Ghana: 10 killed in cargo plane crash in Ghana's capital

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) A cargo plane attempting to land at an airport in Ghana's capital crashed Saturday night, slamming into a bus loaded with passengers on a nearby street, killing all 10 people on board, emergency responders said.

The crash occurred in Accra near Kotoka International Airport, which sits near newly built high-rise buildings, hotels and the country's Defense Ministry. Witnesses said the plane first smashed through the fence that runs around the airport before hitting the bus.

Billy Anaglate, spokesman for the Ghana Fire Service, said that all 10 passengers in the bus were killed on impact. The plane's four crew members appear to have survived the crash and were rushed to a local hospital for treatment.

"What happened is that the Allied (Air) Cargo plane, actually I was told, was traveling from Nigeria to Ghana. At the landing it was short of the boundary, and it went off onto the road side. It crashed into a bus that was bound for Accra," said Anaglate, who was reached by telephone late Saturday.

"... (The plane) broke the barrier and went onto the road and hit the vehicle and unfortunately in the vehicle everyone ended up dying. The poor people were killed."

An official at the airport's control tower declined to comment when reached Saturday night, saying no one was available to discuss the crash. Police officials also refused to immediately discuss the matter, although a press conference was scheduled to take place later Saturday.

Police and soldiers quickly cordoned off the neighborhood where the plane crashed. The area is near to El-Wak Sports Stadium and Hajj Village, where Muslims in the country stay before they journey to Mecca.

Local television showed images of the plane lying across a road with its tail damaged as the flight crew jumped off and received help from emergency responders.

Witnesses said the plane was labeled as belonging to Allied Air Cargo, a fact confirmed by Anaglate. The name and symbols on the aircraft matched those of the Nigerian air freight company based out of Lagos. Telephone numbers for the company in London, Lagos and the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt rang unanswered Saturday night.

Ghana, a nation of more than 25 million in West Africa, has not had a major airplane crash in recent years. The last air emergency the country had was in June 2006, when a TAAG Linhas Aereas De Angola flight to Sao Tome hit birds during takeoff. The plane landed safely and none of the 28 people onboard were injured.

Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell and Sammy Ajei in Lagos, Nigeria contributed to this report.

Memorable Images And Time (West African Leaders)

Jacqueline Kennedy chats with Mrs. Houphouet-Boigny (right) as they pose for photographers prior to a state dinner given by President and Mrs. Houphouet-Boigny of the Ivory Coast in honor of the Chief Executive and Mrs. Kennedy here tonight.Date: May 24, 1962. Location: Washington, D.C. Image: Bettmann


7/28/1966- Washington, DC: State visitor. President Johnson chats in his office with President Leopold Senghor of Senegal today after the African Chief Executive arrived for a nine-day visit. President Johnson welcomed President Senghor as "the head of a very friendly and vigorous African nation."


President John F. Kennedy greets the first Nigerian Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa at the White House.Date: July 25, 1961. Location: Washington D.C. Image: Bettmann


7/24/1958-Washington, D.C.- Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana shown during his White House visit with President Eisenhower today. He later told newsmen that the President was "sympathetic" to the economic problems of his newly independent African state.

The Ambrose Ehirim-Tana Lopez Q & A Interview

Tana Lopez is a nationally exhibited and nationally published international documentary and fine-art photographer living in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area. She is also an official member of the Jazz Journalist Association.In the summers of 2010 and 2011 she traveled to Ghana, West Africa as the official photographer for a non-profit organization that builds schools and health clinics in the mud-hut villages that surround the city of Accra. Her photos from Ghana benefited the organization’s fund raising efforts significantly and in August, 2011 were also exhibited at the prestigious Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center in Baltimore, MD. Tana is absolutely passionate about taking pictures that will bring about awareness of important issues because she feels that the best way to motivate people to change the world is to show them what needs to be changed. She has many more exhibits planned in the near future.

You had the Tana Lopez Photography Public Exhibition at the Eubie Blake National Jazz and Cultural Center in downtown Baltimore in 2011. How did this come about?

A lady by the name of Cheryl Goodman referred me to the Director of the center (Troy Burton). They asked me if I would like to do an exhibit of my live jazz photos and I said yes!! Eventually I decided I would rather show my photos from my work in Ghana because I felt that the poverty that existed there was an issue that was important and that people needed to know about.

Photography is art. When and how did you start the work of photography?

