59 Years and the glory is far!
Some took a short time to realise their dream while others took a longer period to come to terms with modern development, while their colonial masters decided to watch how best to keep close watch on their progress.
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To some, it was worth the patience just to ensure they would not be found wanting, economically, politically, socially, and morally in all fields of endeavour, including sports.
We down here set things in motion immediately after independence, and established what has become the Premier League now, thanks to the stable mind of our footballers and from day one, there were no complaints as eight clubs tightened their belts to lay the foundation.
I am talking about the four cities that shared the responsibility, Accra with Hearts of Oak and Great Olympics, Kumasi with Asante Kotoko and Cornerstone, Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs and Venomous Vipers as well as Sekondi-Takoradi which had Eleven Wise and Hasaacas.
The foundation was good, today there are clubs all over in all divisions taking part regularly under the auspices of the nation's football federation. Others who have not had the privilege of taking part in the national programmes are still not giving up.
So far, the whole nation is ignited and significantly the enthusiasm is growing with little children learning how to walk with football at their feet.The same thing is happening all over Africa, but whether the game is better organised here than other countries is debatable.
We need to watch the barometer well to proclaim we are still in the lead, such as the success story of countries like DR Congo, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia are simply phenomenal, while our own in the past three decades leaves a lot to be desired.
This is a country of football talents, something which has pushed great football nations to come and scout and monitor the best, offer them good fees and fly them over, thus helping to improve on their ability.
Lovers of football who have something to offer, catch them young and smartly make the best of profit in foreign currency, and this is the bane that the nation is bound to fight against and prove to the world that we can also keep our players to improve our football and our economy.
It is unfortunate that countries such as DR Congo, South Africa and others poach our best players and certainly, it is the best they will pick among the lot and so if the best are gone, in which way can we force football fans to travel from far and near to fill the stands at our various stadia.
Of course, you and I cannot continue to claim that we are progressing steadily to keep our enviable record as first on the continent. Now you might wonder whether our clubs are showing the ability to be the continental championships of the CAF Champions League and the Confederations Cup.
Ashgold who won our last national Premier League had the privilege to represent the nation in the on-going continental competition and the anticipation was high as their officials kept trumpeting that this is their time to win the cup, or at least reach the money zone, but they were eliminated in their very first attempt at the hands of M O Bejaia of Algeria, the same team that stopped the ambition of Asante Kotoko in the same competition a few years ago.
Of course one of the excuses that came up for discussion was that the Ashgold boys had not been in competitive duels, and there was no way to challenge a team that had started their league and were very serious in all directions.
The competition that is going on year after year for the past four decades had seen our leading clubs winning in the past, with respect to Kotoko winning in 1971,1983 and Hearts claiming the title in 2000.
I wonder whether that is a complement one can pass as compared to a club such as DR Congo's TP Mezembe, the current African champions. Meanwhile, we are being represented in the Confederation Cup by Medeama S.C., a relatively young club. They are the nation's super champions, and can be trusted to reach far, considering their effort to rise to the top.
In their recent challenge for the cup, for instance, they lost to Libya's Ithad Tripoli who had to fulfill their first leg in their neighbouring country, Tunisia. The Libyans managed a single goal through a penalty. Medeama seem capable of turning things round, as the second leg is slated at the Essipong Stadium in Takoradi.
The club's president Moses Armah has assured their fans of sound victory in the second leg, thus setting the tone for more African success stories. Coach Tom Strand is also very confident they will do it, as they strategise very well to weaken their opponents.
This is perhaps one match that the whole nation wake up and pray for an important victory which will raise our ego. In fact that victory will wake us up from our slumber and face Africa chest out.
On the whole, our soccer cannot claim to be that great success looking back at the 59 years of independence.