Post Mortem--Defeat of Ghana by Brazil (3-0)

It is an article of a combination of luck and how far I have gone with this blogging enterprise to see that no less than the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldhaveyoursay/2006/06/what_do_you_want_to_talk_about_2.html) checked out my website (http://ekbensahinghana.blogspot.com). The reason being for visitors to see for themselves the video commentary I captured of the jubilation by Ghanaians of the USA defeat by the West Africans.

All the world cup footballers so far might just be laughing all the way to their bank, but understandably, in varying degrees.

Ghana’s Black Stars will definitely be some $10,000-$20,000 richer for the games they played but, without a doubt, they remain heroes—just by virtue of the fact of having faced one of the stiffest challenges in the name of Brazil.

The commentators suggested they gave Brazilians a run for their money. At times, Ghana managed to penetrate – and dominate – the Brazilian defence, albeit wastefully. But that’s okay.

Had it been any other team other than my own, I would have rooted for Brazil. But that’s okay, too.

Despite the unnecessary chutzpah of non-pundits like myself of the game over a possible win against Brazil, I think deep down, most believed it would be tough facing a team that not only played a bit like us, but possessed a more skilful technique, associated with an unrivalled experience.

In my final analysis, I reckon the failure of Ghana in beating the Brazilians, whilst that prospect was a non-starter for many observers, was a good wake-up call to a creeping complacency that surrounds any debutante of a global game like the World Cup that advances to the degree the Black Stars advanced.

Failure reminds us that success is a process, and the process, by way of the African Cup of Nations, which Ghana will host in 2008, may just be what the country needs to remind itself that our debutante performance could be a lot, lot better.

Finally, is sport writing just not fantastic writing?