In 2008, I had come to a time in my life where my children were all in school and didn't need my constant care and attention anymore. I had a college degree but when I started applying for jobs, I realized that after having stayed home with my children for so long, very few people were willing to hire me or to pay me what I was worth. I decided not to take a low-paying job, that I would rather find something I was passionate about. After trying many different things, photography was the one form of art that really stuck, once I started I just couldn't stop.


What are your favorite moments in photography?

By far the best and most meaningful part of my photographic career has been my work in the mud-hut villages of Ghana.

You traveled to Ghana in 2010 as photographer to cover events for the Ghanaian Mothers Hope, Inc. How did you get the assignment?

I came across their facebook page in May of 2010 and eventually landed on their website. I read about how they were building schools and health clinics in the mud-hut villages that surround the city of Accra. This was something that I had always dreamed of doing, going to a third world country and helping the people. I knew immediately that I wanted to do something like this, so I emailed the director and asked if I could join them. A few weeks later, she called me and told me yes!! I went to Ghana in 2010 for a month and then I went back with the same organization in 2011 for three weeks.

Was that trip your first to any African country?

Yes, this was my first trip to the continent of Africa

What was the trip about?

For me this trip was a huge lesson in taking something I was good at doing and adding meaning to it in a way I had never even imagined. Up until my trip to Ghana, being a photographer was fun and exciting. Going to a third world country took my life to a whole new level, I have now decided that all my future work will be about documenting important issues such as poverty.

Entering your website, first on spot is the music of David Dyson. Who is David Dyson?

David Dyson is a phenomenal jazz bass guitarist and a great friend. He was the musical director of New Kids on the Block and since then has performed with many amazing artists such as Phil Perry, Pieces of a Dream, Walter Beasley, Marcus Johnson, and so many more.

It’s obvious jazz music is one of your favorites. Who is your favorite jazz performer?

It's hard to have a favorite jazz performer, there is just so much talent out there. But I have to say that the jazz artists in the DMV area hold a special place in my heart.

You quoted Hakim Sanai recently in one of your lines on Face-book: “I choose love above all else. As for wealth, if that comes, or goes, so be it. Wealth and love in nhabit separate worlds.” Who is Hakim Sanai and what was the quote all about?

Hakim Sanai is one of the earlier Sufi poets and lived during the 11th century, he is just one of many poets whose work I admire. I love reading poetry!! As far as that quote, to me it just means that love and wealth really are two different concepts that have nothing to do with each other. Too often in our society we confuse the two, or we make one dependent on the other, but I don't agree with that idea. I think love is far more important than anything else in life.


You are a lover of people. How did you generate that?

It is just who I am at the deepest level, I have always loved people and had a special affinity toward people who are less fortunate than others. I have always felt that poverty in our world should not exist and have always felt a special pull toward the poor.

What are you working on now?

I am absolutely passionate about taking pictures that will bring about awareness and change. I believe that the best way to facilitate change in this world is by showing the world what needs to be changed. After having researched different social issues in our country and abroad, I have decided that I absolutely must explore the current issues of today’s Native Americans. I want to depict their beauty and their struggle so that I can show this to the world by way of multiple national and international photo exhibits and eventually the publication of a book. When people see and can truly feel the pain and the struggle that the American Indians are going through they will want to make a difference. For this reason, I will work closely with several different non-profit organizations so that when people feel motivated to donate money, they will immediately know where they can send their money.

In 2013 I am planning a three month trip to work in an orphanage in India. I plan to have exhibits and publish a book with the photos that I take in India as well. I will continue to venture to places and to take pictures of the people I feel the world needs to see.

Thank you so much, Ambrose, for showing interest in my work and for writing this article. You are helping me bring about awareness of important issues and I appreciate that so much!!

C. Odumegwu Ojukwu's Press Conference On Aburi Meeting

You are already aware that we have just ended the meeting of the Supreme Military Council in Ghana. It has come to my notice that the public is anxious to have more details of decisions taken.

The meeting opened with a joint declaration by all of us, the military leaders, renouncing the use of force as a means of settling the present crisis in Nigeria and holding ourselves in honor bound by that declaration. That declaration also reaffirmed our faith in discussions and negotiations as the peaceful means of resolving the Nigerian crisis. having regard to the great fear and suspicion on all parts about the use of force, we thought that this declaration should precede any other business; and I am sure that all Nigerians will welcome it as a source of great relief.

