Patriotism is not about being blindly nationalistic and “foolishly” loving what belongs to ones nation even when those things are not worth loving.

Patriotism has everything to do with loving ones nation and being prepared to die for ones nation for a good cause.

True patriots live and die by principles that stand tall and not by principles that walk on their heads.

That is why though I am a Ghanaian through and through, those of us who are true patriots and not blind followers of the Black Stars, cannot hide the fact that the 4-2 victory of the Stars against the Squirrels of Benin is nothing but a stinking victory.

For those who believe in the Machiavellian approach to human existence, they would say that the end justifies the means and so once the Stars won, we should love the victory and forget about how we came by the victory.

Maybe if Nicolo Machiavelli had the chance to watch last Wednesday’s match, he would have taken a second look at his philosophy.

What happened last Wednesday was nothing short of a disgraceful display of what not to do as far as the game of football is concerned.

With millions of football-loving Ghanaians glued to their sets and with thousands in the stands, I don’t think that the Black Stars did anything to make us proud.

And to think that it was the Ohene Djan stadium that played host to that display of disgraceful anti football skills, the soccer administrator of blessed memory should be tossing and turning in his grave since his “home” was desecrated.

How Michael Essien continued to be on the pitch after that barbaric attack of his, may end up in the Guinness Book of world records.

How the referee allowed such act of gross savagery, is something that only the referee can understand.

Essien’s savage act is a classical example of premeditated attack on a fellow footballer.

Wasn’t it surprising that after that act of savagery, Essien did not show any sign of remorse but rather had the effrontery to engage in a war of words with the referee, and went to the sidelines to engage in a verbal tussle with one of the referee’s assistants?

Obviously, the Chelsea star was an ego trip and was not about to be stopped on his egoistic journey.

And when you have a referee who was scared to interpret the laws of the game to the letter, why would we not have egomaniacs and not footballers on the field of play?

What that referee failed to do, a professional referee who does not give a toss about the bank account of Essien, stamped his authority on the game in the English Premiership and showed Essien a red card over the weekend for another act of gross indiscipline.

Indeed, Essien was not only shown the red car, but has been banned from the pitch for three matches.

We play the ostrich in Ghana; others elsewhere keep their heads in the skies.

Who knows, if that referee had done the right thing on Wednesday, Essien would have landed his ego plane on some tarmac, and would not have crush landed over the weekend.

When we sit down and allow people to go scot-free because they are supposed to be superstars, we end up doing nothing but behaving like a headless ostrich trying to bury its head in the sand.

John Mensah, was another player who was obviously more interested in massaging his ego than playing football.

It was quite clear that after enjoying themselves to the full at La Palm Royal Hotel, the boys were not mentally ready for the game and when the Squirrels begun to draw circles around them, instead of facing the task headlong like true professionals, they behaved like some spoilt brats and allowed their emotions to get the better part of them.

As for Junior Agogo’s goal, the least said about it the better.

A clip of that goal should be sent to all soccer academies around the world for budding footballers to know what it is like to score and offside goal.

Such a goal is scored and seasoned commentators scream in delight. Gee!!! Is that how desperate we were for a goal?

On the night, I would have done anything to become a Beninios because the Squirrels came out tops in every sense of the word.

They were a more composed side; they played like a team and most importantly, they played like true professionals, respecting the rules of the game and not behaving as if they were in some animal kingdom where rules don’t apply.

In a serious tournament with serious minded officials interpreting the rules to the letter, it would never have been possible for the Black Stars to get away with their unacceptable ways.

For sure, the Stars would have ended up with a least a man, if not two, short of the allowed 11.

Let them carry such an attitude into CAN 2008 and see if they would be tolerated.

As for Le Roy’s talk about the gross indiscipline of his boys being nothing but human failing, all I can say is, hmm!!!

When a player of Essien’s stature charges into another player like a ravaging bull at a rodeo, that is supposed to be normal? Yoo I hear!

Thank God that skipper Stephen Appiah admitted that he was not mentally conditioned for the game. I just hope that his tacit admission would make him reflect on what happened last Wednesday and get him to reorganize the mental makeup of himself and his teammates before CAN 2008.

Those guys are not only footballers; they are ambassadors of the nation that is why we must at all times expect nothing but the highest forms of proper conduct from them.

To err is human but …

There is nothing patriotic in supporting what happened last Wednesday that is why I would not allow myself to be drowned in any contrived victory because that victory stinks to the high heavens.

Am I a true patriot? Yes I am.

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.