Super Black Stars -2-0 victory over Mali tells its own

There is a new buzz of life at the centre of the earth. The performance of the Black Stars in the 28 th Orange African Cup of nations has given the average Ghanaian something to be proud of. On Saturday night, the referee's final whistle, bringing the Black Stars' match with Mali to an end in Franceville, in oil-rich Gabon, was greeted by a spontaneous bout of joy in Accra and other cities, towns, and villages in Ghana, where the colonial flag was first lowered in Black Africa in the wee hours of March 6, 1957.

The Black Stars, the famed national team of Ghana, named specifically to reflect the aspirations of the black race, had accounted for the tough customers in the Eagles of Mali, in one of the most uncompromising second round matches of the on-going African Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

For Ghanaians, who have had nothing to cheer about the economy worsened by price hikes in petroleum products, the 2-0 victory recorded with two of the most clinical finishing in association football, was celebrated wildly into the night.

By Sunday morning, there was a certain buzz about the activities of the ordinary Ghanaian. The victory would obviously rub off on the moribund administration of President John Evans Atta Mills.

While the good news from the camp of the Black Stars lasts, the administration would escape the effect of the Woyome scandal and other major issues affecting the Ghanaian, as front pages of newspapers and air time on radio and television are devoted to the communication and analysis of the good news from the football arena.

At half time in last Saturday's difficult engagement with Mali, a nephew called in to announce that he had switched allegiance to Mali, on account of the Black Stars ineffectiveness and the Malian ascendancy.

By the time Andre Dede Ayew's superb individual brilliance was crowned with a goal of world class value, Stephen Quansah had called back on the cellular phone, not only restoring his allegiance, but praising the quality of Ghanaian football.

Football, it has long been established, is the passion of the nation. The Black Stars 2-0 victory over the audacious national team of Mali was milked in a manner that suggested that the team and their handlers would attain folklore status, should they succeed in their endeavour to bring the continental trophy home to register Ghana's fifth win in the African championship.

Before Saturday's match, there was a mood of uncertainty, following the opening day's unimpressive 1-0 victory over the Zebras of Botswana, considered minnows of the continental game.

The suspension of skipper John Mensah, universally acknowledged as the 'Rock of Gibraltar' at the heart of the defence, coupled with the absence of John Vorsah, who was serving a two-match suspension, created anxiety in the minds of many followers of the game back home.

Jonathan Mensah and new-comer John Boye did a marvelous job keeping Malian star strikers, Chieck Diabetey and Traore quiet for most of the 90 minutes, allowing Masahudu Alhassan and stand-in skipper John Paintsil to join in the attack on a number of occasions.

The midfield machine that never stooped running, featuring Anthony Annan, Agyeman Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah, Sulley Muntari and Andre Dede Ayew, kept the heat on Mali, and though Baby Jet Asamoah Gyan spent most of the first half isolated in the opponents' territory, the link between the attack and the midfield improved significantly in the second half.

Before then, the Black Stars had a very scary moment in the 38 th minute, when Cheikh Diabete struck both posts, with Ghana's youthful goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey completely stranded.

Having survived the scare, the Black Stars were more adventurous in the second half.

Andre Ayew went on one of his usual solo runs that left the Malian defence stretched in the 68 th minute,  and was brought  down by Bakaye Traore, 25 metres away from Malian 'keeper Diaketey's goal.

Baby Jet Asamoah Djan elected himself to take the kick, and sent a curling sizzler into the top corner of the net, with Diaketey rooted to the spot. It was one of those goals that leave connoisseurs of the game purring. Ghanaians, naturally, greeted the goal back home with cheers and the sounds of vucvuzelas and whistles piercing through the night air.

 
It was a goal with class written all over it. The Black Stars celebrated the goal, indulging in 'Ampe', the traditional game of women in this part of the world. Looking at the animated faces of the national team players, one could sense that a solitary goal would not be enough for their pride.

True to predictions, the Black Stars went on hunting for more. But, the Malian rear-guard, marshaled by goalkeeper Diaketey, stood firm. Indeed, the Malians went on the offensive of their own on a number of occasions, catching goalkeeper Kwarasey clutching at straws anytime he came out to deal with an aerial situation.

On a number of occasions, he created panic in the Ghanaian rear-guard, by his inability to reach the ball anytime he came out. Thank God, the Ghanaian defence was not breached, until the Black Stars struck a goal of pure beauty to send the Malians home, well and truly beaten.

Asamoah Djan picked a ball midway through the opponents' area, and raced towards the right hand side by-line of the Malian defence, chased by a horde of Malian defenders. The former Sunderland striker feigned running towards goal with the ball, and flicked the ball with a back heel to Dede Ayew.

The reigning BBC sports Personality of the Year trapped the ball, and saw his path blocked by three defenders of Mali. That is when the wizardry of the Ayew family came into fore. Like his father, young Dede swerved the three defenders confronting him with adroit footwork, and let fly a sweet left foot.

The moment the ball left the boot of the former captain of Ghana's Under 20 World Cup squad, it was obvious something special was about to happen. The ball sailed through a forest of Malian legs, and nestled in the right hand corner of the net. Malian 'keeper Diaketey stretched full length to reach it, but it was too little, too late. It was Black Stars' goal Number Two.

The Black Stars celebration told its own story. It was a means of telling the world of association football that those who called time on their chances of winning the cup, judging the team by their performance in the 1-0 victory over Botswana, might have reached a hasty conclusion.

Dede had this to say after the match: 'After our first game, people were putting a question mark next to Ghana. But, today, we've proved we are here, and we're going to fight until the end.'

Malian coach Alan Girese, a former French international, agreed with Dede. 'We didn't come here to play a loving game. We came to win. But, Ghana is a good team.'

On the evidence of their display against Mali, and the determination to go one higher than their second placed outing in Angola 2010, this team would reach places. By the time they finish their next Wednesday assignment against Syli National of Guinea, the picture would have been clearer. The Black Stars mean business!