The next important matter discussed, and upon which a lot of other things hinged, was the organization of the Nigerian army. Let me say here that our discussions right through went on in a calm atmosphere, understanding, and realism. We in the East have always felt that realism and understanding were lacking in the past in the approach to our problems, and it was very encouraging that our meetings on the two days showed the sincere determination by all to find realistic solutions to our problems.

it was agreed that the army will be henceforth be governed by the Supreme Military Council, the chairman of which will be known as Commander-in-Chief and Head of the Federal Military Government. There is to be a military headquarters on which the regions will be equally represented and which will be headed by a Chief of Staff. There shall be an area command in each region under the charge of an area command in each region under the charge of an area commander -- the regions corresponding to the existing ones. There will be a Lagos garrison, which will include Ikeja. For the duration of the military government, military governors will have control over their area commands in matters of internal security. All matters of policy, shall be dealt with by the Supreme Military Council. Any decision affecting the whole country must be determined by the Supreme Military Council, and when a meeting is not possible, such a matter must be referred to the military governors for comments and concurrence.

Subject to the above arrangements, we felt that the existing governmental institutions, namely, the Supreme Military Council and the Federal Executive Council, as well as regional executive councils, are workable and should be retained.

It was agreed that the Supreme Military Council must collectively approve appointments to the following offices: a) diplomatic consular posts; b) senior posts in the armed forces and the police; c) superscale federal corporation posts.

This particular decision was made as a means of removing friction, it being our unfortunate experience that friction and misunderstanding had in the past bedeviled these appointments. What it means is that no one person will have the right and power to make these appointments alone in the future.

Politically, it was unanimously agreed that it was in the interest of the safety of this nation that the regions should move slightly further apart than before. As a prelude to this, it was decided that all decrees and parts of decrees promulgated since the military regime, and which detracted from the previous powers of the regional governments, should be repealed by the twenty-first of this month. Once this is done and the agreements are implemented, the aim of allowing the regions to operate more independently and of ensuring fairness to all will be achieved.

The question of displaced persons was exhaustively discussed. As regards civil servants and employees of government corporations who had to flee their places of work as a result of the current situation, it was decided that such people will be paid their full salaries up to the end of March this year, unless they have found alternative employment.

On the question of other displaced persons, it was decided to set up a committee to look into the problems of rehabilitation and recovery of property. I took that opportunity to repeat my assurance that those non easterners who had to be ordered to leave the region in the interest of their own safety would be welcomed back as soon as conditions become more normal.

I have hurried to make this statement to you because of the misgivings which I understand are prevalent in the region as a result of this meeting. I recall that just before my departure, when the public did not even know that our meeting was so close, students and other groups of individuals issued resolutions advising me against attending any meeting with my counterparts. You will now be convinced that this meeting was more than necessary and worthwhile. Our duty is to reduce or remove tension, in order to leave ourselves free to tackle the most urgent and constructive tasks of economic and social development, which cannot be possible in a state of tension and fear. I have no doubt that all of us who participated in the last discussions are determined to implement the agreements reached. Once this is done, we shall have gone a long way to relieving tension and banishing fear among us. It is our plan to meet again soon, this time in Nigeria, to consider other matters arising from our last discussions and those which were not touched.

I want here to place on record my personal indebtedness to the government and people of Ghana for making a plane available to convey me to and from the meetings on the two days, and for making other arrangements to make this meeting possible. Provided our aims are achieved, we in this country will have cause to remain eternally grateful to Ghana for their constructive initiative.

For our part in this country, we must keep calm and avoid actions or words which might create difficulties for our progress in the solution of our problems.

God will certainly rescue this nation from collapse and perdition.

January 6, 1967 - Government House, Enugu, Eastern Nigeria

Ghana Seizes Arms Consignment Bound For Nigeria

By Agency Reports - Punch Newspapers

A major amount of arms and ammunition, allegedly bound for Nigeria, was seized by the Ghana police in Accra on Tuesday.

The arms and ammunition, including hordes of AAA cartridges, 10 pomp-action guns and 20 double-barreled guns, were found in a false compartment under the flour plate of the carrier truck.

Addressing the media on Tuesday evening, Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rose Atinga Bio, said she had received a call from an informant around 15:00 GMT (4.00pm Nigerian time) that a truck was off loading what could be smuggled goods in a house at Achimota, a suburb of the capital.

