President of the Ghana Football Association Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku says undiluted support and Unity of purpose was crucial in Ghana’s unbelievable success over Nigeria in the 2022 FIFA World Cup play offs in March this year.
He was speaking at the dinner with the Legends event at East Legon Saturday night.
The Black Stars defied the odds to qualify at the expense of arch rivals Nigeria in two crucial legs that ended 1-1 following a Thomas Partey strike in Abuja on March 29, after drawing the 1st leg 0-0 in Kumasi.
‘’When Ghana was paired to play against Nigeria, there were a lot of doubting Thomas, but I remember my words to our warriors in the changing room of the Baba Yara Sports stadium after the game that ended 0:0’’ he said.
‘’One of the phrases I used is that, we are Ghana and regardless of the score line in Kumasi, we will go to Abuja and make history. In the end, we showed that we are Ghana’’.
‘’Because we had undiluted support from each and every one of you, our country men and women, from the President of the republic and our Sports Minister’’.
‘’That should tell all of us that individual players don’t win, individual talents don't win, team work wins and if it is that we all work as a team, we will always win this and in all occasions that we have won trophies, we showed our ability to stay as a unit and as a family’’.
‘’This quality has never deserted our country. At all times, when the chips are very low, Ghana shows up as a family and we made it on 29th March as a family’’.
‘’Everybody in this country responded to my clarion call to wake up and support the Black Stars because it is the only national football team we have. We realized that when the whole country was united behind the Black Stars, it had a multiplied effect on the adrenalin of the players and they showed it on the pitch. At the end, it was not Nigeria going to the World Cup but its Ghana and we are Ghana’’ President Simeon-Okraku added.
Ghana aims to make a huge impressive at the World Cup in Qatar after failing to make it out of the Group in Brazil 2014.
The Black Stars are paired with Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay in Group H. Ghana will open her campaign against Portugal on November 24 before taking on South Korea and Uruguay.
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