BEEAFRICAN.COM Ghana Make Africa Proud

In our series of viewpoints from African journalists, Zimbabwean filmmaker and columnist Farai Sevenzo looks back on Africa's World Cup and wonders what will come of the continent's teenage nation. It began with Siphiwe Tshabalala's goal against the Mexicans, a kick of ferocious power and poetry.

And after years of preparation this old land where so much battle has occurred, where folklore was found on spilled blood and resistance, gave way to the idea that South Africa was, in her new reality, just 16 years old. And like a teenager eager to show her qualities, the football World Cup of 2010 was her crowning moment.

A week or so into the tournament, I travelled to South Africa on one of those incompetent airlines only the desperate file into because the question bugged me - would I see another World Cup on African soil in my lifetime? And over Angolan airspace I bugged the air hostess to ask the captain what the score was in the South Africa v France game.

Air traffic control in Luanda came back to the captain and said South Africa 2 - 0 France and a plane load of Argentineans, Spanish, German and African travellers applauded.

'Feel it'

But then we landed to a cold Johannesburg night to see downcast faces. France had pegged one back in the time we took to land and South Africa were out on goal difference and a scarcity of victories. The immigration officer apologised, but reminded me this World Cup was still African and stamped my passport.

When would the drama end?

All across Johannesburg it was obvious this teenager of a nation had undergone an incredible transformation.

What will happen to these magnificent stadiums?

After years of being ripped off by taxis from Oliver Tambo International Airport, people were boarding a new train to the centre of the city for a quarter of the taxi price.

The hawkers on the motorways were darting in and out of moving traffic to sell flags of the competing nations and everywhere you looked, the World Cup fever had so gripped this nation that Bafana Bafana's gold colours seemed like a national uniform.

For the first time, the South Africans kept telling me, all South Africans have come together, people are conversing across colour divisions, we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved.

Everyone, it seems, had raised their game - from the police to the broadcasters to the boys and girls from advertising. "Feel it," said the state broadcaster, "it is here." And feel it we did.

Petulant behaviour

World Cup screenings by the fireplace were in every home, and as the African teams fell like dominoes, some dared to ask what was the point of having this event here if the Africans "could not represent" the continent?

Even Drogba could not save his country from being kicked out

Nigeria drew the ire of President Goodluck Jonathan and many more Africans for playing every game as if it were a practise match, for throwing away leads and showing the kind of petulant behaviour that drew red cards and heartache.

How, asked someone, could this great nation of over 150m people not find 11 men to win a football match?

The aging Cameroon side squandered an indomitable lion reputation on the spent legs of their old stars.

And how obvious it was that the coaches had so little control of their superstar squads when the brilliant and young Alex Song was left on the bench in a final game that saw his ancient uncle Rigobert Song win a personal honour of being the only player to have played in four World Cup finals.

Spare us the personal milestones and win us a match. Even the deadly Didier Drogba, so loved by Africa's young and dusty-footed raw talent, could do nothing to raise the Elephants from their group of death.

And so we were left with one great African hope, Ghana's young committed and shining Black Stars.

The flag of the moment

It is still painful to relive Ghana's journey in this great event, to think of what could have been.

All the continent's hopes were left resting on the Black Stars' shoulders

As they marched past the USA the city went mad - red, gold and green with a black star in the middle was the flag of the moment. One black star, said the wits, beat 50 white ones.

The hawkers were running out of flags, the T-shirt sellers could not keep up with the demand and the Sowetan newspaper lead with the Bob Marley title "Africa Unite". The politicians, as they are always likely to do, rode on this surge of goodwill and told the Black Stars that the hopes of an entire continent rested on their shoulders. No pressure then. And then you know the rest.

Regretful tears

July 2nd saw the best match of these games and more than a hint of impossible drama - the kind of drama only the Gods can write to remind us that fate and football are not in our hands, to make sport of our fickle hopes and our need to reassert ourselves as a continent of heart and talent.

Ghana's Gyan's regretful tears could not wash away a continent's disappointment

Why did Suarez cheat?

Did Asemoah Gyan score the penalty in his head before he had committed boot to ball?

Why did he hit it so hard?

His courage in scoring that first penalty and his regretful tears could not wash away a continent's disappointment for hours after this titanic battle.

There was no shame in Ghana's defeat, and all predictions about an Argentina v Brazil final landed in the dustbin of delusions.

