BAGHANA BAGHANA: THE TRIUMPHANT EXIT AND ENTRY OF THE BLACK STARS

Although they did not make it to the semi final of the 2010 World Cup, thanks to a Luis Suarez hand ball and Asamoah Gyan unfortunate penalty miss, the Black Stars of Ghana were given a welcome befitting of only World Cup champions on Sunday, July 4 at Soweto’s Melrose Arch. The Black Stars players and coaching staff were treated to a victory parade worthy of World Cup champions all the way from their Protea Hotel base through the streets of Soweto and then to Melrose Arch. There, many more fans had been patiently waiting for their arrival. Ghana is the third African team, after Cameroon and Senegal, to reach the quarter final stages of the FIFA senior World Cup.

Fondly called BaGhana BaGhana after being ‘adopted’ by their teeming South African fans, the Rainbow nation showed them how proud they were of the West African team’s quarter final placing as thousands of fans turned out on the streets of Soweto all the way to Melrose Arch, where the team finally alighted to a rousing welcome by more fans, mostly youths. They had been waiting for hours just to see their darling African team of the 2010 World Cup.

The hours’ long ceremony was a victory paraded of sorts as the Black Stars convoy had full South Africa Police escort, with thousands of fans lined up the highway, just to catch a glimpse of their newest African heroes. It was a spectacular sight to behold as the players and coaching staff were treated to a reception befitting of royalty. With many screaming the names of Asamoah Gyan, Andre Ayew, Kevin Prince-Boateng and others, you would think Ghana had just won the 2010 World Cup trophy. “Prince! Prince! Prince!” some of the female fans screamed trying to get the attention of Black Stars defender, Kevin Prince Boateng. A couple of them were unrelenting until Boateng finally waved at them. You would think it was a musical concert featuring the likes of Jay Z, Beyonce or Alicia Keys. Occasional screams of the different Black Stars players rented the air as the excited crowd cheered when Kwesi Nyantakyi, president of Ghana Football Association, introduced the team and coaching staff on the podium. Although the likes of Sulley Muntari, who scored the only goal in the quarter final loss, and Stephen Appiah were absent for unexplained reasons. While Gyan danced to the delight of the fans when he was introduced to the crowd. Interesting, that looks like he had gotten over the penalty miss. Good for him. Andre Ayew, Black Stars midfielder and son of the legendary Abedi Pele, said that despite the penalty miss, they were fully behind Gyan. “It is part of the game. He is a top striker and we want him to be a top striker, and one of the biggest African strikers. We have confidence in him because he does a lot of work for us. The least we can do for him is to help him express himself in scoring more goals,” said Ayew.

Popular Ghanaian high life musicians like C.K. Mann, and Natbrew also dished out scintillating performances at the occasion. “Thank you, South Africa, thank you, Africa!” exclaimed Akua Sena Dansua, Ghana’s Minister of Youth and Sports, obviously delighted at the show of appreciation from the teeming crowd. “I would also like to use this opportunity to thank his Excellency, the Mandiba, Nelson Mandela, and Winnie Mandela...the people of South Africa will always be on our minds. We love you. We thank you very much,” she said. For Ayew, it was an unforgettable moment to see the amazing show of appreciation from South African people. “I was in the stands because I was suspended against Uruguay. And I saw how the supporters, the whole South Africa were behind us and we cannot thank them enough. We can only tell them that we are disappointed that we couldn’t make it. But then, we are happy for reaching the next stage. We are happy that we gave our best. It’s because we gave our best, that’s why they have supported us like this. We just have to thank them hugely,” Ayew told me the next day, on their way back to Accra, where another rousing reception awaited them.

For their impressive quarter final showing, the Ghanaian government later announced that members of the team, the coach and assistant, were to receive $20,000 each and national honours as reward for their performance in South Africa. For many of their teeming fans across Africa, it is a reward well deserved.  Go BaGhana BaGhana! Africa is proud of your performance in South Africa 2010 (Super Eagles, shay una dey hear?).