Brazil 2014: Uncle Sam’s Bygone Era Nightmares

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Omanba 11 years ago

We are the only country talking so much and it is becoming annoying and tiresome.We are but days away from our third appearance at the world cup and the country is acting as if our only aspiration for this tournament is to be ...
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We are the only country talking so much and it is becoming annoying and tiresome.We are but days away from our third appearance at the world cup and the country is acting as if our only aspiration for this tournament is to beat USA.NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL LOWERED EXPECTATIONS.
Gabp 11 years ago

We want Ghana.

We want Ghana.
Ern 11 years ago

Another stupid article..........I couldnt even read past the second paragraph......"silhouettes of a hulking African warrior king with a huge Pan-African tricolour...." what the fuck are you talking about?!!!!

Another stupid article..........I couldnt even read past the second paragraph......"silhouettes of a hulking African warrior king with a huge Pan-African tricolour...." what the fuck are you talking about?!!!!
Tilapia 11 years ago

You belong to different age in the past. Please go and read the Daily Graphic or the Guide.

I think you will feel more comfortable there with the grammatical headstands and calisthenics.

You belong to different age in the past. Please go and read the Daily Graphic or the Guide.

I think you will feel more comfortable there with the grammatical headstands and calisthenics.
asase ba 11 years ago

The writer sucks or is full of himself. I'll say the writer is full of shit.

The writer sucks or is full of himself. I'll say the writer is full of shit.
mugu yaro 11 years ago

many rivers to cross before we lift the trophy and it takes prayers and moral support to overcome it than too much trash talks. silence is golden. i hope you all zip the something till the tournament starts.we are going heav ...
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many rivers to cross before we lift the trophy and it takes prayers and moral support to overcome it than too much trash talks. silence is golden. i hope you all zip the something till the tournament starts.we are going heaven knows where we are going we know we will,we will get there heaven knows that we will get there we know we will, worya hei worya worya hei worya worya. thanks
Plain talk 11 years ago

A very good one from brother Mugu Yaro.

A very good one from brother Mugu Yaro.
Gabp 11 years ago

Judging from how Americans played against Nigerians,Blackstars will walk over them again.

Judging from how Americans played against Nigerians,Blackstars will walk over them again.
kwami 11 years ago

How can america in soccer be a treat to ghana, unless our coach is doing something wrong.. for me,I don't even see Germany coming close so appiah should get his tactics right... we are not playing with him and his squad at al ...
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How can america in soccer be a treat to ghana, unless our coach is doing something wrong.. for me,I don't even see Germany coming close so appiah should get his tactics right... we are not playing with him and his squad at all.. they must win.. period .
john throway 11 years ago

the talking is good because it boosts moral. anyone who thinks there's too much talking should stick to the bush.

the talking is good because it boosts moral. anyone who thinks there's too much talking should stick to the bush.

yankee doodle 11 years ago

June 16, we will be there

USA! USA! USA!

PS I actually like the colorful imagery in the article... Every country should have vivid hope

June 16, we will be there

USA! USA! USA!

PS I actually like the colorful imagery in the article... Every country should have vivid hope
Tilapia 11 years ago

Lets put football aside for a minute. Dela Ahiawor, you are probably the best writer in any category that I have read on Ghanaweb. Damn! What impeccable English. Your turns of phrases, colloquialisms, vivid linguistic express ...
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Lets put football aside for a minute. Dela Ahiawor, you are probably the best writer in any category that I have read on Ghanaweb. Damn! What impeccable English. Your turns of phrases, colloquialisms, vivid linguistic expressions and transparent eloquence that transforms nouns and verbs into colorful pictures is excellent. You are too good. Congrats.

Now back to earth. I am not a particularly enthusiastic football fan and even though I want Ghana to win their matches against the USA - which is a fait accompli, Germany and Portugal, what our players dont seem to have is confidence and intelligent players.

By our players, I mean all African players and teams. The reason why Africa persistently fails to go far in such international tournaments is that even before they reach the venue, they are overwhelmed and awed into total submission by the size and magnificence of the event.

The larger than life publicity that is given to sportsmen of other competing teams from more developed nations also helps in freezing the confidence and ability of some of our players. This is where our media practitioners can come in to help boost the ego and the playing morale of our leading players.

Worse of all is the fact that people and technical staff from our part of the world still seem to think that individual dribbling skills is what in their opinion, makes a good footballer. In truth, this is probably only about 20% of what makes a good football team.

My modest opinion is that we should begin to scout for footballers who have a keen, sharp and intuitive sense of anticipation, footballers who are proud and confident of themselves as ordinary persons and players who are intelligent on the field of play. Even if we can get just one, two or three of such players in our team, we can beat any team in the world. We have the necessary average skills, strong sturdy players who don’t topple over at every assumed touch by an adversary and players who are fast with the ball.

The problem however is that very visibly, our players – even the ones who play in Europe, seem to lack the necessary confidence. They are also too slow on the ball without results. In this day and age, our players can break a pass, stop, look around for another player to pass to or proceed to move forward at a slow cautious, but time-wasting pace.

The success of the entire team of Portugal is dependent on the shoulders of one single player Ronaldo, because he possesses these rare and invaluable attributes. He is not a dribbler or a particularly skilful player but however a pass to him anywhere near the goalmouth can guarantee a goal for his side without explanations. Without Ronaldo or the likes of Messi, Neymar, Drogba, Toure, Van Persie etc, their club teams and national teams would not be as fearful and as winsome as they are.

The only reason why many such players would hang onto to the ball for longer than a few seconds is justified only by the need to have done so before each fantastic, unbelievable and breath-taking goal that they score.

