FIFA World Cup 2010; Ghana Arrive Home As Heroes
The best performing African team in the World Cup has arrived home to a hero’s welcome despite their shocking penalty kicks performance against Uruguay in the quarter-final of the tournament when they converted only two of their four kicks.
The Africans turned out in huge numbers cheering their national football team as they arrived home after their exit from the first ever football World Cup to be staged in Africa, where fate more than their performance led to their ouster.
The cheering crowds applauded the Black Stars' as soon as their aircraft touched down at the Kotoka airport in the capital city of Accra.
The locals had started converging at the airport hours before the team landed, with some of the fans draped in the West African country's national colours of green, gold and red.
Another feature of the celebrations was the vuvuzelas blasting at full throttle singing with the Africans drumming in a carnival atmosphere.
The aircraft was then sprayed by water cannon - a traditional welcoming gesture of the African nation that takes pride in their team’s football which was more than a national passion.
The ill-fate Ghanaians had to exit the tournament at the quarter-finals stage similar to what had happened in the 1990 edition in Italy when another African team Cameroon lost.
The luckless football fans of the continent had to endure similar fate in 2002 after failing to convert a last minute spot-kick that would have sent them into a semi-final against the Netherlands.
Asamoah Gyan was the guilty party as his penalty struck the cross bar, with the match literally in his team’s hands.
The squad had a great run in the group stage where they went past the formidable Serbians before toppling the United States in extra time in the round of sixteen to book a place in the quarter-finals.
A red carpet welcome awaited them at Accra with a banner reading "Well done Black Stars, we are proud of you" hoisted at the airport.
The Ghanaians were the focus of attention for the South Africans winning widespread sympathy for the manner of their elimination in the pre-quarters match held in Johannesburg last Friday
During the dying stages of the second half of extra time a sure shot goal was blocked with his hands by Uruguay striker Luis Suarez and as a result he was sent off, only to see Asamoah Gyan miss the spot kick moments later which took the game to a penalty shootout.
The match was tied 1-1, and Uruguay progressed after winning the penalty shootout 4-2.
"We did our best for Ghana and Africa, but luck was not on our side," team Captain Stephen Appiah said. "I'm not a prophet, but definitely by any means necessary, we are going to qualify for the 2014 and we are not just going to qualify but we are going to Brazil to be title contenders," he told well-wishers at the airport.
Ghana had held the hopes of the continent after five other African nations in the competition the fancied trio of Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Nigeria besides Algeria and hosts South Africa were knocked out in the group stage.
During their match against the South Americans they enjoyed massive support of around 84,000 spectators at Soccer City stadium.
On the flip side though the team will now be remembered for a missed opportunity rather than becoming only the third African team in World Cup history to reach the quarter-finals.
The team management tried to keep a brave face with a dignified stand of not blaming the Uruguayans or Gyan for their loss in the tournament.
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