When the AFCON 2013 was about starting, I had a lot of hope in the Black stars but as the tournament progressed my hopes dwindled not because of performance of the black stars but because of the sort of things I saw and heard at the various joints I watched the games in Accra. At these popular joints in Accra where hundreds of people gather to watch football, I heard all kinds of prayers being said for the Black stars and what really shocked me and made my hope dwindle was that, I saw a large number Ghanaians praying for the Black stars to return home without the trophy.
These Pull Him Down (Phd) prayer warriors were either Ayew sympathizers, Anti Akwesi Appiah or politically motivated. Some prayed for the Black stars to underperform to prove that the Black stars can’t perform without the Ayews, others were just praying for Akwesi Appiah to fail as the Black stars coach for reasons best known to them and the last group of people was SOME supporters of the NPP who were praying for the Black stars to fail because their party was not in power to claim the glory if the team eventually won the cup. The saddest part was when I saw people clad in our national colors shouting party slogans “e dey bee keke.”
It is common knowledge that here in Ghana, politics always divided us but when the Black stars mount the stage we all forget about our political affiliations but this time around it wasn’t so. I pitied Kwame Nkrumah and our selfless forefathers in their various graves us I witnessed all these things happen with a heavy heart.
Surprisingly enough, after the Black stars returned home without the trophy these same people were all over the place angry and reigning insults on whoever they thought was the of cause of us not winning the ultimate as if they were genuinely sorry for the Black stars not winning the trophy. The hypocrisy of the Ghanaian was on full display on our TV screens, radio and everywhere.
As for those who placed their political party colors before our national colors, I will advise them go down on their knees and pray to the whichever god that answered their prayer to forgive them and ask the same god to help stop the cycle they have put in motion before it becomes the trend.
And for those who don’t want Akwesi Appiah to succeed for reasons best known to known to them, I want them to think of Black stars failing as Akwesi Appiah fails, if they think it is cool that way then we know the kind of Ghanaians they are hence we will leave them to be, with the hope that one day they will become patriotic citizens who support the national course in either good or bad times.
Finally with the Ayews and the problems that have surfaced in the national team, I just want to ask questions a friend of mine asked which I couldn’t answer. Is it by coincidence that just as the Ayews announced their resignation from the Black stars news of Dessailey’s interest in coaching the Black stars surfaced? As for me, I will quietly continue to ponder over this question as I watch events unfold from my small corner.
GOD BLESS OUR HOME LAND GHANA
KENNETH NII YEBOAH
King_ken2@yahoo.com