Any team manager or coach who can spot these qualities in footballers and effectively use them as such, can and will reach the parallels of Mourinho, Ferguson and the likes. Above-all, any such coach can drag his entire team to the very top ranks of world football.
G. K. Berko 11 years ago

Your comments are also very lucid and poignant. I simply love reading your comments and Dela's, just for the sake of nourishing my language spots in my brain. You both write well. Kudos!

On the account of the Black Stars' ...
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Your comments are also very lucid and poignant. I simply love reading your comments and Dela's, just for the sake of nourishing my language spots in my brain. You both write well. Kudos!

On the account of the Black Stars' performance in the coming World Cup Games, my main worry is our Players' tendency to be complacent at crucial moments.

The USA Team has built up fairly higher than they used to be in the previous Games. So, we would have to raise our performance, too, beyond the level we played in 2010. In a piece I submitted shortly ago for a last-minute caution to the Black Stars, I mentioned how the USA Team has come to dwell on brute strength, Stamina and the height of their members for Goals.

They have come a long way in improving their Speed, too. Altidore, for one, could be very slippery around the '18' and must be tactically policed.

But, overall, I fully agree with you that our confidence level must high enough to prevent us from frustration and giving up easy Fouls.

The Klinsman Team is determined to avoid a third fall from us. We shall see.
Long Live Ghana!!!
Tilapia 11 years ago

Already Klinsman, the American Coach, is publicly publicizing 'red herring' impressions that his team will not be able to make any headway in the tournament. I strongly suspect that this is a diversionary cheap tactic to give ...
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Already Klinsman, the American Coach, is publicly publicizing 'red herring' impressions that his team will not be able to make any headway in the tournament. I strongly suspect that this is a diversionary cheap tactic to give false comfort to the Ghanaian team in particular. By so-doing, perhaps he thinks he can make our team think that the US is a lame-duck team. We will not fall for such tricks.

Our Coach, Kwasi Appiah, should be advised to ignore these false red flags and proceed full steam ahead. We should roast the US team for dinner that day and keep the left-overs for the celebrations that will follow our defiant smothering of both Portugal and Germany, the ageing giants. That is when we shall congratulate Klinsman for conceding ahead of time that he really and truly has a weak, inefficient and an inexperienced team and on top of that, we have a ‘better’ Coach who can easily replace him.

Our current team is vibrant and bristling with a defiant cocktail of valid unexpired ‘total football’ experience and a crop of youthful high-spirited players who are impatient to exhibit and flaunt their hidden qualities. This permutation is a very potent mixture that can easily emasculate the Goliaths of this tournament. Not very many countries can boast of this prolific and combustible chemical composition.

World Cup or no World Cup, for Ghana to beat the US team again would be globally construed in the world of sports to mean that they have in fact and de facto not in any way reached the standards of Ghana. This can rightly be interpreted by ordinary football loving people from all over the world that Ghana is indeed a superior country to the US. The World Cup is the most prestigious and most powerful global event in the world and the US will do all they can, in spite of their evident short-comings, not to allow such a nightmare to pass unto them.

The only card that they can now play is the psychology card any other surreptitious underhand schemes off the field of play.

Our boys should not – and I repeat, SHOULD NOT feel intimidated by other ego-inflated players and teams. They should get out there without any restraints whatsoever and in the most optimistic professional mood and high morale and show the prejudiced pundits a thing or two about football. They should prove to them what we are capable of doing on the world stage. We should go out there not only with the aim of winning but with the intention of shaking up the football world and making world history as we did in 1957.

Thanks for your comment too, G.K. Berko
Martin 11 years ago

The US team is not yet ready for prime time. They will not win any of their three group matches.

The US team is not yet ready for prime time. They will not win any of their three group matches.
Sedem- Hohoe 11 years ago

Ghan and USA that will qualify in grop G

Ghan and USA that will qualify in grop G
Captain canada 11 years ago

Then all the chest thumping will subside. Ghanaians are delusional when it comes to their strength and abilities. In the last world cup I heard a Ghanaian in Brooklyn, drunk with the soccer, saying Ghana is better than the US ...
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Then all the chest thumping will subside. Ghanaians are delusional when it comes to their strength and abilities. In the last world cup I heard a Ghanaian in Brooklyn, drunk with the soccer, saying Ghana is better than the USA. Not in soccer but in all areas. This is just another bit of distraction. When your economy is in shambles, your cities are choked with filth and have liars and thieves as leaders you best salve is to seek prowess in something irrelevant as a game of soccer. Much like the Romes bread and circuses, the Ghanaian is being distracted from his/her sorry state. Delusions is all Ghanaians have. Even if they win the cup, Accra will still be filthy, the economy will suck and corruption will still be the order of the day in Ghana.
yankee doodle 11 years ago

Hey it's just soccer, you know that, no need to go there.

Respect your rivals, love your brothers

USA! USA! USA!

Hey it's just soccer, you know that, no need to go there.

Respect your rivals, love your brothers

USA! USA! USA!
S. Boribah 11 years ago

Ghana is poised to win the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Some body has already said Ghana will beat Brazil in the final stage of the Competition. For USA, they have declared their encounter with Ghana as their final, but Ghana wi ...
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Ghana is poised to win the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Some body has already said Ghana will beat Brazil in the final stage of the Competition. For USA, they have declared their encounter with Ghana as their final, but Ghana will win the first encounter in te tournament. For us in Ghana, if we don't have anything at all, we have skills at footballing and that is what we are going to show to the whole wide world.
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Brazil 2014: Uncle Sam’s Bygone Era Nightmares

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