Sports News of Friday, 25 March 2022
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2022-03-25Five reasons every Ghanaian must support the Black Stars to beat Nigeria
Over 40,000 supporters will storm the Baba Yara Stadium to support Ghana
GhanaWeb Feature
Five reasons every Ghanaian must support the Black Stars to beat Nigeria
The curse of the 2014 World Cup debacle is still following the Black Stars with Ghanaians yet to overcome the betrayal handed them by the players and officials at the world stage.
Utterances from past and current GFA officials as
Read full articlewell as players of the Black Stars have done little to sway Ghanaians from their antagonistic feel about the Black Stars to a sympathetic one.
The horrendous showing at the 2021 AFCON and subsequent comments by GFA officials did little to repair the damage that was created in 2014 but a game against Nigeria presents another opportunity to re-work the scripts with respect to the relationship between Ghanaians and the Black Stars.
Below are five reasons GhanaWeb believes Ghanaians must support the Black Stars
It is Nigeria
That Ghana vs Nigeria is the most discussed fixture of the five playoff matches speaks volumes about the kind of match that awaits fans.
It is okay for the Black Stars to lose against any team on the globe but certainly not against Nigeria, especially in a game where everything is at stake.
A victory for Nigeria throws the bragging right on everything including the jollof debate to the Nigerians and no Ghanaian would want that.
Plus, football-wise, Nigeria is nowhere near Ghana so yes, for once, let's bury our animosity about the Black Stars and help them beat Nigeria.
Football offers an escape from the economic struggles
The escapism concept offered by football is what has made billions across the globe hooked on it like some opium.
In the world, especially Ghana, no sport offers much excitement and relief than football. Football provides an opportunity for people to at least for two hours forget about their worries.
From the president’s own admission, there is no denying the fact that Ghana is going through hardship and if one needed an outlet from the never-ending hikes in transport and fuel prices and other issues, Ghana vs Nigeria is the best route.
Ghana cannot afford to miss out on another World Cup
Forget 2014 and exhort your minds to the absolute ecstasy the 2006 and 2010 World Cup brought to you and your home.
Remember when you poured on the street to jam to Grace Ashy’s Black Stars song. Remember when you almost teared up with excitement after that Asamoah Gyan shot hit the ball at the back of the net at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Yeah, fellow Ghanaians, these should push you to support the team.
You see how dry it was to follow the 2018 World Cup because there was no Black Stars? That is exactly how it will feel if we miss out on another one.
The World Cup is an assembly of the world’s best footballing teams and Ghana as the Brazilian of African Football cannot miss out.
Economic and sporting value of World Cup
The Ashanti Regional Minister courted controversy recently when he said on Kessben FM that qualifying for the World Cup will present an opportunity for some Ghanaians to travel to Qatar and seek greener pastures.
People took him on but the fact is that there is some level of truth in there. We can deal with the nuances later but almost everyone with knowledge about major sporting events will attest to this. Even the FIFA president alluded to this recently in a FIFA conference.
Again, by qualifying for the World Cup, Ghana is guaranteed $12million which if well invested could turn around the fortunes of Ghana football.
Let us not forget about the local economy of booming sales of replicas jerseys and Black Stars merchandise.
The need protect ‘fortress’ Baba Yara
That the two biggest clubs in the country claim Baba Yara Stadium as their ‘home’ grounds should tell you about how strategic and crucial Baba Yara is to Ghana football.
Baba Yara Stadium is the home of Ghana football and it is important that we guard it with all our might. For this reason, you must, as a Ghanaian, support the team.
God bless our homeland Ghana, God bless the Black Stars of Ghana with victory over Nigeria
Author: Perez Erzoah-Kwaw
