How South Africa Saved Sepp Blatter!

After one month of fierce battles, wild jubilations and untold disappointments, the dust of suspense finally settled at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg last night. And it is Spain, who will for the next few days continue the jubilations and perhaps, the blowing of the vuvuzela, the seemingly official sound of the 2010 World Cup.

Indeed, if there’s one individual outside Spain who will also rejoice and indeed, justifiably so, then that individual is the FIFA President, Sepp Blatter. When the FIFA boss announced in May 2004 that South Africa would be the next venue for the World Cup, it was like betting his life on a lottery. Africa had never hosted the eighty-year old prestigious tournament and skeptics and critics said the time for the all-important tournament to come to Africa was not yet ripe.

But FIFA thought otherwise.

That was, however, not enough to stop the international media from launching an onslaught on FIFA. They made South Africa’s crime situation their regular headline stories in order to achieve their diabolic ambitions. So serious were the anti-South Africa attacks and stiff oppositions that in 2006 and 2007, rumours were rife that FIFA would change the venue for the 2010 World Cup. But after the last whistle last night, there was no doubt that the Rainbow nation has presented a good account of itself and the entire African continent. South Africa has justified the confidence Sepp Blatter and his team of FIFA officials reposed in Africa, and this has opened the door for other African countries. The tournament has proven to be one of the best, if not the best in the history of FIFA World Cup. And Danny Jordan and his Local Organising Committee also deserve some plaudits. At the end of the day, the best team has emerged victorious and no one has any genuine reason to begrudge the Spanish, who are also the reigning European Champions, their hard won victory. Though they shockingly lost their first match to Switzerland, the Spanish have proven that with determination bad beginnings can have good endings.

The greatest disappointment in the tournament is perhaps the woeful performance of African teams in the tournament. Dubbed Africa’s World Cup, South Africa 2010 presented an opportunity for African teams in the tournament to showcase their football prowess and perhaps lift the ultimate trophy but that wasn’t to be. Ghana, on whose shoulders the hope of the continent rested after the group stages also missed out when we had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to once again lead the continent.

But even as we nurse our wounds and brood over the painful losses, it is important to take a few lessons from the just ended world cup now that we are back to the future our national progress. The spontaneous outbursts of jubilation that greeted our victories and the unofficial days of national mourning that came in the wake of our painful defeat must be seen beyond football. It wasn’t all about football. It was about our national pride. It was our sense of belonging to the geographical entity called Ghana that aroused those extreme feelings.

It was a period when NDC and NPP failed to be our identity codes. This means that we ought to work as a national team if we are to propel the engine of the growth of our nation further than our stagnant position. The “we” and “they” mentality should give way to unity of purpose and a renewed sense of patriotism. The tournament has taught us that no matter how talented we are in our individual endeavours we are bound to fail unless we develop team spirit and move in the same direction irrespective of our ethnic or political shades. Great and star-studded teams like Cote d’Ivoire, France and defending Champions Italy among others were knocked out at the group stages, not for lack of quality of players. But football, like our development efforts, is won through team work, and not with disjointed individual skills. While we commend Black Stars for moving a step higher than their maiden appearance in 2006, Mr. Kwesi Nyantakyi and his team of GFA officials must also be lauded for their hard work. Ghana is now a nation to beat in all levels of the game in recent times.

It is the hope of all Ghanaians, that in four years time when the whole world converges in Brazil, Ghana will not only be present but we will break the jinx and lift the highly coveted trophy. It is possible that even in Brazil, the sound of the African vuvuzela can rise above the samba drums.

Perhaps if Paul, the prophetic octopus of Germany will still be alive, Ghana may start jubilating before the great match is played. What a great day that would be!

Credit: Manasseh Azure Awuni [www.maxighana.com] Email: azureachebe2@yahoo.com The writer is a freelance journalist based in Accra, Ghana. To read more of his writings, visit www.maxighana.com