Hundreds of Ghanaians took to drinking, drumming and dancing on Sunday as they savoured the Black Stars 2-1 victory over the United States which gave them a berth in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Saturday’s win also made Ghana the third African team to reach a World Cup quarterfinal and the continent’s only team left in the championship after the first round ouster of host South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Cameroon and Ivory Coast.
Football fans spent the night at drinking spots while those who went home returned early on Sunday to a popular drinking spot at Abeka in Accra to discuss the match.
On Saturday night, major streets of Accra were packed with fans who made bonfires on the roads, causing traffic jams in the capital. After the final whistle, huge crowds gathered in front of a popular restaurant on Osu Oxford street in Accra where they had been watching the match and started drumming and dancing.
“Easy it wasn’t, but Ghana is now through to the quarterfinal which no African country could achieve in this year’s World Cup,” football fan George Antwi said.
“It was absolutely amazing. They started well in the first-half, during the second-half they were shaky but they composed themselves during the last period and did the most important thing,” said devoted fan Eli Mortagbe, sipping from a bottle of beer.
Some Ghanaians who had not attended church in a very long time did so on Sunday morning because of the victory.
“In fact I have not been to church for the last five years but today I deem it fit to go and praise God for a good job for Ghana and the entire African continent,” school teacher Jerry Hodasi said on his way to church in Accra. He expressed the hope that the national team will progress beyond the quarter-final.
“The team could go all the way to the final. The team is really together and playing with no fear and there is nothing to stop them,” he said.
But some Americans in Accra were not that joyful.
“I’m highly disappointed that for the second time in World Cup history Ghana has beaten us again (they beat the USA 2-1 in the 2006 finals group stage),” lamented Mac Daniel, an American tourist who watched the match in the city. “America must now learn a big lesson that football has come of age and not to underrate any country,” he added.
The Black Stars will meet Uruguay, who beat South Korea 2-1, at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday. — AFP