Ghana beat Panama 1-0 in Toronto.
The goal came in the 95th minute. Caleb Yirenkyi scored it. Brandon Thomas-Asante made it happen. And just like that, a whole country celebrated together.
That is the power of football in Ghana.
When the Black Stars play, something changes. The streets fill with red, yellow, green, and black. The flags come out. The arguments stop.
On any other day, we are NPP or NDC. We are CPP or PNC. We are north or south. We debate everything. We disagree on a lot. That is normal. That is democracy. But when the whistle blows, we are only ONE Ghana.
I saw it again after the Panama game. In Jamestown, kids were dancing in the street. In Tamale, men were hugging. In Takoradi, cars would not stop honking. Nobody asked who you voted for. Nobody cared what party you support. We only cared that Ghana won.
Panama played well. They nearly took their first World Cup point. That would have been history for them. But Thomas-Asante ran down the wing and found Yirenkyi. One tap. One goal. One nation happy.
Football reminds us of something important. We know how to be one. We know how to stand together. We do it every time the Black Stars play.
The World Cup gives us many things. But the best thing it gives us is each other. For 90 minutes, we are not divided. We are not enemies. We are family.
England is next, in Boston on Tuesday. When that game starts, I know what will happen. The whole country will watch. Together.
Because no matter our politics, no matter our problems, one thing is true.
We are one Ghana.
