Senegal's victory rocks Church Service

A large congregation, which thronged to Pavillion E at the Trade Fair Site in Accra to listen to Reverend Dr Kingsley Fleischer, a US-based Ghanaian evangelist, last Sunday morning was thrown into wild excitement when it learnt that Senegal, the only surviving African country at the ongoing World Cup had won their match.

Rev Ebenezer Markwei, headpastor of the Living Streams Ministries International announced the results before starting the service. The excitement that filled the room led to spontaneous jumps and shouts of wow! wow!! wow!!! from the congregation even though it was not time for dancing.

Rev Markwei said with Senegal’s feat there was every indication that the World Cup would come to Africa. He urged all Christians through the continent to pray unceasingly and support Senegal to fight to the end and possibly bring the cup to Africa for the first time.

Senegal beat Sweden by two goals to one to qualify to the quarterfinals at the ongoing Korea-Japan World Cup, courtesy Henri Camara’s extra-time sudden-death goal. Africa was represented at the world’s globular summit by Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa and Tunisia, alongside Senegal but the first four could not survive the first round.

Bush, Wade hope for US-Senegal World Cup final

WASHINGTON, June 18 (AFP) -- Slow to show much interest in the World Cup, US President George W. Bush on Tuesday shared his hopes for a United States v Senegal final with visiting Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.

"The US and Senegal, as everybody may be aware, are in the quarter-finals and the two presidents said that they look forward to the two teams possibly meeting, which, of course, would be in the finals," said Bush spokesman Scott McClellan.

Although diehard US football fans -- "soccer" fans here -- have packed bars where games are shown live from Japan and South Korea, Bush has shown little interest in the US team's stunning progress.

He called the squad to wish them luck against Mexico -- who they beat 2-0 -- and earlier declared himself "encouraged" by a 3-2 victory over Portugal in the first round. However aides have yet to disclose whether or not he watched any of their games.

"The president is fully supportive of the USA soccer team, and was encouraged by their first round victory," McClellan said after the match against Portugal. That same surprise showing led Bush's chief spokesman Ari Fleischer to comment that Bush had "noted" on the victory, remarkinh "how good the United States is at sports".

The United States next face former world champions Germany.