The operation, which could be a major break-through for the police into the modus operandi of arms smugglers in the region, led to the arrest three Ghanaians and two Nigerians.

“Upon reaching there, my men only saw an empty truck branded in coca-cola trade-mark on the compound,” she told the media.

But upon scrutiny, the policemen realised that the flour plate had just been welded at some specific points, raising their suspicion that there could be something unusual under the plate.

The police team ordered the driver to open the compartment and large caches of arms and ammunition were seen concealed under the flour plate.

Bio said Kwadwo Baffoe, a Ghanaian, claimed ownership of the cargo, while two other Ghanaians, Kofi Aboagye and Kwasi Nkrumah, had also been apprehended.

In addition, two Nigerians, Sandy Eze from Anambra State and Amosu Taiwo from Ogun State, were also arrested, the police officer said.

The owner admitted to the police that the arms were being transported to Nigeria in the truck with registration number XA 761-YAB.

“This is the first of its kind since 2009 when I took charge of the region. We are very much alert, especially because this year is an election year, and so we will protect the nation with the force at our disposal,” said Bio.

Photo-Up: World Cup Update

Didier Drogba (Chelsea/Ivory Coast) and Christiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Portugal) covers the June issue of Vanity Fair Magazine.


Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan/Ghana) and Samuel Eto'O (Inter Milan/Cameroon) pose for Annie Leibovitz of Vanity Fair Magazine in June 2010 issue.


I'm not sure why as a die harder and one who has in-depth passion for the sport from childhood not to have made any commentary on the world's most watched sport, all along. But like the saying goes, "nothing spoil," and I will be definitely popping up with some detailed analysis. So stay tuned!

Memorable Images and Time

The enigmatic and a man of unstated charisma, Patrice Lumumba, Prime Minister of the Congo Republic, leaves the Idlewild Airport in New York, July 24, 1960, and escorted by United States Federal agents. Six months later, he will be toppled in a coup and murdered in the most brutal way. Photo: AFP/Getty Images


Osagefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, President of Ghana and his wife, Fatima, pays homage to WEB Dubois. The pan Africanist was overthrown by a group of youngish military juntas led by Emmanuel Kotoka in an alleged CIA plot.


The greatest Muhammed Ali faces off against George Foreman, twice his size, for the heavyweight title belt in "Rumble in the Jungle" October 30, 1974. Ali floored Foreman in the eight round as he predicted.


From left: Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello and Obafemi Awolowo, founding fathers of the Nigerian republic as fabricated by the British Empire.

Face of Africa Begins New Season

Benedicta Tweneboa-Kodua to represent Ghana. Photo courtesy of Show-Biz Peace FM Online

Last year, Gahanaian Kate Menson in her second attempt walked away the newest African face on the runway. The catwalk has now been rescheduled and the organizers are taking it to a whole new heights.

The director of this years events, Bola Alabi said “Over time, this initiative has shown that it is about so much more than just fashion and beauty.

There is a bigger picture there to see, something more than shoes, and cameras and clothing. It’s about young women with so much courage that they will leave their homes to find new experiences, so much determination that they will venture into the unknown to discover themselves, so much passion that they will chase their dreams.”

The show however will run for 17 weeks, so stay tuned!

Time People Birthday Musings

Image courtesy of Zcache

How does one explain all the madness in this universe and life's amazing journey? Just as one thinks about surviving the hostile environment of the world, time equally flies at the same time with a hub of global issues, grand and small; and a crablike personal problems that spreads all over.

I must admit, I am thankful to God for coming that far and able to reflect on the past which happens to have been the backbone of survival and engagement, and which also could always be traced from the strength that I have applied to keep on keeping on -- taking it easy and moving on despite all the battle wounds. life is beautiful and the best out of it is knowing one's value and determining what one's contribution to creation would be, depending on the path followed.

The last few months, I have been wondering what would one say about playing some roles in society and how does that tell about the person in particular. Would it be mid-life crisis, old age or just beginning, since life now starts at 60? Well, my mid-life crisis started long, long time ago and I am still in the trenches trying to figure the whole thing out.

Every being, without a doubt, has contributed one way or the other to the functioning of society. When you make someone laugh, that's a contribution and when you make someone upset, that is also a contribution. Life is a journey as every beginning has an end. And like any journey, sometimes it ends well and sometimes it ends on a sad note. Nevertheless, there is a comedy in all of us.

So, as it goes, I am just glad to be keeping on and grateful my well-wishers did check to see how I'm doing.

