Truly, we live in crazy times.
While the wars in Ukraine, Sudan, South Sudan, Iran, and Lebanon continue with unimaginable human losses, a severe earthquake with many casualties has occurred in Venezuela, and the Ebola epidemic is still spreading in Congo, a large part of the world is following the World Cup football matches in North America with suspense.
That is something completely different for a moment from all those usually sad reports on the news…….
Right now, we hear a lot about the ups and downs of footballers, about small countries (like Curaçao and Cape Verde) that—to everyone’s delight—are making things quite difficult for the big football nations and about wrong choices by national coaches.
We worry about missed big chances or are happy with beautiful goals and we enjoy an Orange March or rowing Norwegians en masse… for a moment, there is a distraction from the raw reality of the world, as if we are temporarily living in a parallel universe…
As I write this, the Netherlands has already been eliminated from the World Cup (yes, after penalties again…), Belgium has—against the odds—beaten Senegal at the very last moment with the help of VAR, and… last but not least… Ghana is playing against strong Colombia tonight!
The Ghanaian national football team is called the Black Stars. They are competing for the World Cup and currently represent the hope of all in Ghana, certainly also of all residents and caregivers of PCC.
The Black Star, in the center of the Ghanaian flag, symbolizes the freedom of Ghana and Africa, the independence after the colonial era, and the hope for the entire African continent!
In 1957, following a peaceful struggle for self-rule led by Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana became the first independent country in Sub-Saharan Africa!
In that regard, it was truly special that Ghana (ranked 73rd in the FIFA ranking) played against England (the former colonizer and ranked 4th in the same ranking) in the group stage, with the Black Stars keeping the English attackers perfectly under control throughout the entire match.
The result was 0–0, and all of Ghana, including everyone in PCC, was rightly immensely proud!
In PCC, all Black Stars matches are watched closely in the TV room, although it is inconvenient that some matches are played in the middle of the Ghanaian night; unfortunately, that does not fit into the daily rhythm of our Community.
In the TV room at PCC, every shot by the Black Stars is greeted with great cheers, even if it goes 10 meters wide; every referee decision against Ghana is received with loud jeering; and the joy at a Ghanaian goal is indescribable—it almost literally “blows the roof off.”
Another week or two, and this crazy time will be over, and everyone will probably be preoccupied with the many major problems in this world again.
But until then, we can let ourselves be carried away by the madness of the World Cup for a while.
And who knows, maybe Ghana will be World Champion in two weeks…???
Surely one is allowed to dream…?
In that case, the party at PCC will probably never stop!
Everyone will sing the Ghanaian national anthem at the top of their lungs all day long, and all the residents will join in a huge, never-ending parade across our compound.
Ghana winning the World Cup, what a beautiful dream!
A Black Star shining all over the world!