Soccer News of Saturday, 18 June 2005

Source: GNA

Football fans in Tamale in jubilant mood

Tamale, June 18, GNA - Football enthusiast in the Tamale Metropolis on Saturday thronged the streets of the town in a jubilant mode after the two nil victory over the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in their World Cup qualifier played in Johannesburg. The wild jubilation started soon after the second goal was scored in the dying seconds of the game, which was probably a shocker to the South Africans.

At Education Ridge area, young men who were not watching the match but having a nice time drinking off at "Sum Gbee", a drinking spot in the area jumped in jubilation and shouted when they heard of the shouts in the Metropolis. Mr. K. Maxwell, one of the jubilating fans at the Education Ridge said that even though he was happy over the team's victory, the Stars were not a team for some one to fully rely on, adding that "They are full of unpredictabilities".

At the main Tamale-Bolgatanga road, motorists started hooting their horns and exhibiting acrobatic display even before the final whistle was blown. Expressing joy to the GNA Sports in Tamale after the match, Mr. Issaku Zakari a staff of the Audit Service said, "This is the best performance so far by the Black Stars ever since the legendary Abedi Ayew stopped playing with the team". He said the performance of the team was 100 per cent satisfactory and that if the technical team maintained the players, the other teams in their zone would face the wrath of the Stars and concede more goals than happened in South Africa.

Another lady jubilant who gave her name only as Mabel said she was particularly happy because for some time now the South Africans had always been a torn in the flesh of the Ghanaians and that the victory was served as revenge in Black Stars previous defeats.

Mr. Tetteh Quao, a Beer Bar operator in the premises of the Tamale office of the GNA said the Stars had proved its skeptics wrong and urged the team not to be swollen headed over the two nil victory but to train harder for more laurels. He said what was crucial and very important for the nation now was to ensure that the Stars qualified for the World Cup for the first time "To show to the World the wonders of Ghanaian football".

Others who spoke to the GNA Sports commended the technical team of the Stars and urged them not to change the current squad because their performance had been satisfactory.

At Wa the Regional capital of the Upper West Region Soccer loving fans in the Municipality demonstrated their delight at the Black Stars victory over their South African counterparts by tooting the horns of their cars and motorbikes and jubilating on the principal streets. Others were also seen in groups in jubilant mood sitting under trees to register the joy and happiness against the win over the South Africans who some years back had remained their banana peel. Most of the drinking spots at Kambbali, a suburb of Wa were not left out of the jubilation as most of the patrons drunk, danced and shouted to the music played at the spots.

The GNA Sports team visit to KG. Spot, Maxixico Gardens and Rock Top drinking spots saw that the Ghanaian supporters were generally happy with the performance of the Black Stars and hoped they would win the only ticket for Germany 2006.

Mr Thomas Kpamah Kapiri, a student of the University of Ghana said he was so much overwhelmed by the Black Stars performance but however cautioned the not to be complacent. He said the seriousness with which they approached the South African match should be replicated in the last two matches for them to fetch the maximum six points. "My Spirit is so high because we have revenged sweetly against the South Africans by beating both home and away", he added.