Unconvincing Ghana? Who cares?
Unconvincing Ghana? Who cares?
Posted: 2012-02-07 21:52
Some say it is down to luck, others say it is down to efficiency. Whatever it is, Ghana is in the semi-final of the Africa Cup of Nations, with the opportunity to reach their second straight Nations Cup final. It means the chance to get rid of that 30-year wait is still on.
But that is for later if the Black Stars manage, as most Ghanaians desperately hope, to get the better of Zambia in the semi-final meeting.
Ghana have had to carry the unconvincing tag throughout this 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. The football we are told is not fun. Ghana's retort has been win first and worry about excitement later.
And it is a policy that has worked well even if sometimes the manner of the victory has left to sharp rises in people's tempreture. Tunisia made life difficult for Ghana in the quarter-final. They hurried, they play acted, they played some good football. Yet they barely tested Adam Kwarasey in the Ghana posts and it was Ghana who had the more clear cut opening.
It's been very much the story of Ghana's tournament. Nothing spectacular. But very efficient. And that is why all this talk of unconvincing is water off a duck's back in many places here.
Truth is Ghana has gone through it's recent purple patch in an efficient manner always against the back drop of heavy scepticism and predictions that have always gone off the mark. In 2006 according to the experts many of who get to see Ghana play once in a while the Black Stars were not meant to qualify for the World Cup.
Ghana did, Ghana reached the second round, the only African country to do that when we were told Italy, Czech Republic and the USA then all ranked in the top 10 football nations in the world were going to prove too difficult. Two wins and one loss was not a bad return.
In 2010 there were those prepared to bank on Mali ahead of Ghana. It proved to be the easiest qualifying campaign I have ever covered. When Ghana Germany, Australia and Serbia in the same group, we were told getting out would be a bridge too far. Ghana reached the quarter-finals.
Earlier that year at the Nations Cup, Ghana was not supposed to be good enough. Ghana reached the final beating hosts Angola and Nigeria in the process.
In 2012 there is not the same level of skepticism but there is a sense in Ghana that too many times, what this country strives to do on the football field is downplayed by a lot of those watching. It has not mattered that Ghana has had arguably the tough path to the semis. Botswana beat Tunisia home and away to qualify for Afcon 2012. Mali are in the semi-finals. Guinea was tough. The scepticism has not mattered in those games and won't wont matter in the semis.
What will matter is how the players cope with the Zambia challange. Respect for the Chipolopolo amongst the Ghana team is huge. And it is genuine too. Across the country a lot of Ghanaians have admired the manner Zambia have played. Some have wished Ghana could be that exciting.
That respect for Zambia goes way back. In 1992, it took an absolute beauty by Abedi Ayew Pele to earn Ghana a 1-0 victory at the group stages. Four years later, Zambia took bronze in South Africa at the Nations Cup at Ghana's expense.
Zambia Football Association president Kalusha Bwalya is a regular visitor to Ghana and a man renowned for what he could do with that glorious left foot. At the present Nations Cup there has been nobody like him in that Zambian set up but Chris Katongo has caught Ghanaian eye with his leadership on the field aided by a competent cast that includes deadball specialist Reinford Kalaba, the impressive Emmanuel Mayuka and Isaac Chansa whose tireless energy and work in midfield has caught the eye.
No wonder Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari says "Zambia have not been lucky, they have been very very good."
Yet all that respect won't douse Ghanaian confidence and there is plenty of it in the side. The side left Accra against a massive wave of expectation. Coach Goran Stevanovic was bold to declare he would quit if Ghana did not reach the final of the Nations Cup.
And while the football has not been pretty, the results have been what everyone will want. Four games, three wins, one draw. Whatever is said about how Ghana has been unconvincing, nothing works like winning games.
Another win will make it a second straight final. Not since the 60s when Ghana won back to back titles in 1963 and 965 and played in four consecutive finals has that happened. And not since 1982 has the trophy come back to Accra even if Ghana's overall Nations Cup record, bettered only by Egypt in terms of games played and won at the championships is admirable.
It must say something positive too about Ghana football that in the last three Nations Cup, Ghana has reached the last four. Of course that Ghana is yet to win since 1982 speaks of an inability to finish off the job which is why nothing less than the trophy will represent failure.
It is what the likes of Asamoah Gyan, Dede Ayew, Sulley Muntari and John Mensah don't want to hear. They are a generation who are fully aware that their reputations and legacies will be defined by their ability to correct what many consider an anomaly in Ghana football.
And even when they have not played well, the country has come to a standstill when they have played. From the Accra Mall, through to Oxford Street in Osu to the various parks in the regional capitals, people have downed their tools and watched. They have in typical Ghanaian style asked questioned, criticised players but after every game and every win the confidence has soared in unision with the volume of the music that has been played on the street to celebrate simple wins.
They will be hoping for another of those parties on Wednesday night. And in the immediate aftermath it won't be of concern to anyone how that will be achieved.
If it takes another battling, 'unconvincing' display as it called to get that, they will take it. Because frankly this side of the world nobody cares what the neutrals think.
: 2012-02-07 23:21
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