“Wait until you see the Black Stars of Ghana”, this was what Cameroun’s football legend Roger Milla told the world media when adulations were pouring in for Cameroun’s brilliant shows at the World Cup in the 80s and 90s when Ghana was still struggling to make her debut at the world’s topmost football festival.

When Ghana finally made her first appearance in Germany 2006 and survived the first round only to be crushed 3-0 by Brazil, Milla was still insistent that the best from Ghana was yet to come and the world should look forward to the glittering Black Stars in the next World Cup.

Well, Ghana has not disappointed Roger Milla at all. The Black Stars have already booked their tickets for South Africa 2010. After a rather slow start in the Africa group qualifying series when Ghana beat Benin 1-0 in Kumasi, the players overcame their initial nervousness and went to Mali to win 2-0. Then, the Black Stars went to Sudan to snatch another 2-0 win to top the table with maximum 9 points at the end of the first round.

As the other three nations struggled for points with draw games here and there, Ghana sailed smoothly ahead and another 2-0 win over Sudan in the first match of the second round in Accra on Sunday has given Ghana automatic ride to South Africa 2010 even with two more matches to play, thanks to two world class goals by Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien (Who else?).

Now the return match against Benin in Cotonou and the last match in Accra against Mali are of mere academic exercise.

Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac has improved upon the performance of his fellow Serbian Ratomir Juiskovic who in 2006 survived a torrid qualifying series that turned Ghanaians into mathematicians trying their hands on permutations that should qualify the Stars to Germany.

It eventually turned out to be a sweet qualification and alongside neighbours Togo and Cote d’Ivoire also qualifying; it tuned out to be a strong ECOWAS presence.

From the trend so far, West Africa could once more be dominant in the World Cup because Cote d’Ivoire are strong in their group and Nigeria can still hope against hope to make it. No matter how you look at it, Ghana’s impeccable show is a pleasant surprise to a large section of the people. The Ohene Djan stadium was filled to capacity for the Sudan match, even though there were repeated announcements of live TV coverage.

The truth of the matter is that most Ghanaians hated the tensions that surrounded the 2006 qualification and were eager to give Black Stars all the moral support to beat Sudan convincingly so that in case there was no winner in the other qualifying match between Benin and Mali then Ghana could straightaway qualify for South Africa 2010 because of her massive points build up.

And lo and behold, the Benin -Mali match ended in a 1-1 draw which gave Ghana’s Vice President John Mahama the fine opportunity to announce amidst wild cheers through the blaring loud speakers at the Ohene Djan stadium after the Ghana-Sudan match that Ghana is the first African country to qualify for South Africa 2010,of course South Africa being the hosts has automatic qualification.

Hurray Ghana! Hurray Roger Milla!

You are a good football analyst. See you in South Africa. The whole of Ghana is going to pitch a tent down under.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.