Ghana Won’t Soon Be Forgotten Here

In the afternoon hours when normal people, you know, work, only seven or eight of us sat in the Africa Centre Tuesday to say farewell.

It’s a beer-less culture center, not a beery pub, so that might’ve helped keep the chairs mostly empty in the little auditorium with the TV showing Ghana’s exhilarating Black Stars in their denouement against Brazil.

We knew it would be their denouement because Brazil’s Roberto Carlos, brandishing the modesty that helps make Brazil the most dazzling force on earth, had assessed Ghana’s chances: “No chance.”

Not to sob. As the Black Stars had clambered through the group stage and out into the final 16 as Africa’s last chance, they had taught us much.

We learned Ghana sits between the Ivory Coast, Togo, Burkina Faso and the Atlantic, which for American citizens violated various ordinances forbidding their capacity to find places on maps. We learned this former British colony -- former British colonies should start their own perpetual World Cup group -- has 22 million people, slightly less land than Oregon and a life expectancy of 59 years.

Not to mention newfound joy. We heard of delirious celebrations in cities like Accra, Ghana’s capital on the coast, or Bolgatanga along the northern border, or Koforidua, where torrential rains didn’t curb joy.

Ghanaian leaders suggested citizens pray and even fast for the team. Some cities held carnivals. President John Agyekum Kufuor repeatedly called the team with gratitude. The parliament wore the national colors. The president of Liberia closed her government for the day. Kenyans celebrated.

Officials from Nigeria, Togo and Senegal sent official good wishes. A Saudi prince donated $100,000 to Ghana’s soccer program.

So we sat there in London, some of us more edified than before, and we watched some things inevitable and some things moving.

Inevitable: Brazil won per its mastodon custom, 3-0, making it 11 consecutive victories across two World Cups and a 22-2-1 record across four. Ghana’s Michael Essien, one of 15 World Cup players on 10 different rosters employed at Chelsea of the English Premier League (as opposed to the 16 on 11 teams from Arsenal), sat out Tuesday’s game with the red card from the victory over the United States.

Moving: Ghana played beautiful soccer.

As we watched the second half, one fan complained about Ghana’s insufficient shooting prowess, proving that wherever you go on earth and however invigorating the story, you’ll always find at least one guy out of seven who can provide advice to the team.

At the end, everybody got up to leave. In Ghana, wire services were interviewing fans who were blaming the referee, a bona fide show of global arrival. Thoughts maybe turned to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. But just as the Brazilians and the Black Stars exited the stadium in Dortmund, ITV broadcasters in Britain briefly stopped talking about the mighty quarterfinalists and acknowledged Ghana’s exhilarating contributions to its first World Cup.

Seven or eight people spontaneously applauded.

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Name that team

With the departure of the last African team also goes the tournament’s most colorful nicknames. The nicknames of the five African teams in this year’s tournament, along with five other African powers:

Angola ... Black Antelopes

Cameroon ... Indomitable Lions

Ivory Coast ... Elephants

Ghana ... Black Stars

Morocco ... Atlas Lions

Nigeria ... Super Eagles

Senegal ... Teranga Lions

South Africa ... Bafana Bafana (The Boys)

Togo ... Sparrow Hawks

Tunisia ... Carthage Eagles

Source: africansoccer.com