Mills: Ghana will win World Cup

Listen to President Mills© Copyright myjoyonline

Ghana's desire to win for the first time, an African World Cup gold was trumpeted loudest on Thursday, with President John Atta Mills leading a mass chant that South Africa 2010 must be the golden moment.

Moments after unveiling the FIFA World Cup Trophy and hoisting it in front of dignitaries from FIFA, Coca-Cola and the local football fraternity, President Mills announced; “I would want to say something to FIFA; I'm giving this trophy back to you, but it's on loan. After the World Cup it's going to come back here,” he said to wild cheers at the Osu Castle Gardens in Accra where the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola made a colourful stop.

After thanking Coca-Cola and FIFA for making it possible for many Ghanaians and indeed Africans to see the world's most prestigious football prize, (the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour will go through all 54 African countries), the President then invited two men (Drs Afeke and Nii Amu-Darko) to pray for Ghana's success at the World Cup, and also a win on Friday for the Black Satellites against Brazil in the finals of the FIFA U-20 Championship in Egypt.

“I want to tell you that after the World Cup, we will invite you here and display the cup also here,” President Mills emphasized. He had had to truncate activities on the first day of a three-day 'thank you' tour of the Eastern Region, explaining that when football calls, its powerful attraction is hardly resistible.

Football is also unifying, he said, explaining that there were many in the audience who would have found it difficult to honour an invitation by him to visit the Castle, but were there because of football.

“I'm grateful to Coca-Cola and FIFA for designating Ghana as a platinum market and also giving our brother and sisters on the continent an opportunity to see the World Cup. Indeed football has done a lot for us and is going to do even more for us. All of us here are united and in unity lies strength.”

Rich culture
The event saw a rich display of Ghanaian culture, with traditional dances from all 10 regions of the nation heralding the unveiling of the 18-carat, 13.61 pounds solid gold diadem.

Also at the event were some past and present members of the senior national football team, the Black Stars, including C.K. Gyamfi, Awule Quaye Snr., Osei Kofi, Opoku Afriyie, Frimpong Manso, Mohammed Polo, Wilberforce Mfum, Tony Yeboah and Tony Baffoe as well as current skipper Stephen Appiah and colleagues Edmund Owusu Ansah and Philemon McCarthy.

Story by Isaac Yeboah/Myjoyonline/Ghana