The energy was intense and spirits were high as the Ghanaian soccer team made its debut in FIFA world cup. This was Ghana's very first game in the Federal International Football Association competition against Italy which was by no means a stranger in the international stage having won the prestigious World Cup three times. As the Ghanaian soccer team entered the massive Cologne stadium in Germany to play this historic game, World Cup fever and its symptoms had spread out to our local cities. The shouts and cheers of proud soccer fans could be heard ringing from Ghanaian hotspots in Toronto including Mama Pee's Ghanaian restaurant located at Falstaff and Jane Street. It was a proud scene and one could feel the energetically charged excitement among the large crowds that came together in high spirits to support their homeland national representatives. Led by team captain Stephen Appiah, the Black Stars played an impressive game of football. However, their fantastic footwork and several attempts at goal were not enough to defeat the seasoned Italian football team and we lost by two goals to nil.