It is a feeling you cannot explain satisfactorily -- a bizarre mental conflict between pessimism and optimism. The average Ghanaian football fan claims to be realistic but, deep down, a strange paradox prevails. Somewhere within, the very same people who want everyone to know how impossible it is are also, at the same time, sure that it is possible. It's paradoxical: belief lingers deep within; doubts ooze outwardly.
So why don't Ghana fans profess optimism freely? Put simply: It is the hope that kills you, so avoid the hope. It is only when you expect something that you are disappointed, so what's the point in setting expectations? There's something safe and exciting about claiming to be the underdog, something thrilling about secretly expecting to be proven wrong. It doesn't make sense, really, but it works.
Before Ghana were drawn against Egypt in their World Cup qualification playoff, Egypt were seen by Black Stars fans as the team to avoid. They were also, it seemed, the team every Ghanaian, either unconsciously or secretly, wanted. That is how messed up it is.
On the one hand, fans knew Egypt were in form and serious about qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1990, eager to turn years of African Nations Cup success into a berth at the global tournament. They were the team everyone in Africa tipped to make it to Brazil; they had won all six of their group games and they were free-scoring too.
The popular consensus was that Ghana would stand no chance against them. But, covertly, even the staunchest skeptics knew -- and believed -- that Ghana would pass the test. In the end, Ghana humiliated Egypt 6-1 in the first leg in Kumasi. It was, by all intents and purposes, supposed to be a surprise but when it happened, there was a sense that it wasn't.
When Ghana came to know their fate on Dec. 6, thrown into an incredibly difficult group with Portugal, Germany and the USA, the outward pessimism erupted so much so that it looked so real. Here was a Portuguese team with a decent tournament record over the last few years and led by Cristiano Ronaldo; here was a hungry German team that craves a trophy after years of playing second and third fiddle; here was a motivated USA team determined to get revenge over Ghana following two previous World Cup defeats.
Amid all the pseudo-realist pessimism in the wake of the World Cup draw, the fact that Ghana's preparations have been rocked by one controversy after another certainly hasn't helped the mood. From the budget to the team's schedule being shrouded in prolonged secrecy through to a massive hullabaloo surrounding squad announcement and travel arrangements for fans and "ambassadors," most Ghanaians seem to have grown tired, and bitter.
It has added to the pessimism but has not corrupted the inner optimism. There's an intriguing disconnect between the opposing feelings: Ghanaians still love the Black Stars, after everything, for one reason or the other. There are many who believe that the side can survive Group G, though those same people have likely claimed countless times that it's a non-starter.
Coach Kwesi Appiah, thankfully, seems not to care about any of this madness. He's in his own world. With him, there seems to be no latent fear, no conflict, no dilemma, no doubts -- only confidence.
Appiah has let go and is riding on a refreshing wave of belief, having reassuringly said time and again that Ghana will "surprise" the world. Yet he's the one person who stands to lose substantially in the case of failure, the one person who feels the heat of pressure more than anyone. "If you have qualified for the World Cup and you fear your opponents then you might as well not go for the competition," he recently told SuperSport. "The game has come of age and it's any man's game."
The coach believes Ghana are in Brazil because his team are world beaters, part of the world's elite group of the 32 best nations. And he is right, technically at least. Deep down, most Ghanaians are on the same page with him but do not have the guts to announce it publicly. Perhaps if this summer brings success, that will change.