If I ever imagined that my mother the Koko seller at Kasoa would fall in love again with Asamoah Gyan, I would have equally dream that one day, Ghanaian parents will not go through hell for their wards to enjoy the rights of being placed to Senior High Schools (SHS).

Yes if the first is possible the second should. 

It is without a doubt that the entire country is now aware of how my mother the Koko seller nicely recaps daily events that might have eluded everyday digest, yet recorded in her memory.

Surprisingly this week, the annual ritual of Ghanaian parents tasting the troubles of the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) is not the news. Funny Face’s 36 counts of accusations Guinness Book of records against his ex-wife is also not the news and neither is Afia Schwas’ marital wahala.

Mama is the news and the news is Mama!

This week, Mama falls in love again with the man who broke her heart in 2010. Mama has always been happy with soccer until the night when….…that night….that holy night not when Christ was born, but when Asamoah Gyan missed that world cup quarter final penalty against Uruguay in South Africa.

I remember clearly how my mother felt very cold and defeated like a Ghanaian Pensioner who has just been told of his miserable SSNIT package. As it panned out, Mama denied her customers Koko and kose for a week because her heart was broken but this week is a different story.

Just this week, far away in Congo, Akwasi Appiah’s second hand Black Stars squad proves that games are worn with commitment and not senior players or money flown from the sky.

Immediately after the big win, the sudden call of a retirement package to be prepared for some of the senior players is made. Asamoah Gyan is not spared. Not even his goals and dance moves during goal celebrations were remembered.

Speaking about goals, like it or not, Asamoah Baby Jet is one of the greatest strikers in Ghana’s history and for the past decade, he has been like our Akosombo dam being over relied upon. Sad truth is, Ghana does not make room for alternatives and succession. If Ghana does, we would have realized that naturally, we could not rely on Baby Jet forever.

Mama believes that, however, unproductive Baby Jet may now seem to be on the field, he still inspires a whole generation and deserves our respect for his achievements and contributions to Ghana Sports in general.

We always say we are a nation that takes pride in our heroes but I can say with all certainty and endorsement from SSNIT that my mother the Koko seller takes better care of her kose than the way we handle our heroes after they have rendered their service to the nation.

Still from Congo, Baby Jet privately carried the Black stars players on his wings to Ghana after our massive win. This gesture, although Mama sincerely believes should not have been done because it is the work of the GFA and the Sports Ministry, it is still worth commending.

For the benevolent acts of the man who one time broke Mama’s heart, my mother the Koko seller has fallen in love again with Asamoah Gyan. Mama says a morning breakfast date of Koko and kose with Asamoah Gyan will not be bad.  

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The article was authored by Bibiebome Eric Ziem, a lecturer at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA)

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