When Ghana descended on Wembley five years ago today

It was Tuesday 29 March 2011, exactly five years ago today, when Ghana hugely stormed the famous Wembley Stadium in London for something historic and special.

Ghana and England, their colonial masters, had never ever played each other at senior level but that long awaited dream of Ghana happened that day and that historic night was a truly special moment for the entire country, players and fans alike.

Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson summed it all up about Ghana's big passion for the historic match when he said. "I have been waiting for this fixture for a long time. Football was made in England. Now, my wish has come true. I think that everyone in both countries will want to watch this game," he told the official match-day programme.

"It is a huge privilege to play at Wembley. When I was young and living in Ghana we all knew about Wembley, but even now I have still only seen it on television. So this game will be a very big occasion for me. Wembley will be full with a carnival-style atmosphere.

"Even though this is a friendly, it's a big occasion for both countries. It will feel; like a cup final for Ghana. I can't predict the score but of course all the Ghanaians want to win. It's going to be a great game."

Although just a friendly, like Kingson emphasised, for Ghana it was more than just a friendly and a special moment in Ghanaian football. No wonder, Ghanaians both home and abroad, especially those in the UK, made it a not-to-miss event, to the extent that England saw the biggest opposition supporters for a match at Wembley as 21,000 Ghana fans, in good mood and high spirit, contributed to make it an almost full house of over 80,000 spectators to see the Black Stars take on the Three Lions for the very first and so far only time in history.

"Confident Ghana will bring a passionate crowd and we must rise to the occasion", England manager Fabio Capello said in official match-day programme. They (Ghana) will come into this game with a great deal of confidence, so it will be a big test. They will also have more than 20,000 supporters at Wembley, which will make for a good atmosphere.

On the quality of the Ghana team, he wrote: "Ghana are a really interesting team, they have a lot of physical and technical ability, and were very close to reaching a World Cup semi-final last summer."

England substitute that day, Peter Crouch, was also impressed with Ghana's contingent at the game. "I think it (Ghana bringing more than 20000 fans to Wembley really makes for a special atmosphere because it can really encourage the home fans and get them reacting off the away supporters."

""Fantastic" was Capello's considered and entirely correct verdict on a night when Ghana's supporters illuminated Wembley and the Black Stars combined with England to deliver one of the finest friendlies the stadium has seen in recent times," BBC chief writer Phil McNulty wrote in his pos- match commentary.

"Asamoah Gyan's injury-time equaliser, and the celebrations that followed among 21,000 visiting fans, was a reminder of the magic Ghana brought to the South African summer when they fell just short of reaching the World Cup semi-finals."

The big number of Ghanaian at Wembley even prompted then England and Fulham striker Carlton Cole to joke on social media that the police were waiting outside Wembley to pounce on illegal Ghanaian immigrants after the game. That expensive joke, which he quickly removed from social media after receiving heavy bashing for it, landed him into trouble with a 5000 pounds fine from the FA.

This was the match which saw the Ghana Football Association sponsor almost all or many of its members to witness history made in north-west London, with the thought that the match was a great opportunity for the GFA members to learn something new or more about football.

But unfortunately, the FA of England never saw the match in the way their Ghana counterparts did. For them it was one of those friendly games to help develop the England team. Thus, they had the audacity to make last-minute withdrawal of some of their top players such as Chelsea's John Terry Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole and Man United's Wayne Rooney from the squad to face Ghana, as these players had a crucial European Champions League game coming up in a week's time.

That England move greatly demoralised Ghana fans who deemed it a disrespect and as taking off some edge from the game. But to the Ghana FA, Black Stars and then new coach, Goran Stevanovich, who was making his debut as Ghana coach, it was a big opportunity to beat England in the two countries' first ever clash.

However, England, with Asley Young in great form, and despite the absence of captain Steven Gerrard (injury) and the Chelsea and Man United players, controlled the first half and deservedly ended it 1-0 up with an Andy Carroll header, his first international goal.

But very determined not to lose it, Ghana – with an all-foreign-based starting eleven, including five English-based Premier League players in Kingson (Blackpool), John Paintsil (Fulham) and the Sunderland trio of John Mensah, Sulley Muntari and Asamoah Gyan – returned from the break a much improved side and got a deserved late equaliser from Gyan, who scored one of the great individual goals seen at Wembley to send Ghana into wild jubilation and round up a satisfactory and memorable night for the Black Stars and Ghana fans.

When Gyan got the ball in the box, no one knew what he wanted to do and no one expected him to do what he did. After bringing the ball under his firm control, he went past a host of defenders and finally embarrassed Joleon Lescott before coolly and clinically slotting home past Joe Hart in the England post to ensure Ghana became the first African team to hold England at Wembley or at home.

"In the first half, England was the better team, then in the second half my team gave a very good performance. I think after the way played in the second half we merited this result." That was Ghana coach Stevanovich's verdict on the 1-1 drawn game.

After a satisfactory night, Gyan savoured the historic draw. "I dedicate this goal to the fans because they have been waiting for this game for so long and finally it happens and I scored an important goal for the country – something historic," he said.

"I'm the happiest guy because it's my first time playing at Wembley. It's been my dream to play at Wembley. We've been playing so many friendly games and they've been asking themselves, 'Why are we not playing against England?' We had a chance against England and we scored an important goal."

For one player, Danny Welbeck, it was particularly an emotional and memorable night. English-born of Ghanaian parents, Ghana had long persuaded Gyan's club strike partner, who was on loan from Man United, to play for the Black stars. But after deciding to play for England rather, he remarkably made his debut in this game as a second-half substitute at aged 20.

He has since gone on to establish himself in English football as an England (34 caps, including European Championship World Cup appearances) and club (Man United and now Arsenal) regular.

Fittingly on the night, the FA deemed it a fine opportunity at Wembley to recognise and honour the famous Ghana-born goalkeeper, Arthur Wharton, for being the first black professional footballer in the world. At a half-time ceremony, the FA donated 20,000 pounds to the Arthur Wharton Foundation and present to receive the honour on behalf of Wharton, born in the then Gold Coast, was his relatives and some officials of the Foundation.

Soccernet Newspaper