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Pockets of Ghanaians across the country were on Tuesday night thrown into delirium when the Black Stars booked their ticket to the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament.
You know what; the Thomas Partey-led side upstaged no less an opposition than sworn rivals Nigeria’s Super Eagles – who had vowed to flush the Ghanaians out of their way for a seventh World Cup berth.
Indeed, 24 hours ahead of the gut-wrenching tie, the government had announced that public servants in the Nigerian capital of Abuja be given a half-day, whilst free transport arranged from the suburbs to ensure a capacity 60,000 crowd to cheer on the Super Eagles at the Moshood Abiola Stadium.
The directive was obeyed to the letter, and the stadium was filled to the rafters by an intimidating crowd who disrespectfully decided to jeer at Ghana’s national anthem.
Clearly, the Nigerian fans’ behaviour may have infuriated the enterprising new-look young Ghanaians whose stand-in skipper Partey stunned the packed stadium into petrified silence with an 11th-minute right-footed thunderbolt that tore under goalkeeper Francis Uzoho for the opening goal. At that point, even the drop of a pin could be heard by the dumb. Absolute silence!
However, Captain William Troost-Ekong dispatched from the penalty spot after 22 minutes, following a VAR check on Denis Odoi’s challenge on Ademola Lookman. But the Super Eagles failed to score again to keep the game at 1-1 heading into the break.
The second stanza saw a couple of tactical changes by Ghana coach Otto Addo as Jordan Ayew took an early rest. The three changes saw the team switch from 4-3-3 to 3-5-2. This gave them greater midfield control, able to protect their defence and move the ball forward with something approximating to aggression.
As a matter of fact, the team became more stable, resolute, composed, relaxed and impenetrable under pressure from their West African rivals – who had thrown everything at the Stars.
Indeed, Ghana could have killed off the game even before the Tunisian referee’s final signal, had substitute Osman Bukari taken a begging chance from a fierce counter in the dying moments of the eventful half. But never mind, the away goal rule had guaranteed a place for the visitors.
Sadly, the final whistle triggered ugly scenes from the livid home crowd who did not believe what they were seeing. The incident left the image of African football badly bruised.
As a matter of fact, Nigerian security forces had to fire tear gas to disperse the angry fans who stormed the pitch, obviously in reaction to Nigeria’s failure to qualify for Qatar.
The fans plunged into a demolition mission – smashed benches and anything in sight, while others chanted “Pinnick must go! Pinnick must go!!,” referring to the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick.
Black Stars players and Ghanaian journalists had no choice but to take an Usain Bolt-like sprint into the tunnel and straight into their dressing room for safety, cutting short their celebrations.
Similar scenes happened in 1973 during the West Germany ’74 World Cup qualifier when Ghana beat Nigeria 3-2 in Lagos with Stars’ Kwesi Owusu banging home a hat-trick.
The man who engineered Ghana’s famous qualification, Otto Addo – and his technical team, deserves lots of plaudits for fashioning out a system that caged all Nigerian forwards including the dangerous Victor Osimhen. Addo has been around for barely a month but shown great derring-do in team building. Of course, coaches CK Akunnor and Serbian Milovan Rajevac were all part of the qualification process and cannot be forgotten to carving a return to the World Cup, after missing out on the Russia edition in 2018.
The likes of goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott (put up a magical performance in both Kumasi and Abuja), Issahaku Fatau, Mohammed Kudus, Baba Iddrisu, Denis Odoi, Daniel Amartey, Alexander Kwabena Baidoo Djiku, Jordan and big brother captain Andre Ayew among others, have all contributed massively to the success story.
After that dismal showing at the Cup of Nations in January, with the embarrassing loss to minnows Comoros condemning them to a humiliating first-round exit, Tuesday’s Qatar qualification in Abuja, should give Ghanaians something to cheer home about.
PlainTalk with John Vigah
This present team is showing more desire and passion than what we saw at the Cameroon Nations Cup.
Whilst we congratulate the entire team and the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, for a good work done, let us begin to sit and plan for what lies ahead of us in Qatar.
Black Stars, Ayekoo!
African leaders have been urged to strengthen political commitment and domestic investment to end preventable maternal deaths and AIDS by 2030.
The call comes as African health ministers and policymakers meet in Accra to deliberate on health financing, health security and universal health coverage across the continent.
Mr Edouard Bizimana, Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, made the call on Tuesday at the opening of the African Union’s (AU) 25th Extraordinary Summit on Health in Accra.
He said Africa needed increased domestic investment to build resilient health systems as it continued to grapple with infectious diseases and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Mr Bizimana, who is also Chairperson of the AU Executive Council, said although Africa accounted for nearly 17 per cent of the world’s population, it bore 24 per cent of the global disease burden while having less than three per cent of the global health workforce and only one per cent of global health expenditure.
“Despite maternal mortality declining by nearly 40 per cent since 2000, Africa still accounts for about 70 per cent of maternal deaths globally, while almost two-thirds of people living with HIV reside on the continent,” he said.
Mr Bizimana said the growing burden of NCDs was placing additional pressure on already stretched health systems.
“These figures are not merely statistics. They represent painful human realities, preventable losses and unacceptable inequalities, they remind us that health is not an expense it is a strategic investment and a prerequisite for our sovereignty and development. “he said.
Mr Bizimana said recent global health emergencies had exposed Africa’s vulnerability and underscored the need to expand local production of medicines and vaccines, strengthen the health workforce and improve emergency preparedness.
“Our citizens expect resilient health systems where every mother can give birth safely, every child has access to essential healthcare and every African enjoys quality health services regardless of where they live,” he said.
The two-day summit, being held ahead of the 20th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, has brought together health ministers, policymakers and health stakeholders to identify solutions to Africa’s health financing and security challenges.
Madam Florence Samizi, Tanzania’s Deputy Health Minister, called for stronger collaboration among AU Member States to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.
The summit is being held on the theme: “Advancing Justice, Equality and Universal Health Coverage: Ending AIDS, Tuberculosis, Improving Maternal Health, Addressing Endemic Non-Communicable and Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa.”
The meeting is expected to adopt the Accra Declaration, a roadmap to strengthen Africa’s health systems and advance health sovereignty by 2030. -GNA
Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Department of Political Science, Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato says the imprisonment of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, will have little meaning unless it leads to a broader crackdown on illegal mining.
In a post on his Facebook page on the July 21, 2026, Dr. Zaato said the judgment should mark the beginning of efforts to completely eradicate galamsey and hold all those involved accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.
He said the country must work towards restoring polluted rivers, protecting forests and ensuring that people implicated in illegal mining activities are prosecuted.
According to him, those the President has publicly acknowledged to be involved in galamsey should face prosecution.
He called for the prosecution of district chief executives (DCEs), members of Parliament (MPs) and senior political party officials who have been accused of engaging in or supporting illegal mining.
Dr. Zaato further urged the government to take decisive action to end the destruction of the country’s forests caused by galamsey.
He maintained that the imprisonment of Chairman Wontumi would only have a lasting impact if it results in a comprehensive and impartial fight against illegal mining across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
