The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has agreed a new three-year sponsorship deal that maintains mining firm, Gold Fields Ghana Limited, as the headline sponsor of the Black Stars.

The GFA said in a statement that the new deal, worth $3.7 million, which begins in April 2008, is a 24% increase of the previous agreement which expires in March.

GFA President, Kwesi Nyantakyi initialled for the association while Johan Botha, the managing director of the Gold Fields Ghana, who said they were pleased to continue their association with the Black Stars brand, signed for the mining firm.

Botha said: "I am pleased to announce the following negotiations with the GFA, Gold Fields Ghana is pleased to extend the sponsorship of the Black Stars with an amount of $3.7 million for a further three-year period commencing in April 2008.

"The amount represents about 24% increase in our previous packages. By this sponsorship, Gold Fields Ghana remains the headline sponsors of the Black Stars.

"As with the previous agreements, this money will be applied in the following areas, among other things; match fees and bonuses, capacity building for the Ghana Football Association, coaches' salaries and teams transport and accommodation."

According to the mining firm's managing director, it was best to seal the new sponsorship package at this time as Ghana prepared to play at the 2008 African Cup of Nations.

"Timing of this announcement could not have been better. As we know soccer is the passion of the nation, it is the nation's heartbeat and for a nation that is yearning to regain her status as the number one footballing country in Africa, we found it appropriate to dedicate the bulk of the resources voted to the national team of Ghana, the Black Stars.

"We believe the dream has been successfully shaped. It is now time to live the dream. The expectations of Gold Fields for the Black Stars are three fold; excelling at the CAN 2008 tournament, qualify and excel in CAN 2010 to be held in Angola, qualify for and excel at the World Cup to be hosted by South Africa in 2010."

Botha said Gold Fields Ghana Limited, after playing a major role in Ghana's qualification to their debut World Cup in 2006, remained hopeful of being part of another World Cup dream by Ghana.

"We believe we can qualify to the 2010 World Cup and win. To the players, I can see you tense and that's normal as we prepare to play the competition. But go out there and have some fun. We are all behind you," he said.

The mining firm has been in partnership with the Ghana Football Association since 2005.