First on board was my childhood buddy, Eugene Onyeji, who had called me on Sunday, September 13, reminding me from his Beaumont, Texas home that my birthday is around the corner and that life goes on meaning we must always do the best no matter what the situation is. I had done everything with Eugene growing up on the streets of Accra in the company of our Ghanaian fellas and homeboys, John Bull, John Satorji, Hillary "Ahidjo" Akabuilo, Mamma Sani, Zachary, Haruna, Emmanuel while playing double dutch and the tap of fine leather on the playgrounds of Ruga Park by Kanda Estate. I vividly remember the times. Eugene and I spoke at length when he called me on that Sunday morning of September 13. We talked about the days of the Roman films of the sword and scandal 60s starring Mark Forest in "Goliath and the Dragon," "Hercules against the Barbarians," "Hercules on Chain," and "Maciste." We talked about the tv movies and series--Bonanza, The Lone Ranger and High Chaparral. We also talked about the folks in Accra we idolized.

Among our discourses generated a whole lot of the past. Eugene had left the shores of Accra immediately following the end of Yakubu Gowon's genocidal campaign against the Igbo nation. He had settled in Lagos and had enrolled at St. Gregory College, Obalende, with his older sibling, Theodore. I arrived "Nigeria" much later on and was catapulted to my native Amazano to learn more about my cultural heritage and of course the significance of my native tongue which I grabbed before anybody knew what was going on. It was a wonderful experience, and for that, I am very thankful to my parents who made it possible my homeward bound for culture and a much, much better understanding of my forebears.

But that was not all. I learned. I met my cousins from both sides. The matrilineal and patrilineal descent. A family and culture being an entity. And leaving the city everything changed.

The village and the villagers becoming home. The egwu onwa, moonlight plays and the joy of culture being whole and not parts; that culture is indeed an entity and cannot be separated. The joyous festivities of Oghu Festival coupled with the enduring masquerades. The trek to the stream to fetch some water.

The learning of the pogrom and displaced persons.The fact that the pogrom was built on coercion and theft and on a propaganda that led to the abandoned property; and a deliberate rape on Igbo treasures and the more insiduous measure of a regime that justified the slaughter of infants, women and children. And so it goes.

And that's some part of history which makes the rounds as time passes for we are where we live based on our neigborhoods. I don't buy that very concept sometimes because there are many things to it even though where you live speaks volumes about what you eat, drink, drive and even the way you think. When ghetto kids move to the posh bedroom communities they will still act ghetto; just like when the white trash leaves the inner-city for the blue blood estate -- nothing will change as they will still act trashy. Like me dining at Lola's on Fairfax in West Hollywood which I did some few days ago, doesn't really stop me from my regular ofe olugbo, and the varieties of meat and dry fish that comes along with it at the various African eateries on the Southside. From my humble viewpoint, the blue blood estates, the bedroom communities and the inner-city ghettos are all the same depending on the way you carry yourself.

And for all you folks who kept record of my birthday and sending me all the wishes I say thank you and also wish you the best. For Eugene and speaking with Eugene Jr., he made my day with a thrilling fun. For those who think we are in competition, just drop it for life is too short. For all the airheads, never mind, we're all in the same boat. Let's keep chilling for life is too beautiful with the best yet to come, for sure!

Ain't time flying?!

Newsroom Update

Indicted Representative William Jefferson of Louisiana Loses Seat in House Runoff Election

The investigation of Jefferson began in 2005 when Jefferson was videotaped by the FBI receiving cash in leather briefcases in Virginia for a deal in Ghana that he wanted a financial stake in. The money was to be split with the Nigerian Vice President to insure that their contracts would go forward. READ MORE>>>

Nigeria opposition doubts Yar'Adua's electoral reform

Lagos, Nigeria - Angered by the recent praises heaped on the embattled Nigeria's electoral boss Maurice Iwu by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, the country's opposition has expressed doubts that the government is serious about its much touted electoral reform. READ MORE>>>

Jailed: The prayer group fraudster who swindled worshipers out of tens of thousands of pounds

A pensioner who used 'prayer sessions' to help defraud a church minister and a worshipper out of tens of thousands of pounds, has been jailed for 18 months.
Serial fraudster Richard Abeson, currently wanted by Belgian police for a similar con, claimed he was a wealthy Nigerian oil trader READ MORE>>>

