The senior national team the Black Stars have been urged to go all out and ‘steal’ victory from the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the first leg of the crucial World Cup playoff.
The Stars take on the Super Eagles at the Baba Yara stadium this evening in a game that rekindles all the passion that such games invoke.
The Black Stars need to beat the Eagles and ensure a comfortable cushion for the return leg next week Tuesday.
Members of Parliament joined in the support for the team on Friday to psyche the players up ahead of the game.
Deputy Majority Whip, Habib Iddrisu, who kicked-started the calls in a statement on the floor acknowledged the team is young with new faces but once they don their Black Stars shirt they are stars in their own rights capable of beating the Super Eagles to the punch.
He said, “This is a new team and even though they haven’t played together for long, they should just give us victory and 3 nil will not be a bad start so that when we go to Nigeria we can give them 1-0.”
“We have played Nigeria many times but we are very convinced that today’s match is a must-win match and am sure we will be victorious at the end of the day,” he added.
Former Minister for Youth and Sports under the Atta-Mills administration, Nii Lante Vanderpuye in his contribution argued matches between Ghana and Nigeria defy the form guide.
According to him, victory in any game between the Black Stars and the Super Eagles is basically about the most determined players and those hungry enough to win.
“It is not about the players or about the coach. It is about how hungrier a particular country and its team are.”
“It is also not about individual players but about how cohesive, close and well-knit and how psychologically tuned up the players are.”
He urged Ghanaians who will throng to the Baba Yara Stadium to throw their weight behind the Black Stars and support them regardless of whether the team is performing well or not.
He stressed Ghana cannot afford to miss out on the Qatar world cup but stressed a victory will require the complete support and prayers of Ghanaians.
Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim called for unity in the support of the team and argued apart from democracy, football is what Ghanaians literally live on.
He appealed to the players and the technical handlers to disregard the business aspect of the game because that won’t bring victory but to focus on playing for the pride of the country the prestigious Black Stars shirt.
That, he said, is what will guarantee victory for the team and the country against Nigeria.
Majority Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh who concluded the statement reiterated the famous words of Cameroon international Roger Milla when he said ‘You think Cameroon is a football nation, wait till you see Ghana.”
According to him, Milla’s words are as relevant today as they were first made back in 1990 and urged Ghanaians to be behind the team this evening to ensure victory.
He stressed because it is a two-legged match what happens today will play a vital role in influencing which country qualifies for the World Cup, “but it must be the Black Stars,” he added.
Source: Mypublisher24.com