GHANA 2008, BIGGEST SOCCER FIESTA

THE Ghana 2008 soccer fiesta ended yesterday at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium with the final game played between Cameroun and Egypt. Egypt carried the day by beating Cameroun by one goal to nil and thus made history as the sixth- time winner of the trophy.
Indeed, it has been three weeks of an exuberant showpiece of African soccer and the players and technical men from the 16 qualifying countries must be congratulated on exhibiting the kind of soccer artistry that always places African soccer under international spotlight.
For many Ghanaians, Ghana 2008 will be a tournament worth remembering not necessarily for the pain of a semi-final exit but for the nationalism and patriotism it generated among many Ghanaians and even non-Ghanaians.
The evidence that soccer runs deep through the blood of many Ghanaians was overwhelming and even after the defeat to Cameroun, many soccer fans found their voices to cheer the Black Stars to a very fancied victory over pre-tournament favourites Cote d’Ivoire, to clinch the bronze medal.
As the euphoria gradually fades away, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to congratulate the government on giving Ghanaians the opportunity to celebrate with the rest of the continent, and indeed the world, African soccer at the highest level.
Many will agree that Ghana has played the worthy host and although there were a few organisational hitches, one can rate the tournament as being successful.
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) also needs to be commended for the very key role it played towards making the tournament an exciting and passionate one.
The LOC might have taken so much flak for the ticketing woes of soccer fans but one cannot hold that against them so much considering the fact that there were millions of soccer fans all anxious to get seats in the stadia that could seat on the average 30,000 fans.
One recalls that even developed countries such as Germany, Japan and South Korea with their high organisational efficiency had to contend with issues of ticket availability to soccer fans when they hosted the World Cup.
We believe that the necessary lessons have been learnt to ensure that in future such challenges can be addressed more effectively and efficiently.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also congratulates the Black Stars on their performance. While Ghanaians may be disappointed that the Stars could not win the diadem to make our dream of "we host to win" a reality, we wish to caution against tagging the present crop of players in the Black Stars as failures as their performance was certainly above average. This is a very youthful team that must be maintained for the future and we forcefully wish to drive home the axiom that there is victory in patience and persistence.
Ghanaian soccer fans need to recognise that these are players who also wanted the cup so much to buoy their careers and also etch their names in the halls of fame. Like mortals they have their weaknesses and rather than condemn them, soccer fans should encourage and help them to overcome their weaknesses to help build a winsome team.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also wishes to congratulate the winners of the 2008 Cup of Nations, Egypt and also urge Angolans to get themselves ready for the next continental showpiece in 2010, when they host the rest of the continent, and indeed South Africa to showcase the African experience to the globe at the FIFA World Cup in 2010.