From Refugee to State Rep

Of all the people running for state Representative this year, Richard Komi was probably the only one who listed "refugee camp survivor" on his campaign literature. Before arriving in Manchester, he spent over three years in a camp in Benin after fleeing his native Nigeria. READ MORE>>>

IT helps spread African democracy

Technology’s capacity to further electoral democracy in Africa first grabbed attention in 2000. Mobile phone coverage had spread across Senegal, allowing reporters to phone in results before they were announced officially, and independent radio stations were flourishing. READ MORE>>>

Asia's age-old battle with the pirates

The recent seizure of a giant oil tanker off Somalia may be one of the most audacious attacks by pirates, but for people here in South East Asia, it's an old and familiar story. READ MORE>>>

Early Ghana presidential election results show tight race

ACCRA - Early results on Monday from Ghana’s presidential vote, widely seen as a test of Africa’s ability to conduct a democratic election, signalled a tight race that may require a run-off. READ MORE>>>

Krystle Simpson, Faith in God and Miss Africa USA

Standing at five-feet eleven-inches tall and weighing 125 Ibs, 20-year-old Krystle Simpson, the current Miss Ghana USA will be representing Ghana at the Miss Africa USA on November 1 at the Clayton County Performing Arts Center in Jonesboro, Georgia. The "D-Day" is fast approaching and for sure, the contestants are gearing up for this unique event which will have Mt. Zion Parkaway jammed on that very day with Africans from all walks of life showcasing one way or the other the African cultural heritage.

For Krystle, who lives in Germantown, Maryland and a pre-med major at Montgomery College, she is not leaving any stone unturned and her guiding light to the crown has been her faith in God to realize that dream of becoming the next Miss Africa USA.

In the event she wins the title, Krystle would like to use her wealth of experience in the United States and coachings from her mother to help her people in the African Continent by way of providing resources in knowledge-based programs about diseases and its prevention.

Krystle describes herself as a team player, loves basketball and is pursuing a modelling career alongside her academic pursuit. Goodluck!

Go Africa Go!

Afternoon Newsroom, Friday, February 22, 2008

President George Bush has just concluded his six day tour of five African countries. He was back in the White House last night and conservative news commentators are cheering that the president's visit to Africa was the best by any American president. It's quite interesting to note from L.A. Times Editorial that construction for a six lane highway, The George Bush Motorway, will soon be underway. The contract will be funded by the United States and according to sources, the highway will stretch from Kumasi to Accra.

Serbians are outraged as they stormed and set the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade ablaze over Kosovo's independence declaration on Sunday. I'm not sure what the Serbians want when the principles of self reliance has been made clear during the course of Kosovo's struggle. Majority of Kosovoans are ethnic Albanians.

Well, the Academy Awards is around the corner and every major street in Hollywood is a bottleneck and road rage seems to be coming closer as the weekend set in for Hollywood's biggest night on Sunday. Advertisers are paying a whopping one point eight million Dollars for a thirty seconds spot for Sunday's show. Show will be hosted by John Stewart.

Nations Cup Finals, Third Place and all that 'Soccer' Madness

As I write, Ghana has just defeated Ivory Coast 4-2 in a robust match-up. Tough match, indeed, watching Didier Drogba celebrate the first goal of the Third Place match in a tense and physical display I had expected both teams to be playing in the tournament's final. I was wrong. But as game progresses, the Ivorian Elephants would lose steam when a Michael Essien assist would pave way in the 43rd minute of the Second Half which gave Ghana the lead with a magnificent Junior Agogo third goal in the tournament.

Just last night where I was hanging out, the discourse was Nations Cup and how a 'Nigeria' arrogance denied 'our' team a third trophy. But the fact of the matter is that, even though 'Naija' did not come out to play but to show off its 'elite football' class that never delivered from my earlier predictions, this year's tournament was the best I have seen, so far, besides the 1980 tournament which I watched every single match. It was electric. It had class and was well organized. A standard has been set for African football, and you bet, South Africa is going to explode with more soccer madness, come 2010.

I still remember the best squad ever assembled in 'Nigerian' football. Up until today, there is no comparison to the squad that Coach Father Tico had engineered matching up a nation of varied culture and ethnicity. Tico had prepared these 'lads' way back from the World Cup preliminaries but for that back heading into the post by Godwin Odiye, 'Nigeria' missed the World Cup. I still like that squad, though. It remains my favorite. Emmanuel Okala, (Best Ogedemgbe,) Patrick Ekeji, Godwin Odiye, Sam Ojebode, Christian Chukwu, Mudashiru Lawal, Segun Odegbami, Alloysius Atuegbu, Thompson Usiyen, Godwin Iwelumo, Adokiye Amesiamaka and the rest were the best back in the day and still the best ever assembled by a coach and its football organizing committee.

