Boakye-Gyan behind stars

Tema, June 26 (Ms Yeboah) GNA -- Major Boakye Djan, (rtd) former member of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) on Monday called on Ghanaians to rally solidly behind Ghana's Black Stars as they play the Brazilians on Tuesday at the 1/16 stage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at his residence, the Major known as Osaahene Boakye Djan, an aspiring presidential candidate for the Nkrumaist Family said even though the Brazilians were known to be very tough it should not discourage Ghanaians in any way but rather send words of encouragement to our players to enable them to face the battle with confidence.

According to him he was surprised at hearing from a lot of people as he walked in town that because Brazil had an unbeatable record for winning the trophy five times, there was no hope, saying the fact that Ghana had passed through the group stage and is now in the knockout stages means 91there is the optimism that we are bringing home the cup.'

Osaahene Boakye Djan who said he was a soccer fan during his student days, however, stressed the need for the Black Stars to adopt close marking tactics and the 93highlife rhythm=94 to prevent their opponents from using accuracy in passing balls to scare them.

He said the Brazilians are no monsters because they were beaten by the French in 1998 so there was the need to get out of the psychological complex and come out with victory.

For the Osaahene, though the World Cup was only a game of football it had some political and economic aspect to it, as it offered an added impetus to Africans liberating themselves from the notion that the black man always lagged behind.

'If we are able to knockout the Brazilians by using the close marking tactics, then the game is over', Osaahene Boakye Gyan stated.