The Power of Football (soccer to us in America)

There is no better time to be in Ghana than during the World Cup. As an American, rather as a person with light skin, I usually attract plenty of attention when travelling through Kumasi but on the day when Ghana plays Australia people are yelling at me from all over the place. Yes, they think I am from Australia, but regardless the attention is enjoyable. It is friendly and conversations can be started because of this game the rest of the world adores. "3 goals on you" they say and I smile back and reply "I sure hope so" as I am cheering for Ghana as well.

I spent the afternoon here yesterday watching the US play Slovenia in a heated game. I was surrounded by Ghanains as we were all cheering for the US to outlast the Slovenian side. When the game ended in a controversial draw it was reassuring to know the Ghanians I was watching with were equally as upset about the called off US goal as I was and it was kind of them to tell me over and over that it was a "fair" goal. It was fun to have them turn and watch me when a controversial call was made or give me a high-five when the US evened the score. I may not have interacted with these Ghanains without the World Cup and their passion for the sport drives us to form a bond that would not have formed otherwise.

During the World Cup whole communities shut down and people gather from all walks of life to watch their nation play. As I was walking through the Market today before the Ghana game there were TV's in almost every stall with 10-15 people crowded around anticipating the start of the Ghana match. Saturday's in West Africa's largest market are usually hectic but all will shut down as soon as Ghana begins their game. There are people making Ghana flags and selling hats, shirts, and jerseys with increasing excitement as the game nears.

While I am not a fan of the huge salaries sports players have and I am ashamed to admit I can name more sports players then US Supreme Court Justices or Senators they sense of community these teams can bring is inspiring. There is always something to start a conversation with and when we are done talking about the last soccer match we can talk about life here in Ghana. We can discuss politics, how their school system works and the problems facing a community like lack of nutritional food. The World Cup has served as a tool for me to begin conversations with people I may not have spoken to otherwise and it has allowed me to gain a deeper appreciation for the country of Ghana. Throughout this trip I have been inspired by the passion and spirit of the people of Ghana show and it is a side of them I may now have seen if I weren't travelling during the World Cup. So I am thankful for the power of football and what it brings to a nation such as Ghana and those other nations fighting to survive in the tournament. As they say here in Africa...Africa United! Lets cheer for the African nations in this first African World Cup!!!