A keen football fan has described the victory of Ghana’s Under 20 soccer team, Black Satellites in the just ended FIFA Junior World Cup in Egypt as a fair bargain. The fellow’s analogy is that Ghana hosted CAN 2008 and it was won by Egypt, so it is fair bargain if Egypt hosts the FIFA U-20 World Cup and it is won by Ghana.

In football, Ghana prides itself with scoring many firsts on the continent: the first to win the Africa Cup of Nations for keeps; the first to win the continental cup for the fourth time; the first African nation to win an Olympic soccer medal and now the first African country to win the FIFA U-20 tournament.

And mind you the final was against no mean football nation like Brazil. Forget the fact that the cup was won through the penalty shoot-out. Playing with ten men Ghana had unbelievably contained the all- attacking Brazilians for nearly one and half hours (extra time included) before settling the issue through the penalty shoot-out.

Soccer historians will never cease to recall the brilliant way Ghana astonishingly recovered from a nervous start when the amazing Brazilians nearly run riot and managed to match the South American ball jugglers squarely up to the energy sapping extra time.

Special kudos goes to skipper Andre Ayew who played an inspirational game and led his colleagues to believe in themselves that they could match the slippery Brazilians despite all their repertoire of tricks. Coach Sellas Tetteh can heave a sigh of relief because he has proved wrong all those who doubted his technical ability to steer the Black Satellites to victory. As things stand now all the talk of his alleged underhand dealings in player selection would be treated with the contempt it deserves.

The performance of the Black Satellites has given Ghana the hope the nations has a bright future in international football. Some of the players, notably top scorer Adiyiah, showed that they were ripe for inclusion in the senior national team, Black Stars and it would be no surprise to see them in South Africa next year.

Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi and his colleagues have also proved that they did not ask for extension of stay in power for nothing. This sweet victory by the Satellites in conquering world football at the youth stage has overshadowed the Black Stars’ lazy show in Cotonou where they lost to Benin in the penultimate world cup qualifying group match.

As the nation prepares to give the Satellites a befitting welcome back home, it is the wish of football crazy Ghanaians that the Black Stars would crown their heroics in being the first African nation to qualify for South Africa 2010 with a memorable victory over Mali in the last match of the qualifiers in Ghana next month. Ghana should be seen to be winning in all fronts.

This truly is a good time to be a lover of Ghanaian football. Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.