Ghana Lost!

I thought I would be fine if Ghana did not progress to semi-finals.  We’ve already exceeded everybody’s expectations.  But when the boys found their footing in that Uruguay match I believed.  We have a chance. The Black Stars of Africa were making history. 

And then that agonizing defeat came. First the hand of Suarez preventing what was clearly our second goal in the final minutes of overtime. That man should be banned from football altogether; a red card and sitting out one match is not enough punishment, not enough determent for future hooligans desperate to win for their country by any means necessary.  I’m sure the Uruguayans now consider him a hero.  Question is, were I Uruguayan, would I have pride in him for his “sacrifice” or horror at his cheating?

If only one could turn back time. I was still too worked up in arguing over our very clear goal when Asamoah Gyan went for the penalty kick and hit the crossbar. Asamoah Gyan?! When they called the Black Stars a team that could only score goals by penalty where were you? No penalty kick was more important than that one. I knew it was over.  Penalty shoot-outs are anyone’s game…and as it turned out, it was not for us.

My heart bleeds for the Black Stars and for Asamoah Gyan in particular. I’m still very proud of who Mandela calls the Black Stars of Africa. This time for Africa indeed. We may not have advanced to the semi-finals but we made history. Africa certainly united behind the Black Stars and it was magical.  We believed and we still believe.

2014 here we come!