Nation Does Africa Proud

It may sound overly pompous or perhaps even a tinge too audacious to say that the Black Stars were simply too awe-inspiring yesterday in their win over Serbia in the opening Group D match.

But Asamoah Gyan’s 85th minute penalty goal allowed a whole nation and indeed a continent to exhale in ecstasy.

What Ghanaians and the world expect of the Stars is to replicate, if not better their performance in Germany 2006. This expectation was more than delivered when in brilliant fashion Coach Milovan Rajevac’s boys outplayed a convincing Serbian side to grab all three points at stake.

Judging by their pre-tournament international friendly warm-ups against a quality-draped Holland side and a not too convincing Latvian opposition which gave them up as a team not bent on stunning the world for the second time, the win, obviously came as a confidence booster for the Black Stars.

Just like four years ago, the camaraderie and euphoria that surrounded the Black Stars in yesterday’s match was one of optimism and self-belief in the ordinary Ghanaian. The Black Stars succeeded in astounding the huge global audience, including some passion-drenched Ghanaian football fans watching the match in the comfort of their homes.

The win, was definitely a sweet-sour one for Milovan Rajevac, considering the fact he played against a fellow country man, Radomir Antic, Serbia’s coach.

With the Serbian hurdle cleared, a lot more attention will now have to be to the team’s next group match against Australia on June 19th.

Coach Milovan Rajevac and his team know that in a tournament of such a magnitude as the World Cup, anything shy of brilliance will not fetch the gold and they must do everything to get the job done against Australia. This won’t come that easy as they have an equally good opposition to contend with.

Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell’s Australia may however prove a surprise element and adding the Black Stars to their list of victims may just be another working day for in-transit coach Pim Veerbek.

Though not too blessed in quality as compared to Ghana’s rich list of youthful and talented players, the “Socceroos”, as they are called can be a handful for any team to handle.

Group favourites, Germany have been excellent in the lead up to South Africa, topping their qualifiers ahead of Russia. For a team blessed with inherent talent and an unflappable backroom coaching staff led by the veteran Joachim Low, it shouldn’t be hard to walk over the remaining three including Ghana.

It is likely they will run-riot over Australia, side-step Serbia and teach the Black Stars a lesson or two on the 23rd of June at the Soccercity in Johannesburg.

But admittedly, Tim Weise, Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose, Toni Kross and the other players in the German national team fold also know the mettle the Black Stars are made of and why their dreams of getting an inch closer to the trophy may be thwarted by Ghana, a tiny West African state.

The “Nationalmannschaft” will surely go into 23rd June’s match with a drubbing 6-1 score line recorded in Bochum some 18 years ago against Ghana, at the back of their minds, but if Ghana’s own superb all round performances years down that pitiful outing are anything to go by, then the world awaits a good game. It would be a footballing miracle if Germany, World Cup champions in earlier tournaments, were to fall to Ghana.

As the games continue to roll, Ghanaians, other than close affiliates of the players and the technical handlers will be expecting to see something extra that will surely bring in the gold to the former Gold Coast!

It will be foolhardy to suggest that the Black Stars are going to win the World Cup, the same way a first round exit will not only be pitiful but also heartbreaking to a nation in desperate need for gold/silverware after the 1963, 1965, 1979 and 1982 African Cup of Nations trophies.

As the battle lines begin to take shape, there is still some fair amount of pessimism in the air about the Black Stars’ chances in South Africa. A lot however, can change all that cynicism if the Stars pull through their remaining matches.

So far, the nation is watching and waiting to see what next,

Line up: Richard Kingson, John Paintsil, Hans Adu Sarpei, Isaac Vorsah, John Mensah, Anthony Annan, Prince Tagoe, Kevin-Prince Boateng/Lee Arday, Asamoah Gyan/ Quincy Owusu-Abayie, Kwadwo Asamoah/ Stephen Appiah, Andre Ayew  b

Subs: Daniel Agyei, Samuel Inkoom, Rahim Ayew, Jonathan Mensah, Derek Boateng, Sulley Muntari, Mathew Amoah, Dominic Adiyiah, Stephen Ahorlu