The purists say politics and sports don’t mix, even though they are unable to explain why national anthems are played for both sporting success and for political heads of state.

In the midst of the tension surrounding the national elections in Ghana, the Football Association (FA) wisely decided to start the premier league in an attempt to shift attention from the raging political inferno, knowing very well that Ghana is a football loving country. The trick worked to some extent. Crowd pullers, Kumasi Asante Kotoko sold a pulsating goalless draw with city rivals King Faisal Babies and new entrants Berekum Arsenal beat Liberty Professionals 3-2 in Accra and these results became the talking point for some time.

When Asante Kotoko whipped Obuasi Ashgold 3-1 in Kumasi and fellow crowd pullers Accra Hearts of Oak scored two late goals to sink newcomers Sporting Mirren, the vociferous fans of these two leading clubs as usual made a lot of noise and people began to talk football alongside the national elections. It was a healthy diversion from politics.

The third week’s premier league matches also recorded exciting results with Kotoko scoring a brilliant way win at the expense of Sekondi Hasaacas and Berekum Arsenal snatching their third straight victory with a neat 2-0 victory over veteran league campaigners Hearts of Oak to top the table.

These remarkable league results were beginning to receive wide media attention when the chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, told the nation to get ready for a run –off of the presidential polls because none of the contenders could obtain the statutory 50% plus one. This time round, it would be by simple majority. In sporting jargon one would call it penalty shoot-out between Nana Akufo- Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)and Prof John Atta-Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The figures released by the Electoral Commission showed Nana Akufo Addo in the lead by a little over 100,000 votes and the permutation by NPP supporters is that their man needed only a little over 50,000 votes to carry the day. The NDC sees it otherwise. Their argument is that if one adds the figures of the parties contesting the NPP, it means that nearly 51% voted against Nana Akufo-Addo.

This calls to mind the description of the contents in a bottle as either being half- full or half- empty. It depends on where you are coming from. It also reminds me of a football match report on the same match by two sports writers, when there was a penalty miss. One report said the player who took the kick, shot the ball straight into the hands of the goalkeeper and the other report said the goalkeeper made a brilliant anticipation.

What I have observed in football matches is that a team that comes from a 2-0 deficit and scores a goal suddenly gets much more inspiration to fight for at least a draw but if that fails the team could receive a heavier tally in the end. The NDC is coming from two straight electoral defeats and their victory in the parliamentary polls has given them the belief that they can catch up with the leaders, who are really determined to retain their title just like Joseph Agbeko did on Thursday night by whipping William Gonzalez of Nicaragua to retain his International Boxing Federation (IBF) world bantamweight title.

Sports fans may feel sad that this run-off has eclipsed the recent sporting feats being achieved by Ghana. On the eve of Agbeko’s triumph, the national Under- 20 football team, Black Satellites won the maiden West African Football Union (WAFU) competition in Cote d’Ivoire, beating Senegal on penalty shoot-outs and the home- based Black Stars are in contention to qualify for the maiden African Championships with a crucial away match against Nigeria in Calabar this weekend.

Well, if all these sports competitions are being held alongside the heated political elections, then sports and politics can mix after all. I doff my hat to the sporting fraternity and say cheers and keep loving sports.