tournament.

It is the hope of the nation that the camaraderie and good-spiritedness that has brought the team this far, will continue to be the pivot around which their successes revolve.

Joy has come to Ghana and we must all savour it and continue to work towards building a Better Ghana.