Firepower, not willpower
Two months to go, the world is waiting, with great expectation, for some major football action, involving 32 nations.
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Ghana will shock the world, Ghana coach, Kwasi Appiah, claimed in the aftermath of the draw for the FIFA 2014 World Cup to be staged in Brazil in June.
Recently, that claim has been trumpeted by his star striker and captain, Asamoah Gyan, going for his third straight World Cup appearance.
It might be good for morale to display such chutzpah, but I thought that kind was preserved for pugilists.
At any rate, on what basis are these pros making these bold statements? Let us examine the evidence.
Since Ghana made her berth at the senior World Cup in Germany 2006, thanks to great teamwork and selflessness exemplified by ex-Hearts of Oak superstar, Stephen Appiah, Ghana has never lacked great midfield play. However, Ghana has been deficient in goal-scoring.
Where is the evidence?
Well, let’s see. In her baptismal, Ghana scored a total of four goals (beat the Czechs 2-0, beat the USA 2-1) and conceded three goals (0-2 to Italy, and a goal against the USA), a surplus of one goal, at the group stage.
However, Ghana ran into Brazil, who bounced Ghana out of the competition with a 3-0 drubbing at the Round of 16 stage, earning Ghana a -2 deficit in the goal-scoring department.
Reliving Ghana’s second appearance at the world cup is difficult, but I will try. Ghana scored a total of two goals (beat Serbia 1-0, tied Australia 1-1, lost 0-1 to Germany) and conceded two goals, balancing the score sheets, at the group stage.
Then, Ghana gained a one-goal surplus with a 2-1 victory over the USA at the Round of 16 stage, before losing out on penalties to Uruguay at the quarter-final stage, after regulation play ended at 1:1. However painful Ghana’s exit, that result did safeguard her one-goal surplus at that World Cup, a three-goal progression from her output at the previous World Cup.
Also, by that endeavour, Ghana matched the African record of a quarter-final berth, first marked by Cameroun, a feat later equalled by Senegal.
Liverpool legend, John Barnes, attributes Africa’s failure to make a semi-final berth at the World Cup to a mentality deficiency. Another ex-international, Ghana-born, ex-French national team captain, Marcel Desailly, says “It’s a shame” that Africa has not yet made that mark.
Those statements by those two sons of Africa bring to mind the declaration by Ghana’s coach Kwas iAppiah that Ghana will shock the world, with his captain in tow. Will Ghana shock the world by tumbling out at the group stage? I doubt it. Will Ghana shock the world by winning it all? With what firepower?
Barnes tips Cote d’voire to make it to the semi-finals, this year, a prediction seconded by Desailly, who also tips Ghana for the same mark.
Why only the semis? To me, that is like aiming to place third or fourth in class. Very limited aspiration. If they truly believe, why not predict that an African team would go for the gold?
Could it be due to the fact that, since the inception of the World Cup in 1930, no team from any other continent has won in the hemisphere of the Americas?
Uruguay hosted and won the inaugural edition 4-2 over Argentina, repeating the feat in the 1950 World Cup hosted by Brazil, the eventual runners-up. Then, in Chile, in 1962, Brazil beat the erstwhile Czechoslovakia 3-1 to lift the trophy.
Also, in Mexico 1970, Brazil trounced Italy 4-1 to win it, all, while a Mario Kempes-led Argentina hosted and won it in 1978 with an emphatic 3-1 victory over the Netherlands, repeating the feat when Maradona inspired them to a 3-2 victory over a formidable West German side, when Mexico hosted it again in 1986.
Again, in USA ’94, Romario led Brazil to triumph over a game Italy team 3-2 on penalties, to break the regulation-time 0-0 deadlock.
Going by the empirical evidence, it stands to reason that a South American team is the overwhelming favourite to win this year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
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Also, it is worthy to note that, besides the inaugural world cup grande finale in Uruguay, 1930 (Uruguay v. Argentina) and in Brazil, 1950 (decided on a round-robin format between Uruguay, Brazil, Sweden and Spain) an European team has won the silver medal in all other world cups hosted in the hemisphere of the Americas.
In Chile ’62, erstwhile Czechoslovakia were runners up, just as Italy picked up silver in Mexico ’70. The Netherlands took that spot in Argentina ’78, West Germany played second fiddle in Mexico ’86, and Italy’s fell to second place on penalties at the USA ’94 World Cup.
On the strength of those fool-proof stats, a South American team (one of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina) and an European team (Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands) WILL vie for the top honours as World Champions, this year! My bet? Brazil has not won on home soil, yet, and Messi has not even sniffed it, much less win it for Argentina.
That leaves Uruguay, led by roguish, yet lethal strike-force Luis Suarez, incidentally leading the goal-king race in the English Premiership, as the most improbable of the South Americans to win it, all. Incidentally, Uruguay did better than any other South American team (fourth) in South Africa 2010.
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Besides, Uruguay won the trophy when Brazil hosted it in 1950! Which country is hosting it, this year? Brazil. Hmm.
Which European team would fall victim? On the South American continent itself, Spain took the fourth spot in the Brazil ’50 round-robin, while The Netherlands came second in Argentina ’78. Interestingly, those two nations (group members in this year’s World Cup), vied for the crown in South Africa 2010, the Spaniards clinching a narrow 1-0 victory.
On that strength, and the current strengths of both teams (Spain pipped Italy 1-0 in a recent friendly, while The Netherlands were humbled 2-0 by resurging France), it looks more like Spain, rather than The Netherlands, that will suffer the pain of Uruguay’s celebration as champions of the world, this year, in Brazil.
So, please, pump your brakes, coach Kwasi Appiah. I have been a fan, since you neutralised Mayele in the 1981 African Nations’ Cup qualifier, BUT, Ghana is not winning the world, this year. At the end of the day, it comes down to firepower, firepower, firepower. So, Black Stars, where is your firepower?
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What about the 6-0 demolition of the Pharaohs of Egypt, in Ghana, during the qualifiers? Some say it was an aberration. Very well.
Ghana’s Black Stars lost 0-1 in a recent experimentation against Montenegro, but they have an opportunity to lend credence to Kwasi Appiahs conviction, in the next friendly lined up against The Netherlands, soon.
If you’ve got it, flaunt it, Black Stars. Put your firepower on display in Brazil, this year, and shock the world!