As the black stars eye the coveted African Soccer crown in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, every Ghanaian is enthusiastically supporting and whole hearted wishing our select team the best.
When a ball hits the inside of the net of our opponents we forget about our party colours and jubilate in unison. When the stars perform badly we all express our disappointed and get drowned in sorrow together. No doubt, football is a sure way of uniting us as Ghanaians. In spite of our polarised political environment, we gather and watch our stars together whilst praying the same prayer.
Supporting our national team in football is like a religion and we do it with passion without giving our political affiliations chances to shine out.
Any attempt to politicise football will be very unfortunate. We all frowned at the way the GFA was treated in the early days of this government and it has been heart warming to notice that since then at least nothing has been done publicly to resurrect our fears of an attack aimed at our football body which as I have indicated is of a national interest and nothing to do with partizan politics. When the black stars loose a match every house in Ghana gets silent. Even babies refuse to smile. Men reject the palatable dishes of their wives. Young men get furious. The drunk further drink their heads off in frustration. But when we win, quarrels in homes are settled easily. Angry husbands smile surprisingly to their wives. Children jump and get chirpy on our streets. The Youth sometimes take it too high ending up in even deaths. And even those unfortunate accidental deaths never stop the jubilation.
The Hon Minister For Youth and Sports statement in Gabon had the tendency of turning the national teams' teaming supporters against each other on partizan lines. It must be condemned in the strictest terms. It was very wrong for him to have openly politicise what naturally unites all of us as Ghanaians.
He was being asked why at this age money will still be carried in portfolio to be paid to the stars in cash there in Gabon and instead of facing the heat of the paces we are making backwards. He said “Winning the trophy will not only enhance our chances as government, but also give the whole nation a breather from the political tension in the country presently".
Meaning the most important thing to him is that it will enhance their chances as a government and then the aspect of cooling the political tension will come second.
Enhancing his government's chance is completely unfortunate, unwarranted and out of place. Ghana winning the trophy will not be because of something special about the NDC neither will loosing it be the doing of the government of this day. If football could enhance political chances, Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Gen Ignatius Kutu Acheampong will have been life presidents of Ghana as their commitment and contribution to football stands tall amongst all. Or maybe NPP could have been in power by now being the first to send us to the world cup and considering the tremendous changes their leadership has brought into the game. Their recruits into the game are still spear heading our national teams.
It will be expedient to allow football to continue to be one of the central points where we can stay round the same table and share smiles whilst drinking from the same cup especially the African cup if God willing it is brought home.
The government can enhance his chances by bringing back the fuel subsidies. Their chances will be brighter by admitting that the raid on GFA was a big mistake. Their brighter chance will have been more visible if they were not seen as the ones who were forcing personalities on the GFA for a position in CAF. They could enhance their chances by telling Ghanaians the truth about the Woyome fraud. Their chances will be as bright as anything if the hardship on Ghanaians are reduced.
Football will continue to be our passion but not a forest under which any government can hide his under-performance.
Go black stars go. Ghana is whole behind you.
God bless our homeland Ghana.
Noah Dugubrame Asare. Frankfurt, Germany.
As the black stars eye the coveted African Soccer crown in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, every Ghanaian is enthusiastically supporting and whole hearted wishing our select team the best.
When a ball hits the inside of the net of our opponents we forget about our party colours and jubilate in unison. When the stars perform badly we all express our disappointed and get drowned in sorrow together. No doubt, football is a sure way of uniting us as Ghanaians. In spite of our polarised political environment, we gather and watch our stars together whilst praying the same prayer.
Supporting our national team in football is like a religion and we do it with passion without giving our political affiliations chances to shine out.
Any attempt to politicise football will be very unfortunate. We all frowned at the way the GFA was treated in the early days of this government and it has been heart warming to notice that since then at least nothing has been done publicly to resurrect our fears of an attack aimed at our football body which as I have indicated is of a national interest and nothing to do with partizan politics. When the black stars loose a match every house in Ghana gets silent. Even babies refuse to smile. Men reject the palatable dishes of their wives. Young men get furious. The drunk further drink their heads off in frustration. But when we win, quarrels in homes are settled easily. Angry husbands smile surprisingly to their wives. Children jump and get chirpy on our streets. The Youth sometimes take it too high ending up in even deaths. And even those unfortunate accidental deaths never stop the jubilation.
The Hon Minister For Youth and Sports statement in Gabon had the tendency of turning the national teams' teaming supporters against each other on partizan lines. It must be condemned in the strictest terms. It was very wrong for him to have openly politicise what naturally unites all of us as Ghanaians.
He was being asked why at this age money will still be carried in portfolio to be paid to the stars in cash there in Gabon and instead of facing the heat of the paces we are making backwards. He said “Winning the trophy will not only enhance our chances as government, but also give the whole nation a breather from the political tension in the country presently".
Meaning the most important thing to him is that it will enhance their chances as a government and then the aspect of cooling the political tension will come second.
Enhancing his government's chance is completely unfortunate, unwarranted and out of place. Ghana winning the trophy will not be because of something special about the NDC neither will loosing it be the doing of the government of this day. If football could enhance political chances, Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Gen Ignatius Kutu Acheampong will have been life presidents of Ghana as their commitment and contribution to football stands tall amongst all. Or maybe NPP could have been in power by now being the first to send us to the world cup and considering the tremendous changes their leadership has brought into the game. Their recruits into the game are still spear heading our national teams.
It will be expedient to allow football to continue to be one of the central points where we can stay round the same table and share smiles whilst drinking from the same cup especially the African cup if God willing it is brought home.
The government can enhance his chances by bringing back the fuel subsidies. Their chances will be brighter by admitting that the raid on GFA was a big mistake. Their brighter chance will have been more visible if they were not seen as the ones who were forcing personalities on the GFA for a position in CAF. They could enhance their chances by telling Ghanaians the truth about the Woyome fraud. Their chances will be as bright as anything if the hardship on Ghanaians are reduced.
Football will continue to be our passion but not a forest under which any government can hide his under-performance.
Go black stars go. Ghana is whole behind you.
God bless our homeland Ghana.
Noah Dugubrame Asare. Frankfurt, Germany.