Despite playing catch-up following a brief stay on top of the Group D standings in the second round qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah never lost hope of reclaiming the summit.

Following their 2-0 win over Lesotho in Maseru on Sunday, the Black Stars are back in first place and one point ahead of Zambia.

It was back in June of last year when the Black Stars led the group after the opening matches but ceded their lead to Zambia in the subsequent matches.

However, the outcome of the penultimate fixtures has changed the guard at the top with Ghana, leap-frogging the Chipolopolo's.

After watching John Boye and captain Asamoah Gyan score against Lesotho to lead the group, Appiah says going on top might have come too soon though he always expected it.

“I always believed that we would be on top before we end the group but maybe it’s come so early,” the Black Stars coach said in a post game interview.

“Zambia were leading and unfortunately for them, they drew yesterday [Saturday] and we had to take advantage of coming to the top.”

The victory over Lesotho was Ghana's second away victory in ten days - after defeating Sudan 3-1 last Friday - to keep alive hopes of reaching the third-round stage of qualifying and a third consecutive World Cup appearance.

Appiah, a former Ghana captain says his players should take the credit for the job done.

“They [players] should have been on holidays but when they came back home we took them to Ethiopia to prepare. They were really determined to win these two games – Sudan and Lesotho,” Appiah said.

For the Ghana coach, who had always insisted that there is no margin for error at this stage of the campaign, his next focus, is the game against Zambia in September.

“I personally take a game as it comes and now that we are done with Lesotho, my concentration will be on our game against Zambia.

“But looking at the way we played, I believe if we continue and patch up a few mistakes, we will go very far,” he said.

Winners of the second round stage will advance to the final round where ten sides will be paired off for the final stage during October and November with the winners of the five home-and-away ties qualifying for Brazil 2014.