The Spanish and the Dutch ruled the roost and it seemed impossible that this journey began so many years ago would be coming to an end in front of a global audience of billions, with Mandela in the stands.

Spain took the World Cup to add to their European cup and we are all feeling a little deflated, like vuvuzelas with no wind.

Cashing-in exercise

And so what now?

The World Cup caused South Africans to raise their game

What will happen to these magnificent stadiums? Who will play in Polokwane? Port Elizabeth? The mighty Soccer City?

Will Fifa catch up with the 21st Century and allow goal-line technology? Will Suarez ever express regret and learn that the beautiful game is soured by cheating?

And we know that for Fifa this has been a cashing-in exercise - South African companies paid millions for the right to show football, to have the images of major stars on their brands, to sell coffee mugs bearing the label "South Africa 2010".

And those who live in the shadow of Soccer City could not pay 5,000 rand to see their heroes, nor sell traditional African foods at football matches because the giants of fast food claimed that right, and some would say Fifa even had a hand in the fast prosecution of those committing crime during this World Cup.

And what of the teenager after her finest moment?

Will crime return to the streets as the visitors leave? Will those South Africans who cheered the Ivorians, the Ghanaians, the Cameroonians go back to xenophobia?

Whatever happens in South Africa's next steps into nationhood, we must say in all sincerity - thank you for the memories.

Source: BBC Sport

ACCRA, Ghana (AP)—Ghana’s World Cup players will be given national honors and $20,000 each after reaching the quarterfinals in South Africa.

“You deserved to be honored because you have made Ghana and indeed Africa proud by your performance,” Mills said Tuesday in announcing the accolades at a lunch for the team. The Black Stars were greeted by cheering fans when they returned to Accra on Monday night.

Ghana was adopted as Africa’s team during its run to the final eight of the tournament. The squad came close to being the first team from the continent to make the semifinals; they were knocked out in a penalty shootout by Uruguay in the quarters. The other five African teams all failed to qualify for the second round.

“You did not win the World Cup but, through your performance, you carried high the flags of not only Ghana but Africa,” Mills said.

As well as the cash bonus for the players, a government official said members of the coaching team would receive a reward of $10,000 each.

Former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan, who is from Ghana, wrote in a letter to the team that he was one of millions left “heartbroken” after the Uruguay loss.

Ghana was denied victory when a blatant hand ball prevented a goal in the final seconds of extra time. Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty kick, forcing the shootout.

“You won because you brought us all together,” Annan’s letter said. “The lasting trophy to take away from the tournament is this incredible moment of unity.

Source:  FRANCIS KOKUTSE, Associated Press Writer

Nelson Mandela will not be attending any matches during the World Cup, according to his grandson Chief Mandla Mandela. The 91-year-old former president is still in mourning for his 13-year-old great-granddaughter, Zenani, who was killed in a car accident on the eve of the World Cup tournament on 10 June.

"It's likely to be three months of mourning," said Mandla Mandela - a tall, imposing man whose gravel voice carries more than an echo of his grandfather. "It depends on Zenani's mother, but we are having a family ritual on Sunday to fix the time. We are also cautious about [Mandela's] health - we wouldn't want to expose him to the winter cold. The family must play a protective role."

Thirty-six year old Mandla - also known as Chief Zwelivelile - is an MP from the ruling ANC and succeeded his grandfather as chief of the traditional council in Mvezo, the poor rural village where Nelson Mandela was born. Critics have accused him of seeking to exploit his grandfather's name. Mr Mandela was in Port Elizabeth for last night's England-Slovenia match, for which 22 children from Mvezo were chosen to accompany the players onto the pitch.

He was also promoting an exhibition of World Cup-themed paintings, each signed by Nelson Mandela, which he is hoping to auction in order to raise funds for development projects in Mvezo. He is travelling to Paris next week with the same exhibition. He told me of his grandfather's regret that he could not attend the World Cup opening ceremony as planned, but said he'd promised to be at the tournament "in spirit." The former president played a key role in securing the World Cup for South Africa.

His grandson said the focus "has always been about hosting, not playing" in the tournament, and he praised the impact it had already had on the country, and on its reputation abroad.

"People have come to discover a softer Africa," he said, then pointed to a South African flag flying upside down in the hotel lobby. "Something has changed here. We are becoming more patriotic. People finally want to be identified with the national flag, and they now understand how it should hang - that's the wrong side up. My grandfather was forever utilising sport for nation-building and this World Cup will forever be remembered as the moment we all rallied around the team." 

Source: BBC News Africa