If winning means so much that you have to cheat, then Ghana is better off not reaching the FIFA World Cup Semi-Finals.
At least all of the Ghanaian players, Ghanaian officials, and Ghanaian supporters can hold their heads up high. Unfortunately for World Football, the same cannot be said of the Uruguayan player who handled the ball and thereby stopped Ghana from scoring a certain goal. Worse still, the same player was not ushered down into the players tunnel and we instead witnessed what I can only describe as the shame of him celebrating the missed penalty. Heartbreaking yes, but I would rather be on the loosing side than win under these circumstances.
The behaviour of the Ghanaian athletes this evening is a credit to everyone throughout Africa and on many levels; some of which may not be understood by opposition teams that do not behave in the same manner. Shame on the winning team and shame of FIFA for allowing him to display his delight on World television. His Red Card should not stop him playing in the next round, but should equate to an expulsion by the authorities, that sends him homeward bound, not tomorrow, but today.
With Ambassadors as good as the Ghanaian Black Stars, it is no wonder that all of Africa united in a show of pan-Africanism for the Ghanaian Quarter Final clash with Uruguay. The team spirit and fair play on the pitch was matched by the broadcast of the team disembarking from the Team Bus in traditional song. There was not an iPod or MP3 player in sight. It was truly inspirational to see Hope Kept Alive as the 7.30 pm UK time Kickoff at Soccer City approached.
ITV back in the UK done the Ghanaians proud, by setting up a video link direct into the heart of Accra. Viewers in England and Wales were given the rare treat of a 'live' feed into the city and a chance for yours truly to show my wife some of the things that I experienced when I visited Accra and the surrounding area.
The Match was dedicated towards the fight against Racism. This led to an announcement by Officials and one player selected from each team. It was wonderful to see and to hear, as those that spoke are footballers and not public speakers.
It was the Red and Yellow of Ghana against the Blue, Black and White of Uruguay. Kingson kept goal for Ghana in brown instead of his usual resplendent blue and Lilac strip. Ghana snatched the lead with a superb long distance strike in the 2nd minute of extra time at the end of the first half just as the whistle was about to be blown. Some ten minutes into the second half and the equaliser was scored from an extremely well executed Free Kick. The game stayed at 1-1 and would have been 2-1 to Ghana in the very last seconds of the second period of Extra Time, if the handball on the line to stop the ball had not occurred. Ghana were unable to convert the resulting penalty and thereby seize what would have been a well deserved place in the FIFA 2010 World Cup Semi Final. Instead, Ghana went on to lose on Penalties, but won on values.
But to me, the shame was in seeing the player that handled the ball, celebrating when he should have been in the dressing room. My academic hero Norbert Elias taught at the University of Ghana. Amongst many subjects, he wrote about shame. I am confident that tonight's display, that appeared to lack any shame on the part of the player, would have been mentioned in some way. Societies have evolved, and as we evolve, it is interesting to note, that things that were once regarded as shameful, no longer count as such. Sometimes the burden is shared or adopted by the onlooker rather than the person who is directly involved. Tonight, I took on some of that burden, as Africa deserved better than to be cheated out of their rightful place in the Semi Final.
Well done team Ghana, well done the team coach, well done the Supporters. Your day will come, but please never lose sight of the fact, that it is better to have played and to have lost, than to have won at all costs. Sometimes, (and this occasion is one of them) coming second is winning.
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