The Black Stars on the way!

Ghana has started its World Cup and African Nations Cup (in January) preparations with a friendly match against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh last night. Without their stars Michael Essien and Stephen Appiah, but with a returning Roma defender Samuel Kuffour, Ghana managed to pull a 1-3 victory against the Saudi's (who will also be playing in Germany next summer). The goals were scored by Italian-based strikers: Asamoah Gyan (Modena) scored two, and one was scored by Sulley Muntari (Udinese).

I have before said Ghana will be hard to defeat next year. And this shows that preparations are well underway. Next year might indeed be Ghana's year!

Football decoration at my work place

I work in a nice big office in a nice neighborhood of Accra, Ghana. Until recently, the decoration of the premises left much to be said.

Not any more!

Seems a major football fanatic just passed by (and I honestly swear that I didn't do it): In the halls, pictures of Ghanaian footballers have been hung up. These include pictures of Abedi Pele, Anthony Yeboah, Samuel Kuffour, Michael Essien, etc. All to remind us of the great football talent emanating from this beautiful West African country.

At the same time, in the meeting room, a human-size pap-mache statue is sitting with a football. Isn't this great...?

Does my work have anything to do with football? Not at all. But at least I get reminded of fotoball every day now...

Football in Ghana

I have moved to Ghana. This is not new for me, but it gives me a certain limitation in following much of European football in as much detail as I would like to (particularly Danish football, which for some strange reason draws limited attention to these parts...). However, it is not that I am completely without football: Ghanaians are passionate football fanatics like myself, and the country is crawling with talented players and charming teams.

Some of the other countries in West Africa, like Senegal and Nigeria, have had international world cup success. This has so far not happened to Ghana, although their youth teams have traditionally done very well: Twice U-17 world champions in 1993 and 1995, and they have also done well in Olympic games. For instance in the last Olympic Games, where they tied their Italian counterparts 2-2, were hailed as medal hopefuls, but ended losing to Japan. That has maybe always been a problem for Ghana, that the success of their youth success, has not tranfered to senior level.

Today, there are many Ghanaian players in Europe. Best known is probably Bayern Munuch's Sammy Kuffour, or now German citizen, Schalke's Asamoah. Eric Addo in PSV Eindhoven, John Paintsil in Maccabi Tel Aviv, Yet Ahimful in Turkish Transzopsor, Anthony Obodai in Ajax Amsterdam. There are many more, and I am only learning now. But especially one, Anthony Yeboah, brings great memories, when his magic was in Eintracht Frankfurt who forgets his amazing goal of the year?) and Leeds United.

Right now, Ghanaian club football is ahead: the two main clubs, Asante Kotoko from Kumasi, and Accra Hearts of Oak, will be playing the African Confederations cup (sort of like the UEFA cup in Europe). This will be the first time ever, two teams from the same country willbe disputing the final, so it is a big event here. However, due to coming presidential elections, the game has just been posponed to January. In any case, I do not doubt that the clash between the two African giants will be a great game. Both teams have many years of rivalry behind them, and are by far the best teams in Ghana. I look forward to witness this Ghanaian classic!