The fans were in their numbers at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday
By Ameenu Shardow
After such a massive reception and support over the weekend for the Black Stars in their important win over Sudan, I am firm in my conviction that perhaps Kumasi be made the permanent home for the Ghana national team.
Since the team?s arrival last Wednesday through to the climax on Sunday, the whole Kumasi atmosphere greeted you with the immense essence of a Ghana win in the 2014 World Cup qualifier.
Even at the Mama Akose chop bar in Bantama where my friend Fred Acheampong of Kessben FM took me for a big bowl of Fufu alongside TV3?s Michael Oti-Adjei, the ever present sense of the need for an impressive performance from the Black Stars was so obvious.
In short, the whole city and even the air within gave you the vague impression of something big in town.
This kind of atmosphere is rarely seen in Accra, the other home of the Black Stars.
I have lived in Accra for almost my entire life and witnessed the Black Stars play in front of a packed stadium but never have I felt the same ?tension? as in Kumasi last weekend.
At the Paa Joe Stadium where the Black Stars first trained upon arriving in Kumasi, the folks at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology gave the team of players and officials just a gist of what was to come with a packed crowd.
Whenever folks spotted a television crew near, they jumped towards the cameras with excitement just to showcase their preparedness to give the Black Stars their all, ask Big Joe ? the ?more chilling? dude.
Then there was the call by their traditional head, the Asantehene Otumfour Osei Tutu II ? urging his people to throng the stadium in numbers ? which took the already secured resounding support to a whole new level.
Every player will tell you how their desire to go the extra mile on the field of play is boosted whenever they see a packed crowd, they get very excited.
The support was clearly at work as the players responded by raking in the needed goals to intensify Ghana?s pursuit for a third successive World Cup qualification.
I felt good reporting on the game because of the support, how much more the players.
It is clear that with the Black Stars the cash cow for the National Sports Authority, playing games at the Essipong or Tamale Stadium will make no business sense.
I also know that the Accra fans would want to have a feel of the national team but they clearly have to earn it.
Ghana will play two back-to-back away games in the qualifiers after which they will host Zambia in the final Group D game.
If qualification is still an issue by that time, then surely, Kumasi should be that venue for probably the most important game for the Black Stars in recent years.
Kumasi has done well to earn hosting the Black Stars on any day in my books that they actually deserve to host every Ghana game from now on.
