Ghana’s defeat: Like 2004, like 2015

GHANA’S failure to capitalize on its 2-0 lead at the start of penalty shootout against the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in Sunday’s final of the 2015 AFCON in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, was not the first time the country’s national team would disappoint the fans after getting so close to victory.

  In 2004, their female counterparts, Black Queens, were on the verge of winning an Olympic Games’ ticket for the first time, but they blew it after a 2-0 lead in a penalty shootout to ultimately lose the game 3-2 to the Super Falcons of Nigeria. It happened right in front of the home fans at the Accra Stadium. 

  Then, the Black Queens were looking for their passage to Athens 2004 Olympics Games and their only obstacle was the Super Falcons, who had beaten them to all major competitions since 1991. The Athens 2004 Olympics qualifiers provided the Ghanaians a ray of hope after the Black Queens came to Ibadan to battle the Falcons to a 1-1 draw.

  That match played at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, was the last game for some key players in the Super Falcons, including USA-based speed star, Patience Avre. The second leg in Accra was a big drama.

  In Accra, the Ghanaians rolled out all in their armoury by recalling all key players, including team captain, U.S-based Alberta Sackey with flamboyant keeper Memunatu Sulemana boasting that it was the end of the road for Nigeria. 

  The game ended 1-1 with ‘Bulldozer’ Nkechi Egbe scoring for Nigeria, while Sackey equalised for Ghana. 

  In the penalty shootout, ‘Pocket Dynamite’ Vera Okolo and ‘Babyface’ Ajumai Ameh missed their kicks for the Falcons, while two home-based Ghanaians scored. 

  And just as it happened on Sunday night, when the Black Stars raised the hope of millions of Ghanaians after leading 2-0 in the penalty shootout against the Ivoirians, the atmosphere at Accra Stadium in 2004 was super charged with the home fans already drumming and singing victory songs.

  To them, no magic would see the Super Falcons overcome a 0-2 deficit in a penalty shootout, not to talk of winning the match. 

  They got their calculations wrong, as Super Falcons’ goalkeeper, Precious Dede, stood between the Ghanaians and victory. 

  After conceding two goals, Dede adjusted her hand gloves and short paints to save the last three kicks taken by the Ghanaians. At the same time, Super Falcons trio of Nkechi Egbe, Perpetua Nkwocha and Yinka Kudiasi took their time to study the tricky movement of Black Queens’ flamboyant goalie Memunatu Sulemana. They got it right, scoring their last three kicks for Nigeria, while Ghanaians lost theirs. It ended 3-2 for Nigeria and ended Ghana’s dream of qualifying for the Olympics Games for the first time.

  Till this moment, many Ghanaians have not forgotten that painful defeat at Accra Stadium on a day they were so close to ending Super Falcons’ dominance in African football.  

   On Sunday, the Black Stars slumped to yet another defeat in the penalty shootout after getting so close. Ghana managed to hold the star-studded Ivoirian side to a goalless draw game after regulation and extra time, and were on the verge of lifting the trophy only for the Avram Grant’s side to blow away a 2-0 lead in the shootout to lose the game 9-8.