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World Cup qualifying (Africa): Dreams made, and crushed [Mon Sep 5th, 2005]
Kumasi, Ghana (Reuters) - Overjoyed Ghanaians cheered wildly and honked car horns to celebrate their Black Stars World Cup qualifier 2-0 victory over Uganda, echoing jubilant scenes in victorious Togo and Cameroon.
The three countries top their qualifying groups and are poised to reach the 2006 finals with one game left. Ghana and Togo have never previously made the finals.
But there was gloom in South Africa after a 3-1 defeat away to Burkina Faso effectively extinguished their hopes and in Ivory Coast, beaten 3-2 at home by Cameroon.
"I'm very happy that my boys have won. The whole world will hear Ghana's name," said fan Kwabena Frederick, a young man wearing only cut-off jeans and green, yellow and red body paint reflecting his team's colours, as he left the stadium.
Midfielder Michael Essien, playing in his first national game since his lucrative move to England's Chelsea, opened the scoring in the 11th minute. The over-capacity crowd of about 60,000 roared wildly as Essien ran down the pitch in celebration. Mathew Amoah added the second four minutes later.
In the capital Accra, cars honked horns as people gathered in streets and in bars, cheering their team.
"This is the best weekend in Ghana football, South Africa beaten, and now Ghana wins today," said Bernard Kodua, a teacher, 31. "This is just great, just great. I am going to apply for my German visa tomorrow morning," he said, anticipating his team will head to Germany for the World Cup.
Taxi driver Akwasi Manu, 40, said: "Michael Essien is the best footballer in the world. He's taken us in Ghana where we have never been before."
GREAT MOMENT
Coach Ratomir Dujkovic summed up the crowd's feelings: "This is a very, very great moment for all Ghanaians," he said after the match. "This is the first World Cup for Ghana and for me as well."
Ghana are three points clear at the top of the African zone group two standings and can only be caught by the Democratic Republic of Congo.
But it would take a huge swing in goal difference on the last day of qualifiers on October 8 to deny Ghana's Black Stars.
In Togo, thousands of fans followed the bus carrying the victorious Eperviers team into town from the stadium in Lome after they beat Liberia 3-0.
"I am very happy for les Eperviers, they have become our ambassadors and we are going to show what we are capable of doing in Germany," said a young man who gave his name as Jeannot, 25, outside the main stadium.
Togo are two points clear of Senegal at the top of the standings and face fifth-placed Mali in their last match in Lome next month.
Scenes of jubilation also erupted in Cameroon's capital Yaounde after the Indomitable Lions beat Ivory Coast's Elephants in Abidjan 3-2.
Cameroon will qualify if they beat Egypt at home on October 9 and the fans are confident.
"Nothing can stop us again. We are already in Germany in 2006," Emmanuel Chi shouted as he stepped out of a bar, leading a group of 25 bare-chested youths through the Essos neighbourhood as they beat broken vehicle parts on pots and pans in celebration.
Thousands of people poured into the streets, including women with young babies strapped to their backs.
At the Chapel Essos neighbourhood a group of Salomon Olembe supporters blocked the road with crates of beer and danced round in circles in honour of the Indomitable Lions.
"Bring us more beer," a man of about 45 ordered, pulling bank notes from his pockets and inviting passers-by for a free drink.
More sombre scenes occurred in Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan, where many Ivorian fans left the Felix Houphouet Boigny stadium in tears.
Other angry home supporters descended on to the pitch to congratulate Cameroon on their win then blocked the exit and were still refusing to leave well over an hour after the game ended, demanding a chance to scold their players.
Florent Lezou, secretary-general of the Elephants supporters club, said: "Today, I'm convinced that Cameroon are the best team in Africa. We can't blame our players because Cameroon are a strong team."
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