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Monday, June 30, 2014

Is the Ghana Blackstar Really the Hope of Africa?

Article by: Kwabena Brako-Powers, Author (Lost Leadership Conscience)

The game football in a typical West African country embodies the spirit and unity of the people. Persons who give themselves up for such service get hailed than Presidents and Government functionaries. This has been possible due to the special role football and footballers play in a given country. They fill the void that national and divisive politics in Africa causes bringing an untold hardship on its citizens. From Lome to Dakar, Lagos to Accra, Monrovia to Abidjan sewing Ouagadougou into its fold, football evokes such a strong patriotism that politics could not.

In the case of Ghana, the small West African giant has played second to none when it comes to football. Though the Ghana Blackstar has good rating continent wise and internationally, playing at the world stage has been a mirage of hope. However, Ghana made it through to the Germany 2006 to the toast and excitement of football lovers. It was like December in July across the entire country which saw programs upon the other held to solicit funds in support of the national team. The country qualified at a time when national politics has been marred by greed, corruption, foul language, vindictiveness, political witch-hunting and irresponsibility on the part of both the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the strongest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The presence of the negative tendencies on the part of the political players brought disunity on national issues and grass-root tribal bickering.

The name of the country making to the list of FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 group of qualifying countries was a joy sharer. Replicas of both the team’s attire and national flag decorated mansions and squatters dotted in the country. Vehicles, bicycles, and street light poles were not left out in the moment of national excitement. Songs in support of the national team were composed by genius musicians as a token appreciation of their love for the team for vibrating the name of Ghana at the international stage. It’s remarkable to note that, it was during this time that the idea of a national supporters union got birthed. The million dollar questions were that; how best could we organize our force in support of the Ghana Blackstar at the world stage? How possible could we demonstrate to the world that we are one people? Also, in which medium could we remind the Blackstar of the support and love of Ghanaians back home? The formation of the various national supporters union became the singular answer to the above questions. The world saw us in terms of the size of our country in the course of the tournament, but we saw ourselves in terms of our hopes and spirit. We are bigger than what the world chose to see. They saw themselves giant over ants but we saw David defeating Goliath. They played but we delivered. The Ghana Blackstar stunned the world with its extra-ordinary performance in its World Cup debut in 2006 that saw it in the round of 16 and in South Africa 2010 which witnessed a bolster in our performance. We became the hope of Africa when all else failed in the continent during the South Africa 2010 though we disappointed the over 1 billion supporters in the continent at the end.


Today, we couldn’t even make it to the round of 16 in FIFA Brazil 2014 due to some underhand dealings and issues that we failed to address when they were seeds. Ghana Blackstar is down yet that does not means the hope of Africa is shuttered. We are never the hope of Africa as we saw in ourselves during South Africa 2010. The truth is that, we represent the channel for the hope of Africa to be unearthed. The hope of Africa is passion. It’s passion that brings afro-patriotism, respect for human rights and citizenry, accountability, incorruptibleness and truthfulness for the course of the continent. Passion took us to Germany 2006, South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014 however; it’s the lack of it thereof that is bringing the team of Africa home. Ghana, Cameroun, and Cote d’Ivoire are heading home because unlike the European countries, we bowed in to greed and gave it the opportunity of clouding our passion and love for the continent. Yet the hope of Africa is still in Brazil 2014. The Super Eagles of Nigeria and Desert Fox of Algeria have in them the hope of Africa. They have passion and that’s what the over 1 billion supporters in the continent are looking for. 

Go Super Eagles of Nigeria, Go Desert Fox of Algeria. Know that we are solidly and unwaveringly behind you in this time. Go Passion. Go Team Africa. 

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