Ghana president John Atta Mills says the country's World Cup players will be given national honours and $20,000 ($A23,829) each after making Africa proud with their performance in South Africa.

Mills told players "you did not win the World Cup but, through your performance, you carried high the flags of not only Ghana but Africa."

Former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan, who is from Ghana, wrote in a letter to the team that millions were "heartbroken" after the quarterfinal loss to Uruguay in a penalty shootout.

Annan wrote "while you lost the game, you came out winners."

Ghana was denied victory when a blatant hand ball prevented a goal in the final seconds of extra time. Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty.

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