Sports Minister Sets World Cup Final Target Ahead Of Qualification

Ghana�s Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah has charged the Black Stars to make an unprecedented appearance at the grand finale of the World Cup even before qualification is secured. Ghana is yet to seal qualification for next year�s tournament to be staged in Brazil despite taking a commanding 6-1 lead in the first leg of the World Cup playoff against Egypt. The Black Star must now travel to Cairo next month to finish the job against the north Africans to secure a third successive berth and the World Cup. Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah who has been very instrumental in the team�s qualification series has however revealed the Black Stars are expected to surpass its previous successes in the competition by going all the way to the finals. This will be the first time an African side makes it thus far in the world showpiece. But the sports minister believes there is a real possibility for Ghana to become the first African side to go all the way even before qualification is sealed on November 19. �When we started saying were are going to � like my Kumasi friends will say �Briazil� � and no man, no woman, no devil, no Pharaoh can stop us people thought we were joking,� he said. �We are going to Brazil and the target is to get to the finals. �It is possible, it is doable with the help of God. There is nothing that is not possible under the sun.� The minister�s believe reflects the combined wish of every African at the World Cup for ages. Teams from the continent � even the most talented ones � have however always impressed only to depress in the tournament. Ghana for instance was a second away from making an historic semi final berth in the last World Cup in South Africa. But a missed penalty kick by striker Asamoah Gyan in the dying minutes of the quarter final match against Uruguay extended what many have now accepted as a dream that will never be.