Ghana’s senior national football team, Black Stars, last Saturday made the nation and the continent proud, by beating a determined and fiery United States of America (USA) side at the one-sixteenth stage of the 2010 World Cup tournament currently taking place in South Africa.

Regrettably, the continent has only Ghana in contention for the highest prize of the tournament, having progressed further to the quarter-final stage, thus equaling the highest stage ever attained by any of the continent’s countries. What is left for the Stars therefore is to rise a little above themselves, to keep Ghana’s flag, the only one representing the continent, flying highest. Having just emerged as world champions at the Under-20 level, after three successful previous outings at the Under-17 level, perhaps Ghana’s achievements in soccer has not been given the due recognition and therefore fate presents a finer opportunity for the Stars to go for glory - the glory of not just redeeming the continent but also raising the benchmark for the continent. With the support of the continent behind them, the players must feel at ease, knowing that they are on a crusade to redeem the continent’s image, following an abysmal performance of its other representatives at the World Cup as far as results were concerned. This year’s World Cup has been full of surprises, with the defending champions, a great soccer nation at that, being bundled out in the early stages.

To emerge in the final eight of a 32-nation tournament is a great achievement, but as stated earlier, they have only equaled what others on the continent had previously done.

It is the hope of The Business Analyst that the players, coach and officials of the team, all recognize the onerous responsibility they carry on behalf of the nation and continent at large and would therefore soar above themselves, rising to the skies where they belong as Stars!

Their performance so far, has brought excitement to the land and we are having a unity of purpose as a nation that could be hard to attain through any other means.

To the Stars, we say Bravo! But above all, we say Go for the glory!