But what had happened today at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, Ghana, shows Africa has arrived and can be proud of staging a spectacular event in the ongoing continent's troubled history. Watching these games, to me, was like watching "The Road to Wembley," "Serie 1" of the robust Italian League, the Latin American Leagues, the Spanish Leagues and the hyped Major League Soccer of which former 'Nigeria' and Newcastle defender Celestine Babayaro has just joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in a star cast of 25-year-old Landon Donovan and a flamboyant, Hollywood-hyped-injury-prone David Beckham whose overrating bothers me.

It has been a breathtaking dribbling, attacks and goals from day 1 of the 2008 Nations Cup. The Third Place match got me and I had lost my breath because Ghana was my pick neverminding they lost out to an aggressive and lucky Cameroon. Ghana won pounding Ivory Coast to a humiliating 4-2 victory and lifting the Third Place Trophy.

Ghana: Richard Kinson, John Painstil, John Mensah, Hani Sarpei, Anthony Annan, Michael Essien, Eric Addo, Sulley Muntari, Haminu Draman, Junior Agogo, Baffour Gyan

Ivory Coast: Trasse Kone, Emmerse Fae, Marc Zoro, Christian Ndri, Arthur Boka, Didier Zokora, Abdelkader Keita, Salomomn Kalou, Siaka Tiere, Didier Drogba, Boubacar Sanogo.

Tomorrow in the finals, it's either one side will be making history if Egypt stretches its win to six or Cameroon will be equaling Egypt's win with a tie of 5 a piece. The aggressiveness of Egypt since the beginning of the tournament gives The Pharoahs an advantage and with Cameroon losing its key player, Reading defender Andre Bikey to a Red Card, Pharaohs shouldn't have any problem at Accra Sports Stadium where Ghanaian fans will be beating the moko moko le kind of congas and the Djangbesi dance. And if Egypt wins, a back-to-back repeat will be made going back almost 50 years when The Pharoahs did it in 1957 and 1959. Only three countries have made it back-to-back in the tournament's history. Egypt, 1957 and 1959; Ghana, 1963 and 1965; and Cameroon, 2000 and 2002.

Though Cameroon should be popping up with European-based players, Egypt's Skipper Ahmed Hassan and veteran Goalkeeper Essam Al Haderi will not be moved by Sam Eto'o' and Mexican-based Alain Nkong's attacking force. My multi-ethnic neigbors are worried I might bring down the house in tomorrow's final. If olakooooooo and gooooooooooooooooal does not bring in the authorities for disturbing the peace, why should my chants of moko moko leeeeeeeee be a big deal. All in all, the tournament "is" great!

The Line: Egypt by 2

Photo: BBC Sport

Nations Cup: That 'Nigeria'--Ghana War

The first time I paid attention to the Nations Cup was in 1978 and watching all the tournaments while in Port Harcourt when my fellow school mate at Nima Roman Catholic Primary School, Accra, Ahmed Polo, born Fanmi Ahmed, came out smoking as the "Dribbling Magician" helped the Black Stars lift the trophy for a record three time beating Uganda 2-0 at Accra Sports Stadium. In 1982, and I remember that episode very well when Ghana qualified for the tournament in Libya but could not make it on the grounds of economic hardship when Ghana's economy went down the drain. However, then Libyan strongman, Colonel Muammar Gadaffi said to hell with it and sponsored the bill giving Ghana an opportunity to stretch its record for a fourth Nations Cup victory.

By then, my fellow school mate, Polo, had relocated to Yemen to play professional football which took him to newer heights and all that commercial success. Polo started with a local clubside, "The Seekers," with Ruga Park as its home court, alongside "LB" Labaram, Anas "Thunder" Seidu, Eliasu, Jacskswine, Oko Ahmed (Polo's older brother who later played for Mighty Jets of Jos alongside Yakubu Mambo), Manma Naawu and Manma Sani. It was the dream team within the Accra metropolis even though the likes of Charles Ado Odametey, Joe Adjei, Addoquaye Larye of Accra Hearts of Oak and John Naawu of Accra Great Olympics (Oli Dade, as they were known) were the heroes of the time when Ghana reigned supreme in football. Ghana was the Brazil of African football with the best team ever assembled--Osei Kofi, Osumanu Orlando, Odametey, Adjei, Mamah Ankrah, Emmanuel Oblitey, Baba Yara, Wilberforce Awadwao Mfum, Edward Aggrey Fynn and Dodo Ankrah.

