If revenge is anything to go by, then the Black Stars must
have only one thing at the back of their minds,- winning tonight encounter- in
to brighten their chances of qualifying to the second round in the ongoing FIFA
World Cup in Brazil.
At 19 hours GMT, Fortaleza will be the venue to host tonight
crucial encounter as the Black Stars lost their opening group game to the
United States whiles Germany comfortable sits on top after trashing Portugal in
their first game.
Already tipped to progress from the group by pundits and
connoisseurs of the football fraternity worldwide, the Germans are aware that
since the 2006 world cup where they hosted, they had found it difficult to
winning their second group games. Thus, this time around, they are leaving no
stone unturned. In the FIFA 2006 soccer fiesta, they struggled to beat Poland
by a lone goal whiles in South Africa 2010, they lost to the side Ghana had
beaten in the opening game, Serbia by the same goal margin.
Apart from the battle on the pitch, there will be family reunion
as the two half brothers, Kevin Prince Boateng and Jerome Boateng will get the
opportunity to play and meet each other after their first international meeting
on the pitch in the last tourney.
A lot of Ghanaians were not enthused with the selection brought
up by the head coach Kwasi Appiah in our first game. This time around many
soccer fans are yearning for a good selection to at least salvage a draw. Many
of the fans I have spoken with, have lost hope in the team’s prospects whiles
few die hard supporters still believe the Black Stars will go for the ultimate.
On paper, the Black Stars are considered losers, but the
fact that Costa Rica has beaten two former world champions, Uruguay and Italy,
sends strong signals to the Germans to be wary of the Black Stars. In South
Africa 2010 for instance, the Germans had to beat Ghana in the last group game
to qualify for the knock-out stage of the tournament.
The black Stars on the other hand, know that only a win
makes their chances brighter of a second round berth in the competition as they
quest to make Ghana and the rest of Africa proud once again. The streets of Accra
are somehow calm as compared to the first game where many thought the stars
would win.
Another defeat to the Black Stars does not only mean the
stars may not progress, but a record of downturn in the economic activities in
the country as football is seen as the passion of the nation. Knowing this at
the back of their minds, many Ghanaian soccer loving fans believe the stars
must go for the kill to fuel our passion. Go Black Stars, go for win.
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