Guest Blogger: Christabel Ewuradjoa Dadzie
The whole week was filled with tension. I could barely sleep on Thursday night; I was totally anxious and elated (all at once) about Friday’s quarterfinal match between Ghana and Uruguay. For some strange reason, I was one of the few (maybe not) who were very afraid of the Uruguay team… so the game started. I didn’t express my lack of faith because we needed only positive energy for the Black Stars – the entire Continent was rooting for us, but deep down, my stomach churned, it almost ached. The first 15 minutes proved me right, the Uruguayans had the ball all the time, the Black Stars barely touched the ball for more than 5 secs, and when they did they didn’t do very much with it. Emmanuel who sat next to me, whispered, “they will settle shortly, don’t worry” and settle they did! For the rest of the game, up until extra time, the Black Stars pressed on, showed determination, drive, and strove for excellence… to the very last minute. I have never in my lifetime seen a Ghana Black Stars team play until the very end like this team did. Even when the Maestro Abedi Pele led our team, we would usually give up right around the 87th minute and leave fate to do its own thing. That had always been my problem with our footballers, and with our country, for that matter. But this was different. These guys were spirited – they were on FIRE! They wouldn’t take no for us, they wouldn’t let the pundits have their way – the so called young and inexperienced lads pressed on and hit the ball at the post three times in three seconds, until it entered the net (or did it) in the last attempt and our wonderful opponents decided to deliberately stop it with their hands (for a second the game switched to volley ball).
Blame Asamoah Gyan all you like for our almost-win, or be like me and blame the coach who took Inkoom out of the game instead of Kojo Asamoah, or better yet, John Mensah, our dear captain, who totally shrunk at the penalty spot – the last shot that could have kept us in the game… or the referee, but let’s save that story for another day. More importantly, there is so much to learn from Ghana’s run at the World Cup. If only our country will pay attention to what just happened to us and follow suite, we’ll go very far.
The Black Stars lost their star player Michael Essien, had many players injured and were beaten mercilessly during our friendly matches prior to the World Cup. Right there and then, the most human thing would be to show up, play decent games, or pretty much give up because of a “young and inexperienced” team! But they pressed on. Game 1: Ghana-Serbia (we played the best team Serbia has had in the last 10-15 years, as my Serbian friend proudly told me)… and guess what, we won! Game 2: Ghana-Australia – we drew. I was upset! I thought we’d be out, same with Ghana-Germany (but as Emmanuel rightfully explained mathematics took us forward). Our game with Germany was superb! The guys picked up their game (the last time we met Germany, they beat us 6-1 and many of us Ghanaians were afraid of a round 2 episode of the “Bochum disaster”). Then we got to the crucial stages, and our game got even better. We pressed on, we believed in ourselves, we carried the mantle that other African countries had dropped and went on and on and on to the very last - 120th minute of the Quarter Final game.
Fellow Ghanaians, I need not belabor the point I’m making here. It is quite clear – while the Black Stars made mistakes along the way (which all humans do), they pressed on and on… and on – even when Asamoah missed the penalty, within minutes he was back to kick again! If only we would live our everyday lives in the same manner as the Ghana Blacks Stars 2010 have done, our country would be a very different place. My charge to everyone – let’s wake up each morning and tell ourselves “today has been given to me to press on and on… and on for my Country and Continent”; “I am alive today to give my quota to Mother Ghana because I am hers and she is mine, so I will work with every fiber in my being”. From the Scientists to Street Sellers, from the Ministers to Masons, if we are determined, our mistakes won’t keep us down; If we have drive and strive for excellence, our setbacks will turn into set ups. We can do this as a nation – let’s take ownership and pride in our country day-in, day-out, and reap the fruits of our own labor.
As I cry myself to sleep, since like all Ghanaians, I wanted a win and nothing less, I still have a lot of admiration for these players and choose to see the good in what happened. Thank you Black Stars, you’ve made us proud in 2010, and more importantly you’ve taught the entire nation a big lesson that, if practiced, will ensure that Ghana becomes the true beacon of Africa.
God Bless the Black Stars and God bless our homeland Ghana.
