WAY TO GO GHANA BLACK STARS

I’m not a football fanatic; not even when the national football team, the Black Stars is playing a game. However, I find myself in a house where everyone is keen to watch any Black Star match; but for my dad whose heart was broken after Asamoah Gyan missed a goal in the 2010 World Cup.

Usually, I will just sit in the corner of the living room or take to social media to read what other “commentators” and “referees” will have to say about the match; be it in favour of Ghana or not. Occasionally, I will only jump to scream along with my family and neighbours anytime there was a goal.

This year’s AFCON 2013 is no different from previous ones I have barely watched and in my opinion, the Stars did their best to justify their inclusion in the game until they were beaten at penalties by the Burkinabe counterparts.

Initially, I was glad I was going to miss this game because I would be in a lecture room at the time the game began. However, this lecturer who thought he was doing us good by giving us the evening off, I presume has done us more harm as some of us were compelled to sit through the 120 minutes of the heartbreaking game.

As I sat in the sofa beside my sister, all I could see myself doing was ranting and putting unnecessary pressure on my heart. At a point when Ghana’s goal keeper, Fatau Dauda nearly missed a save, the next minute, I found myself in the loo.

Over the past few weeks, following the elections, the atmosphere in Ghana has been a calm one with not much to celebrate about mainly because the election results are being challenged in the court of law by the leading opposition party who feel they have been cheated by the Electoral Commission.

The AFCON 2013 came as a relief as football has been noted to be the passion of the nation which brings us together as one people, one nation with one purpose. The win for Ghana and finally a place in the finals would have at least brought hope to many football fanatics owing from the fact that the national team has not been able to bring home the cup after the last one was one some 31 years ago.

This defeat has left many heart broken. And as I turned to social media to read the commentaries of my friends, I could not help but take interest in ones such as “Those who conspired and drop Ayew brothers can now heave a sigh, n GNPC, please come account for our oil money that was spent on the Stars n what we have in coffers now.” GNPC (Ghana National Petroleum Corporation) was the headline sponsor of the Black Stars.

Whether we place 3rd or 4th, the Stars did their best and the likes of Wakaso and Fatau Dauda are to be honoured for placing the country on that pedestal on the football pitch. The whole world I believe rallied behind Ghana and on behalf of Ghana, I want to say thank you to everyone who threw his or her weight behind us.