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Where is the Ghana CAN 2008 fever?
A GNA Sports feature by Caesar
Abagali
Tamale, Oct. 15, Ghanadot/GNA - In
just a little over two months time Ghana would play host to
the rest of Africa for the CAN 2008, to be witnessed by
Africa and the rest of the world.
For us in Ghana, both football lovers and officialdom cannot
wait long enough to see this major continental soccer fiesta
take place in the country.
The event promises to focus world attention here in Ghana
and normally it is expected that it would bring immense
benefits to various sectors of the economy and the people.
Apart from the benefits of infrastructure developments
that would accrue, economic activities like tourism,
trade and investment are also expected to receive a maximum
boost. Mention must also be made of the
cultural relationship that would exist between the
people of Ghana and the rest of the African continent and
the world. These benefits cannot just be wished away into
place or existence. They must be worked for. There must
therefore be an orchestrated and consistent planning,
calculation and tactical implementation of all that is a
prerequisite towards the realization of those goals.
Suffice to mention that with the adequate scientific
planning, South Korea just managed to break even and derived
some benefits from the Japan-Korea FIFA World cup in 2002.
Some of the benefits included the sole hosting of the
just ended FIFA U-17 World Cup where Ghana participated and
finished fourth.
During the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the whole 'German
machinery' of organisation was deployed to enable the host
gain from the tournament. And this
entails putting in place, the necessary linkages between
sectors of the economy and the society. There was excellent
coordination between ministries such as the Interior,
Sports, Tourism and the general body politic to effect to
ensure what became a successful German World Cup.
Similar direction is being made by South Africa towards the
2010 World Cup, the first to be hosted on the soils of the
African continent. It must be emphasised that Ghana 2008
(CAN 2008) is expected therefore to be a prelude to the
World Cup in South Africa in terms of its organisation and
how well we organise the needed reception as the host of
such an event and to make it a memorable one.
Ghana's success would therefore showcase Africa's ability to
organise since it would also focus attention by CAF and FIFA
here in Africa.
It must be clear to all that one common denominator of all
successful hosting of international competitions is the
extent to which the host country maximizes its benefits by
creating the necessary euphoria among its own people. Or
even to what extent to which the nation can generate much
interests among the people for the success of the
competition.
This fundamental principle, if not adhered to would lead to
a "dry" competition, which might be costly to the nation and
of no benefit to its citizens. It is also important for the
necessary linkages to be established
between the various responsible ministries and other
sectors of development-both in sports and others such as the
Metropolitan Assemblies of the host cities.
The soccer fiesta would also go a long way to showcasing the
nation in the right perspectives with documentaries on major
tourist sites such as the Kakum
National Park in the Central Region, the Monkey Sanctuaries
in the Western and Brong Ahafo Regions, the Boti Falls in
the Eastern Region, Kente weavers in the Ashanti and Volta
Regions as well as the Golden Stool in Kumasi.
Other eye-pleasing sites should include the site of the
friendly Paga crocodiles, the Tongo 'Whispering Rocks, the
beautiful traditional architectural designs of the people of
the Kassena-Nankana District all in the Upper East Region as
well as the Paga and Salaga Slave markets, the Gambaga and
Yendi witches camps, the Damongo Mole Game Reserve and the
historical Mosgue and Mystic stone at Larabanga all in the
Northern Region, just to mention but a few of the beautiful
serene atmosphere that are dotted across the length and
breath of the country to be a regular fixture to our august
visitors to be carried live on our Television screens.
The event should be an occasion that would open one of the
avenues of showcasing our diverse beautiful cultural prowess
and 'ready made' hospitality so that the country can benefit
from the fruits of the CAN 2008. In about 90 days, CAN 2008
would kick-off in Ghana and some basic questions must be
posed even if there are no ready answers to them for now.
Questions that might come to mind might include to what
extent has the Local Organising Committee (LOC) done its
cost benefit analysis of the competition? To what extent are
the people being carried along? Is there any form of anxiety
of the competition among the Ghanaian citizens? What has
been the input of the sector ministry, Ministry of Tourism,
Interior, Academia, and football loving fans as well as the
general society?
These questions must be answered by the LOC before the
kick-off. It is unfortunate that few weeks to the
competition, most people are yet to see the completion of
external works at some of the venues for the tournament.
Advertisements on television
stations are largely insufficient. The fewer ones that are
run are even boring and difficult to move a fan to sacrifice
part of his or her money to pay and witness the events. No
neon signs or billboards depicting the event have so far
been erected on our major streets and communities to
galvanize the people. It would not be out of place if one
asks that billboards should be mounted on major streets and
at vantage
places reminding the populace of such great soccer heroes
like as Abedi Pele Ayew, Reverend Osei Kofi, Mohammed Polo,
Tony Yeboah and other outstanding African players such as
Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, John Mensah, Samuel E'to,
Didier Drogba, Alhaj Diof, Nwankwo Kanu, Mido and the Hassan
brothers and others who may be participating in the CAN 2008
and the previous African Cup of Nations. Outstanding current
players should also not be left out of the euphoria. This
would go a long in drawing the people's interest in
participating in the competition by patronising most of the
games to witness their favourite teams or players in action
at any of the venues so that we do not record low turn-outs.
Another area of making the tournament affordable to
spectators and other visitors is for the organisers to
rehabilitate the Tamale Airport to become a temporal second
international arrival base for the use of nearby countries
such as those from North African and Mali, Cote d'Ivoire
Senegal, Sudan, Nigeria or even Cameron could fly direct to
Tamale in case after the draw they placed within the
northern venue.
Immigration and CEPS officials should revamp their offices
at the Tamale Airport to facilitate the easy entry of all
manner of visitors. This would go a long way in making the
Ghana CAN 2008 to become more outstanding and memorablthan
previous ones.
Additionally, pre-competition seminars, friendly tournaments
and other social activities need to be organised to usher in
the main competition. It is apparent that in effect, the
necessary fever for the competition is lacking and
is yet to be generated and have a bearing on the people. It
would be crucial therefore for the LOC to take criticisms in
good faith, make the necessary corrections on time and see
the gold in them to as to rise to the occasion as
quickly as possible if they want the country to gain
positively from the competition.
Two months may seem to be too late but much can be achieved
if the LOC acts with dispatch and pep up the local people
with various aspects of the event to the soccer-crazy
Ghanaian football fans that cuts across political, cultural
ethnic or social leanings since the love of the game of
football has created a united force in the country and would
be needed again lift high the flag of Ghana across the
African continent at the Ghana Can 2008.
GNA
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