"Nigeria" had a fine squad too back in the day when its chief rival had that all star cast. On September 10, 1960, at Lagos, in a World Cup qualifying match, "Nigeria" had its all star cast and finest players of the era. Cletus Onyeama, Godwin Achebe, Fabian Duru, John Onyeador, Dan Anyiam, Boniface Okoro, Godwin Enamako, Clement Andre, Asuquo Ekpe and Dejo fayemi. That match was a 2-2 draw and none qualified for the World Cup to be held in Chile in 1962. Brazil's Pele squad lifted the trophy again with Vava and the magnificent Garrincha winning the Golden Boot. Pele was injured in the finals and had to leave the game.

In 1969, "Nigeria" and Ghana met again. This time around with different squads. Nigeria and Ghana had new line-ups. "Nigeria" won 2-1 at Ibadan and a 1-1 draw at Accra giving "Nigeria" the edge. In 1973, "Nigeria" assembled a new squad when the oil boom was at its peak and every fanatic was talking football. Emmanuel Okala, Tony Igwe, Morton Owolo, Sani Mohammed, Victor Odua, Dominic Ezeani, Gideon Njoku, Yakubu Mambo, Haruna Ilerika, Kenneth Olayombo and Josiah Dombraiye represented Nigeria. Lante France, Daniel Opong, Samuel Ayi Acquah, Joseph Ghartey, John Eshun, Samuel Amartefio, Robert Foley, Eric Amansua, Kwasi Owusu, Peter Lamptey and Malik Jabir represented Ghana. Ghana won on an aggregate of 2-0.

And then there was the Ghana-"Nigeria" Sports Festival which took place at the National Stadium, Surulere, in 1974. A 15-year-old "dribbling magician" had arrived the shores of Lagos to display his talents. He was "Mini Way," "Dribbling Magician" and all in all, the magnificent Ahmed Polo I hanged out with, including my childhood buddies, at Ruga Park. Polo was something else and he had shown the "Nigerian" squad of Emmanuel Okala, Christian Chukwu, Kunle Awesu, Sam Ojebode, Yakubu Mambo, Haruna Ilerika, Dominic Ezeani, Segun Odegbami and the rest that there was a new kid in town and his name is Polo. Ghana won 2-1.

The next time "Nigeria" and Ghana met again was in 2001 at the Accra Sports Stadium. It was an entirely different squad of a different era when football had exploded into a commercial success with most of the players, if not all, playing in Europe and elsewhere. There was Sammy Adjei, Jacob Mettley, Yaw Amankwa Mireku, Charles Asampong, Adjah Tetteh, Charles Akwei, Christian Gyan, Joseph Ansah, Edward Agyemang, Emmanuel Osei Kuffour, and Ishmael Addo on the Ghana side. There was Ike Shorumu, Godwin Okpakpa, Ifeanyi Udeze, Taribo West, Sunday Oliseh, Emeka Ifejiagwah, Finidi George, Tijani Babangida, Austin "Jay Jay" Okocha, Garba Lawal, Julius Agbahowa, Victor Agali and Nwankwo Kanu. "Nigeria won 3-0 at Port Harcourt and clinched a spot for the World Cup. In 2002, "Nigeria" of course beat Ghana and did it again in 2006 in the Quarter Finals of the Nations Cup. But that's then.

The next few hours Accra, Ghana, should be exploding with all sorts of fanfare and football fever between the archrivals in the continents most prestigious tournament. The line-up for Ghana doesn't look rosy but home court advantage counts a whole lot, especially with history in the making. With "Nigeria" playing bonus raised from $9,000 to $15,000 on each win, the spoiled and arrogant Naija players might give it their best shot never minding the fact that the tiny bonus is nothing to what these unpatriotic players earn playing in Europe. The bonus doesn't mean anything. What counts is commitment to the game, patriotism and passion for the great sport.

The line: Ghana wins by 2 points on the basis they have wit and a better attacking force.

Let's talk after the game!