MPs urge Black Stars to beat Cameroun
Members of Parliament (MPs) Thursday urged the senior national team, the Black Stars, to beat Cameroun in their semi-final Match Thursday night and go ahead to defeat Egypt to annex the African Cup, which has eluded the country for more than three decades.
They said the wait for a cup had been too long and it was time for the Black Stars players to "die a little" for the country to end the trophy drought.
The refrain from the legislators was for the Black Stars to tame the Lions of Cameroun and move on to beat the Pharos of Egypt.
The MP for Atwima Nwabiagya South, Mr Emmanuel Agyei Anhwere, set the tone for the contributions when he read a statement on the floor of the House, calling on all Ghanaians to support the Black Stars to win the cup at the ongoing AFCON tournament in Gabon.
He said the usual and enthusiastic support that the football loving Ghanaians had for the Black Stars whenever they played was almost lost.
That, he said, could be attributed greatly to the Brazil World Cup saga when the players insisted on receiving their bonuses before honouring subsequent matches.
He mentioned the wrangling between the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports as well as the process of scouting for a coach as some of the challenges.
Mr Agyei Anhwere said despite the hiccups, the Black Stars were shining in Gabon, hence the need for all Ghanaians to support them.
"I think it is time we buried all hatchets and rallied strongly behind them to bring glory back to the nation," he said.
Other contributions
The MPs, who made the contribution including two former Ministers of Sports, Messrs Mahama Ayariga and Rashid Pelpuo, said the whole country was thirsty for the trophy, and asked the players to play their all to win today's (Thusrday) match and the final match on Sunday.
The MPs said the concessions by the players to take the 50 per cent cut in their allowances indicated that they had turned a new leaf.
They therefore urged all Ghanaians to use the same vim that they used in supporting foreign clubs to support the Black Stars to win the cup and throw the nation into a state of ecstasy.
The MPs observed that sports, especially soccer, was a unifying factor for all Ghanaians, hence the need for the people to shun partisanship in offering their support to the Black Stars.