HAVE WE FORGIVEN OUR STARS?

We live in a country where about ninety-five percent of the population have first class coaching and refereeing degrees, while the other five percent are women who watch football just to admire abs. The whole country lost faith in the Stars after they failed to shine in Brazil. We even got uninterested in their AFCON campaign to the extent that we weren’t even disappointed when they lost their first game against Senegal. We even criticized Algeria for causing financial loss to our state by allowing Asamoah Gyan to score a ‘mallam goal’. The Stars went on, undaunted by the about 28million bad luck wishes that followed them in their exploits. Our hopes in the Stars germinated after John Boye scored a typical Cristiano Ronaldo goal. That goal was such a beauty; perhaps more beautiful than the one he scored against us last year in Brazil. Asides the beauty of his AFCON goal, most Ghanaians were thankful that he found the right net this time around.

After the win over South Africa, a few of us were starting to believe in the Stars. They were the only entity we could believe in. We couldn’t believe in our government, economy, cedi, GTV, ECG, GWCL, NSS, MTN, education system, electoral system, examination preparations, examination results, ‘kwashey’ boys, virgin girlfriends, housemaids, ‘trotro’ drivers, laptop chargers, Accra-Kumasi road, GYEEDA, SADA, 'FADA and MADA' etc. The only way to heal the sting of these things I’ve mentioned was to turn our attention to the fire that the Stars were setting in our hopes. Our game against Guinea was a walk-over. Christian Atsu scored a stunner; the kind of goal we would see in every commercial in a few days to come. The Guineans played rough. The referee blew his whistle several times for so many Guinea fouls. We were particularly surprised to see Gabon leave in the early stages, considering the talent of Aubameyang, and the other Gabonese players who had spent all their appearance fees and bonuses on hair dyes.

We hear about ‘juju’ and corruption in the kind of football we play on our continent. The first incident was when a Guinean had a talisman around his waist. Then our own keeper (who failed to catch a single penalty at the final’s shoot-out and failed to score his single penalty) brought a Spiderman toy to the pitch in the game against Equatorial Guinea, and then sprinkled powder in his goal post during the final game. I think CAF shouldn’t allow players to be bringing all these funny symbols to games. It’s a mockery of our spirit world. If your God answers prayers, a prayer should be enough, instead of bringing mantles to the pitch. Talking about the corruption aspect, I believe CAF made a good decision by slamming a heavy fine and ban on the referee that robbed Tunisia, and Tunisia itself for taking the law into their own hands.

Ghana was confident about the Equatorial Guinea game. After bullying them with three goals, their fans shamed themselves by behaving the way NPP supporters would have behaved had the 2012 election results not been petitioned. They took only three and they got upset. Didn’t they hear of how Brazil took seven in an ‘odeyeishi’ manner? The Equatorians didn’t shame Africa; they shamed themselves. They even lost the respect neutrals had for them. Then Avram Grant’s blue Lacoste made news. In fact, it was the discovery of the tournament.  AG’s Lacoste was the only thing Nana Akuffo Addo lacked in his bids to become president. However, that’s a shirt I would like to wear when going to the exam hall, when going to check my bank account, when going to check my semester average, when launching my clothing line, when going to meet my future wife’s parents for the first time etc.

We lost at the finals. Oh yes! We did. Honorably. We lost to an equally strong opponent who haven’t been lucky since 1992. Back then (when Olele was twenty-five), we lost to our cocoa-brothers at a shoot-out. This time around, we started well, taking a two-goal lead in the shoot-out after Idris Elba (Ivory Coast’s number 11) and Wilfried Bony had ‘gyaned’ their penalties. At the end of it, it was the most-mocked at, disrespected, less motivated, less appreciated, highly criticized person in the Ivory Coast team who scored the winning penalty for the elephants, that left a dedicated Dede Ayew crying like someone had taken his lunch away from him.

It was a good tournament; one that would linger on our minds for a very long while. And kudos to Acquah, Acheampong and Razak for officially adding their names to the ‘Penalty-miss’ hall of fame, where fellows like Asamoah Gyan (once was a villain, but can now sit around the same table as Abedi, Tony Yeboah and the likes), John Mensah (who was the Rock of Gibraltar, but kicked a penalty like a toddler), and Aadiyah (who has varnished like varnishing spray). Sammy Kuffuor’s failed back-pass attempt that assisted an Iaquinta goal at the Germany 2006 WC is one I wouldn’t forget soon. Question remains; have we forgiven our stars? Well, we were thinking of doing so, but considering the unnecessary and ridiculous incentives that this confused government is showering on them, my answer is, NOT REALLY! Ohh! My lights just went off!! Ah ECG!!!

                                                                                                -TONY AFUTI EYRAM.