A Nation’s Psyche

A soccer match between Ghana and Mozambique as part of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cote d’Ivoire lends the backdrop to this write up.

It was a match that Ghanaians had been projected as a heavy favorite to win. They had the label of heavyweights of African soccer, having won the cup four times and with most players playing in top leagues in Europe and elsewhere. The venue made it a virtual home game for the Ghanaians being that the two countries share land borders. Thousands of Ghanaians fans living in Cote d’Ivoire have been joined by thousands more who have crossed over the border to cheer their team on. Above all, it was a match that she had to win to enhance her chances of advancing to the next stage of the tournament, having done so poorly in earlier matches.

Their poor, uninspired performance continued resulting in a highly disappointing outcome that guaranteed her elimination out of the tournament.

One side of the argument held that it being a sporting competition, you could either win or lose. Ghana came in ill-prepared, performed poorly and lost. Plain and simple.

This is a nation deeply caught in a tsunami of losses and defeats in nearly everything – its economy, politics, international relations, entertainment etc. In sports (i.e., soccer) she has not gotten anywhere beyond the preliminary stages of any tournament in recent times, the current debacle in Abidjan being the latest. And if the losses themselves were not bad enough, check out the way they came. All came through listless performances by players whose body language indicated lack of any patriotic pride in the colors they have been chosen to represent. But for a few, most seem to be telling us to be grateful that they had accepted the invitation to don the national colors. In nearly all cases, it was quite revealing to compare the show of enthusiasm of our boys with that of their opponents. The Black Stars seemed far more lackadaisical in their approach, far less interested, less desirous or spirited. Conspicuously missing in all situations is the proverbial “umph” that pushes one to go beyond the call of duty for country and nation.

Expertise in rocket science is not needed to understand why this may be. what was being said. We are sitting on an immense wealth of football potential and actualized talents. Yet she loses so miserably. Sounds familiar? “We are sitting on immense economic wealth, yet we are starving. Bad governance being the reason.” These are the words of a top politician during his campaign for power. He won.

Leaders do not put food in people’s mouth. Leaders do not play soccer. Do they? Of course not, in literal terms. But they do, figuratively. Bad governance by them is what causes their nationals to starve or for national teams to lose even when presented with victory on a silver platter. Their doings and sayings (words and actions) create a winning psyche, draws out an enabling environment, sets the tone, blows the wind in the sails of his people to want to soar. On the contrary, spewing out lies, stealing, slumbering, flip flopping, arrogance and the likes neither inspires the friend nor scares the foe, making defeat a predictable outcome. Any attempt to make the people participants and not spectators will forever remain nothing more than a plagiarized poster board slogan.

If the fundamentals are wrong, national outcomes and fortunes will expose you. Sounds familiar? Only that here we are talking about national outcomes in general, not foreign exchange rates. And never in Ghana’s history have the fundamentals been so wrong!

Courtesy of a constitution of sorts, the nation is virtually crippled by a puerile and floundering legislating parliament, an abysmally corrupt and clueless executive and a judiciary that is compromised and suspected. This is not a functional arrangement that produces patriots.

Time there was when Ghanaians were inspired to stand ready for action in the cause of Ghana and Africa. Today, the drive is towards the parochial interests of family and friends. The dearth of patriotism means no one in any field is inspired to want to die a little for the fatherland, if necessary. The young men in the national soccer team are no different. You cannot be wrong and get right, as says the lyrics of a popular reggae song. Show me a nation in defeat and retreat and I will show you a nation with a shot national psyche.

Far from being pessimistic musings on our nation, this is an expression of eternal optimism regarding the future of my fatherland. Time is fast approaching when the purge of insertions of lies and falsities into our national discourse shall commence. Revisionists’ efforts to deny or diminish our true heroes while inserting phantom ones with over-glorified contributions into our historical narratives shall cease. Ignominious honors bestowed on traitors while our heroes are vilified and dishonored shall be purged. Names and effigies of arch traitors adorning national landmarks such as airports and traffic interchanges shall be removed.

True patriots shall once again be recognized, honored appropriately. A national psyche of willingness to die a little for country and nation shall blanket the atmosphere and the Black Star shall glitter and shine once again. It is then that we shall come to understand the true import of Nkrumah Never Dies.