More than 500 football fans stranded at the El-Wak stadium here in Accra are expected to be airlifted to South Africa tonight to cheer on the Black Stars. Deputy Local Government Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah tells Joy News he is hopeful the fans, who have been at the stadium since last Wednesday, will finally be flown out tonight. They were initially asked to go to home after government said it had ferried some 1000 supporters to South Africa already and ruled out any possibility of airlifting more fans. But officials say some well-wishers and corporate organizations have assisted to fly the stranded fans out. Some of the fans who spoke to Joy News are however pessimistic about the assurance of being airlifted today. "They've been saying it; I cannot say I believe it totally because it could be a political talk but I am very, very confident to go," one fan told Joy News on Monday. The airlifting comes after an earlier directive from government urging the fans to return home. Deputy Sports Minister Nii Nortey Dua told the press government had already planed a number of fans to cheer on the Stars and that people left stranded may either have to return home or find an alternative to fly to South Africa. Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana