TONIGHT is a glorious night. It is the night everybody has been waiting for with bated breath. It is a momentous occasion for Ghana and Africa and we simply cannot fail to make history.
On African soil in the Soccer City Stadium tonight, the Black Stars have the finest opportunity to rewrite the history of African football in the FIFA World Cup tournament which came into being some 80 years ago.
Indeed, as the 11 young men line up for their quarter-final duel against Uruguay, one thing will be uppermost in their minds — to improve upon the previous best mark achieved first by Cameroun in 1990 and equalled by Senegal in 2002 by booking a place in the semi-final round of the competition.
Looked at from any angle, the task facing the Black Stars is quite Herculean. The fact is that the Uruguayans are very formidable. Not only have they won the tournament on two occasions — in 1930 and 1934 — but also the current team boast some quality players, including the deadly striking duo of Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan who, so far, share five goals between them in the ongoing tournament.
And come to think of it: On a night when it matters most, the Black Stars will be without their inspirational winger, Dede Ayew, who is serving a one-match ban, having attracted two yellow cards in the course of the tournament.
But whatever it is, the Black Stars must not allow the absence of the creative and influential player to impact negatively on their performance. As they have done on many occasions, the DAILY GRAPHIC expects the players to once again draw on their inner strengths and keep their focus on the mission ahead.
In football, many gloomy situations have always been changed into glorious moments by the determination, dedication and devotion of the men at the centre of the drama and given the huge motivation the Black Stars are currently enjoying, the DAILY GRAPHIC strongly believes they will not allow the South Americans to stand in their way and dream of moving to the next stage of the tournament.
We are happy that the entire continent and Africans in the Diaspora, have thrown their weight behind the Ghanaians. In South Africa, for instance, local officials of the governing party are said to be distributing Ghanaian flags to fans for tonight’s duel, while the team has been urged to change its name to ‘Black Stars of Africa’ or ‘BaGhana, BaGhana’.
Fortunately, the importance of the occasion is not lost on any member of the team. It is also good to learn that the players have not become swollen-headed or over-excited as the match approaches.
But, above all, the DAILY GRAPHIC is proud that discipline and unity have been the hallmark of the team since they made their debut in the tournament in Germany in 2006.
Indeed, Skipper Stephen Appiah summed it all up when he said, “The atmosphere here is wonderful. The way we talk to and the respect we have for one another is amazing. We practise together, laugh together, do everything together. In fact, you can't even see the difference between the junior players and the senior ones. That's the secret; that’s our greatest weapon. It's the nicest thing about this team."
Surely, no motivation can be greater than that; no wonder the team’s confidence has been rising match after match. Our prayer and our hope are that tonight they will reach greater heights by putting the icing on the cake for a semi-final berth — which will be a fitting reward for their fighting spirit and tenacity.
Black Stars, ‘KINA KO-O-O-O’ (it is our time).
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