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June 28, 2006
'Nothing is Impossible'
Or so they said on the radio and so it seemed for just a brief instant at the beginning of Ghana's match against Brazil, the World Cup favorite. Then, less than 10 minutes in, Brazil scored the first of its three goals. But like any self-respecting soccer country, Ghana had shut down completely for the game and was not planning to reopen.
In the affluent Osu district people crowded into restaurants and bars. The electronics stores filled up with people gazing at the banks of televisions, and then more people pressed against the glass from outside. At a bar called Duncan's, an advertised "big screen TV" turned out to be a TV balanced on a big box so that the whole place could see. Constant argument and discussion-mostly not in English, except for curse words-peppered the first half.
As the second half began I found myself in the middle of a dead main street. But not for long. People congregated around a giant screen set up near a chain of South African fast-food restaurants as local and international news crews catalogued the action and reaction. The fans watched somberly until the final whistle blew. Then the shouting began.
Conversations turned into yelling matches. People with whistles and horns started to blow them, and drivers followed suit. Men and women decked out in full red, yellow and black regalia streamed into groups, and the groups took to the streets. Huge flags flew out of windows and sunroofs, and informal parades sprung up, stopping traffic. These clusters flew from camera to camera dancing and shouting in front of each before moving along. A thick haze of exhaust built up as the cars sat motionless, honking happily. A man in full body paint threw down a cash box on top of hood after hood, demanding a token of appreciation for his efforts from car after car.
Christos, who is here to make a documentary about soccer in the developing world, drew the attention of group after group. Several denounced the referees and the "whites" (Brazil).
But no one was fighting. No one honked out of anger at the fans blocking their way. As the parade continued on into its second hour, its real purpose became clear. Ghana was the only African country to advance to the World Cup round of 16. This was a celebration.
Posted by Adam Graham-Silverman at June 28, 2006 01:28 PM