Go Ghana

Tomorrow Ghana “The Brazil of Africa” takes on Brazil “The Brazil of Brazil” in what promises to be a fascinating match.

For Ghana, the Omens are good.

1. This Ghanaian team has beaten this Brazilian team before, in semi finals of the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship. That Brazillian squad was made up of players like Kaka, Maicon, Adriano, Luisao, Leo, Julio Baptista, Ricardo Oliveira all of whom are in Brazil’s squad for the match tomorrow.
2. Everyone who has followed Ghana over the years agrees on one thing. Ghana play big matches. In simple terms this mean they can beat Brazil tomorrow and then lose to Kenya two days later. That has been their undoing in the past and has made me pull my hair out many times. Look at this year. In the African Cup of Nations they were beaten by Nigeria and Zimbabwe and then a few months later they spank the Czech Republic and USA in the World Cup.
3. An unknown star always emerges in the Ghanaian camp. During the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship the stars of the Ghanaian team were Boateng and Pimpong. A quiet midfielder player called Essien hardly caught anyone’s eye. Now Essien is one of the world’s top midfielders. Look for another unknown name to rise tomorrow.
4. Population Africa: 840,000,000
   Population brazil: 186,405,000
   Tomorrow Brazil are not only playing a country they are playing a continent. The BBC reporter in Mombasa was lost for words when he tried to explain the reaction in Mombasa to Ghana’s victory over the Czech Republic. Accra and Mombasa. Two ports on opposite sides of a continent united as one. Those 650 million extra African voices have to count for something!

Go the Black Stars!

For a quick look at the history of the black Stars check out Jamie Jackson’s informative article in The Observer.

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