The Black Stars’ sparkling 2-0 victory over Sudan that won them automatic qualification for the 2012 Cup of Nations football finals is to my mind, a fitting tribute to Ghana’s legendary goal scorer Edward Acquah who passed away on the eve of the Sudan encounter.

Affectionately called “the man with the sputnik shot”, the 6ft 2in heavily built scoring machine will long be remembered for his deadly shots.   Football historians say he scored 170 goals in 67 games for the Black Stars in his international career from 1953-64 and more than 400 in the national league and friendly matches.

It was Edward Acquah’s two goals that helped Ghana beat Sudan 3-0 in the 1963 final to win the Africa Cup for the first time. His close pal Aggrey Fynn had put Ghana ahead from the penalty spot and Acquah made victory certain with two great goals.

As he lies in the morgue  in Sekondi awaiting a fitting burial for a sports hero, Ghana football will remember him for the wonderful foundation his generation laid to make the Black Stars a showpiece in African football.

The affable goal poacher started his football career as a goalkeeper before turning a striker and the centre forward position was his favourite. He rose to fame with Sekondi Eleven Wise when he led the team to win the national league for the first time in 1960.

He had briefly left Eleven Wise to help form Sekondi Independence in 1959, an absence that created a big vacuum resulting in Eleven Wise finishing at the bottom of the league that year. He returned the following year to admirably lead the club to win the league in style earning Eleven Wise the tag of ‘Western Show Boys’

He was one of the top national stars poached by Sports Director Ohene Djan to form model Real Republikans in 1961. He was in the Black Stars team that toured Europe in 1961.

He was in the Ghana Olympic team for the 1964 Tokyo Olympiad and hit the headlines for scoring one of the greatest goals of the tournament when Ghana drew 1-1 with Argentina in the opening match. Argentina had taken a 26^th minute lead but Acquah, in typical fashion, hammered in the equalizer after 10 minutes and his great shot remained a talking point at the Games

Ghana, the first African country south of the Sahara to qualify for the Olympic soccer, beat hosts Japan 3-2 in the next match to reach the quarter finals. However the Stars lost heavily 5-1 to Egypt at this stage and on return home, Acquah and most of his ageing play mates lost their international status.

The Feb 24 1966 coup that toppled the Kwame Nkrumah administration and the resultant dissolution of Republikans (Osagyefo’s Own Club) sent Aqcuah back to his roots in Sekondi.

After retiring from active soccer he remained a backroom adviser to successive managements of Eleven Wise till ill health kept him inactive.

It is significant to note that ‘Mr. Sputnik Shot’ has passed away at a time when the new generation Black Stars are reminding all of us of the glorious days of the past when the only doubt about a Black Stars match was the number of goals they would score.

Last Saturday’s victory at Omdurman was spot on. Ghana played to a set pattern, at times with a slice of pomposity that made all the display of brute strength by Sudan count for nothing.

Even though the referee closed his eyes on a lot of wicked tackles by the home team it was remarkable that he was able to detect Vorsah’s off the ball childish offence and showed his the red card.

The way the ten- man Black Stars withstood Sudan’s avalanche of war-like onslaughts reminded me of boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s ‘rope adope’ tactics of absorbing punishment and hitting back in spurts.

Surprisingly with all that pressure on the Stars they had the most open scoring chances on the counter and Asamoah Gyan could have got a couple more goals.

Some one said Asamoah Gyan might be reserving some energy for the upcoming friendly match against Nigeria in the UK on Tuesday. It is rather unfortunate that Nigeria’s surprise exit from the Cup of Nations may affect their mood for the match.

Let’s hope they will make a positive approach by coming in for a revenge to make the fixture quite competitive.  I can’t guarantee that the Black Stars would have any mercy for the ailing Super Eagles

Don’t forget that Ghana’s 7-0 victory over Nigeria way back in 1955 is still in the record books. May Edward Acquah, “the man with the sputnik shot” rest in perfect peace.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.