The darkest day in Ghana’s football history

If there ever existed a place with fanfare and sport so adored in the ancient Bono Kingdom, where the youth and the aged alike mastered and patronised the colonial master's game of football; it should be Amanfoso, a desolated walled city-state that shared boundaries with present-day Goka and Asuokor located in the Jaman North District of Ghana's Bono Region.

Amanfoso, according to oral history was in the likeness of the much written about defunct industrialist entrepôt of Bergho in the Tain District, near the current day Hani and Nsawkaw, also in the present day Bono Region of Ghana.

Not with much exaggeration, the beauty and glory of old Amanfoso according to those who saw its hay days and handed down to generations, compare its magnificence to ancient Babylon, where traders of all walks of life entered with their mechandise for exorbitant profits.

And as Babylon is now deserted and left crumbled into debris under the dunes of Middle East desert, Amanfoso is now a wreckage and ashes.

Chronology of rulers, who now call themselves Presidents, and on a campaign to restore Amanfoso to its past glory, particularly their adorable game of football; are now fighting hard to win back the love of its returnee natives.

For every four years, the football world congregates at one arena to lock horns in an attempt to lift one golden trophy: the World Cup. Amanfoso has represented this global showpiece three times. In their first two outings, the combatants, or players, who collectively were called Stars, delighted the world with their talents.

But their third appearance, which happened under President John IV, was a disaster, the darkest history in the annals of Amanfoso that should be documented to serve as a guide for posterity not to repeat same.

The Amanfoso Stars qualified for their third World Cup hosted in far away Brazil, the home of the great Pele, a place where football is worshipped, and the players made gods. This Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, led his nation as a player to lift the Cup for unprecedented three times.

Years earlier, he prophesied that warriors from Afrika where Amanfoso is a giant will lift the global trophy in the foreseeable future. Now retired, exalted to the football pantheon as a god, Pele's word is sacrosanct, and if Amanfoso religiously ababidesn his prophecy, they will return to Africa with the priced artifacts minted gold

To the disappointment of the football fans, and to the horror of the world, the Amanfoso Stars became a laughing stock in Brazil as opposed to the anticipation of they being heroes fulfilling what was prophesied.

The Town Criers, otherwise known as the Media, reported that there is rioting in the camp of the Amanfoso Stars. Their rebellion is premised on the failure of President John IV government's refusal to defray debts owed the players. Without the rewards in cash, they will not wear the Amanfoso war cloak or jersey to battle.

Eventually, John IV ordered his assigns to enplane bundles of Amanfoso currency to the State of Brazil, to reimburse the players. Upon receipt, one player was seen kissing the notes, and others danced enthusiastically.

All this while, anytime the Stars played, the whole Amanfoso fasted and prayed for them to perform well. That was no more. If the pursuit of riches is now the priority of the combatants, in the face of hardships some of the supporters wallowing in back home; then they don't deserve their intercession prayers.

They became the whipping boys in their group, and only redeemed a lone point with the eventual winner of that year's tournament, Germany. The game ended two goals appease, to share the spoils.

When it was over for the Amanfoso Stars, clouded by shame, the players sneaked home under the cover of darkness.

President John IV was criticised by his actions. The money could have been stolen by bandits, or in rush, the emissaries could have been involved in an accident, and the cargo of cash wasted in flames of fire, or worse.

Addo Dankwa succeeded John IV as the President of Amanfoso, and when luck embraced him for the Stars to qualify for their fourth World Cup in the sweltering Gulf State of Qatar, a code of conduct was mandated to be signed by the invited twenty-six players captained by Andre Ayew, and coached by Otto Addo, in order not to repeat anything close to the Brazil disaster.

The Stars started winning back the love of the fans. Across the varied faiths, Muslims prayed for them on Fridays, Christians fasted for them on Sundays, and other believers such as the Bono Ancestral Worship And Spirituality (BAWAS), never ceased pouring for them libation.

With a rebirth and new beginning, on the eve of the Qatar Mundial, or World Cup tournament, Amanfoso reverted to the empire name Ghana at the time they played a rehearsal match against Switzerland. The now Ghana Black Stars drubbed the Swiss two unanswered goals, to reinvigorate and rekindle the dead hopes and happiness of their teeming supporters.

And they are poised for action in their Group H, fuming to revenge on Portugal and Uruguay. And South Korea should install a big basket behind their goal posts that can commodate the number of goals the Stars will score.

Go Black Stars, now you have our love and support, show the world we are Ghana.