By Michael Okuley
There is a reason the continent’s football governing body (CAF), loves to see the Black Stars in its flagship tournament, which is the African Cup of Nations.
Ghana is loved by many African football fans who always wish the team well. You can only experience this when you travel beyond the borders of the country to watch any tournament, whether the Black Stars are participants or not. Apart from Ghana being one of the founding fathers of this prestigious tournament, the performances of the Black Stars have attracted admiration from most football-loving fans.
Ghana became the first country to win the competition and had four glories as of the 1982 edition. The 1982 edition, hosted in Libya, was the last time the Black Stars won the tournament.
Ghana’s 33 appearances have fetched the Black Stars nine final appearances, winning just four, with the last one being 42 years ago. The team finished in the last four between 2008 and 2017, which had six tournaments. The search for the 5th AFCON glory in the ongoing tournament in Abidjan brings nothing but a memory Ghana would not want to remember, and neither would they want to repeat it. Ivory Coast has hosted the tournament just once, in 1984, when the Black Stars exited the tournament with just 2 points after winning the final group game against Malawi.
Do you remember The “Bouke Disaster,” which was coined out of the abysmal display of the Black Stars in the 1984 tournament?
The four-time champions have been desperate to win the trophy again since 2008, with a series of slogans to whip up the interest of Ghanaians to support the Stars to victory. Despite Ghana’s shambolic output in the two previous tournaments, most stakeholders are of the view that this is the opportune time for the Black Stars to lift the glittering trophy.
Prior to the tournament, many Ghanaian fans had envisaged a smooth ride for their Black Stars. In a group with Egypt, Cape Verde, and Mozambique, qualifying for the next round was not a headache for the team, despite our group stage exit in the last edition in Cameroon. However, the turn of events in Abidjan has changed the narrative, putting the Black Stars in an uncomfortable must-win situation ahead of the final group game. Ghana lost to Cape Verde, drew with Egypt, and will now face East African Mozambique.
No one expected the Black Stars to struggle in such a manner in Group B. This manageable group breathed some hope in anticipation that Ghana would qualify without breaking down sweat. The journey to the finals comes with several obstacles in the form of opposition the team will face before thinking of winning the ultimate.
Now the once purported ‘easy’ group has become a hurdle which must be cleared with grit and vigour before qualifying as one of the best 3rd place finishers. This has put Ghanaians on ice, making the AFCON adventure more scary for the West African side than expected.
Should the Black Stars advance, Ghanaians would sigh with relief, which will only last for a few days before the round of 16 commences on Saturday.
Ghana has one point, the same as Mozambique, the Black Stars next opponent, with Egypt leaving on two points, while Cape Verde have qualified for the last 16.
