Black Stars unite Africa
Lots of Ghana puns in the papers here today - as Africa waits breathlessly to see if Ghana is gonna garner enough goals to go through to the football World Cup semi-finals.
The whole continent seems to be rooting for the Blacks Stars. Even South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela has issued a statement of support.
As the football teams start to thin out, perhaps it's time South Africans voted for their favourite fans. My money was on the broad-brimmed Mexicans for the first week or so, but after spending yesterday with about 50 singing, pot-bearing, jubilant Ghana supporters, I think I've found my winners. They even composed a special song for our cameraman, Chris Parkinson, who is marrying a South African woman later this year.
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And in case you haven't been swept away by the excitement, optimism and general sense of continental unity, here's something to chew on.
I’m 
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~49~RS~)
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I wish Ghana the best and lots of goals, and i know they have the potentials to perform. However, Africa is not united on a cheap soccer game which we can win or loss. WE ALREADY UNITED FOR MANY IMPORTANT REASONS FROM MANY YEARS AGO. We just saw what happeneD to the gods of soccer Brazil few minutes ago, now they are preparing their bags to fly out of South Africa after they were surprised by the orange guys. So Ghana you win or loss we are behind you and we already ONE.
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Just watched Ghana's first goal in the most crowded bar I've ever been to - African Corner in Yeoville, Johannesburg - a favourite with the Ghanaian community here. Clasped hands and nervous prayers transformed into total, beer-flying, vuvuzela-blaring, street-dancing delirium. Will it last?!
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Thanks for the well chewed biltong in the form of Jonathan Jansen. Definitely from the Mugabe school of thought. Instead of constructively discussing and facing the problems we might have in South Africa he launches a spurious witch hunt.
Anecdotal evidence perhaps but also an extremely common reason for "whites" leaving SA is indeed crime, my own family being burgled with and without the threat of serious injury 45 times in three houses. Each time they thought they were moving to a safer area, they literally ran out of positive thoughts and were run out the country. No its not positive thinking that will solve crime is a proper police force and law and order.
Africa needs these unifying moments, Im not so sure because there is so much already that unifies them, lots of it good and much bad and sad like any continent, but If unity brings change and critical introspection rather than simple pride Im all for it.
Ghana unfortunately lost the game so we hope to expect out of it at the very least a renewed and vigourous rethink on how to get African football back on track rather than blaming anyone that simply happens to be on the sidelines?
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Andrew Harding seems to be running around South Africa occupying himself with the issue of African unity. Doesn't he reminds you of Linda Chalker (the erstwhile British minister of overseas development) jokingly referred to as the 'Village Headmistress' because of the way she behaved whenever she visited the Continent? Harding on his part seems to be attempting to impress the 'locals' with his fountain of "knowledge".
I'll like to put the question of European unity to Harding, let's see what he has to say of a region which barely 60 years ago slaughtered over 50 million of it's own people in a frenzy of megalomaniac nationalism. Has anything changed since then?
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Without a doubt the Black Stars have carried Africa on their shoulders with tremendous pride. Despite his missed penalty, Africans ought to treat Gyan as a Hero. He stepped up to his call of duty in every single game and I hope to see more Africans taking pride in doing all that's required of them for their countries; and Particularly for Motherland (Africa as a continent).
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the baroness? I'll treasure that one Dele!
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Well, on the question of African unity, while I agree that the Black Stars great performance galvanised the continent's people in their hope of seeing one of their own teams succeed (where mightier and wealthier teams failed, might I add), I don't think it's exactly correct to allude African's general unity to this single moment in history. I personally think that what this occasion demonstrated, is a classic example of the theory that people will usually group themselves up with whomever they find the most in common with, in whatever social situation.
To illustrate, if you observe races of various origins in some other foreign land where they are a minority as a group, you will notice that they will tend to 'unite'.
As for what Jonathan Jansen had to say, I totally agree with his observation. I recently met a South African immigrant person in the UK who noticed I was from Southern Africa by my name (my real name that is, not EMC). Given the current happenings, I thought it would be good to mention all the positive things surrounding his country hosting the World Cup and all. To my surprise, he unleashed a litany of what was wrong with South Africa. Amazing!
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