The mood of the football fraternity is that of cautious optimism for the senior national football team, Black Stars, as they begin the struggle with Benin, Mali and Sudan to determine who qualifies for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. On paper, Ghana is the only side with World Cup experience among the group and the temptation to underrate the others is very strong.Therein lies the danger and it is the hope of Ghanaians that the authorities will not take things for granted.

This group provides some interesting statistics .There are three West African countries with Sudan the odd country from the North. Three of the countries have once met each other in the World Cup qualifiers except Mali.

Ghana has had World Cup qualifying brushes with Benin and Sudan. It was on June 18 1972 that Ghana first met Benin in a World Cup qualifier for Germany ’74.Ghana trounced Benin 5-0 in front of their home crowd in Cotonou. This was a straight forward one-sided match and Ghana led 3-0 at half time through “Powerhouse” Kwasi Owusu, Abukari Gariba and Sunday Ibrahim. The two second half goals were scored by Abukari Gariba and Kwasi Owusu.

The second leg match in Kumasi on July 2 1972 ended 5-1 in favour of Ghana. Osei Kofi got two goals in the first half and Kwasi Owusu, Sunday Ibrahim and Clifford Odame (penalty) added three in the second half. The visitors had a consolation goal in the dying minutes of the game. Unfortunately, Ghana could not progress any further and was stopped by Congo Kinshasa on a 4-1 aggregate.

Ghana met Sudan in the round robin qualifier for Japan/Korea 2002 World Cup and lost the first leg match in Obdurman 1-0 on Feb 27, 2001. It was an ill tempered match and the Ethiopian referee Tessena Hailimdak booked Ghana defender Samuel Kuffuor for allegedly attacking him after the match. Luckily for Ghana, FIFA later on decided not to take any disciplinary action against Kuffuor because the referee had failed to substantiate the report and the case was closed.

Ghana won the second leg 2-0 in Accra on July 15 2001, but a 3-0 defeat by Nigeria in Port Harcourt on July 29 2001 ended a disastrous World Cup campaign.It was to avoid such disaster that much effort was made to make the campaign for Germany 2006 successful with Ghana making an excellent debut. Thanks to the wizardry of Serbian Coach Ratomir Dujkovic. Ghana made a good impression in Germany.

Dujkovic is no more in charge of the national team, Black Stars but as if by design we have another Serbian coach, Milovan Rajovac directing affairs. And from all indications he seems to have the confidence of the fastidious Ghanaian football fan.

The expectation is that, he will follow the good path set by his fellow countryman and make Ghana’s presence felt in the first FIFA World Cup to be staged on the continent of Africa.