Some month ago, some Ghanaians were shocked to hear whatsapp to be banned forever in Ghana.
Some of us knew it was clearly hoax. Some also were thinking about how their last days on whatsapp would go.
If you missed the fun , here is a copy for you:
" Latest information reaching us indicates that the co founder of the largest Social Media who is also the owner of Whatsapp, Mark Zuckerberg has accepted to ban Ghanaians from using Whatsapp this 1st April as a result of some situations He finds inappropriate.This move came as a result of some research done on all the whatsapp databases across the world.
The decision to ban Ghana according to the Social Media Ruler is as follows:
- Ghanaians post a lot of “Pasco” which has caused a virus to attack the whatsapp system.
- Ghanaians chat a lot and do not even sleep at night.
- Ghanaian Males have broken the world record of using Whatsapp to propose to more than 50,000 women.
- Ghana leading with more pornographic pictures shared online.
- Too much editing on their D.p’s.
This means that on 1st April, Ghanaians will no longer have acess to Whatsapp. So, at the moment, we advised all Ghanaians to chat “last hour” because they are going to miss whatsapp forever. "
There is a local football tale almost as old as the Ghanaian game itself.
Now, whoever spun this story must have had quite a fertile imagination, for virtually every boy who grew up in Ghana in a certain era (this writer included, and probably yourself as well, if you are not too embarrassed to admit it) gobbled it up with wide-eyed boyish curiosity - every surreal bit of it.
It is the tale narrating the fictional football match between Ghana and India. The one that ended 100-1 to the latter yet saw the former run out as 'winners'. Depending on which account one is more familiar with, there are quite a few variations. The core of the story, though, remains fairly consistent.
So, then, here goes this intriguing fable as most of us heard as toddlers.
Ghana played India at an unknown venue and on a similarly obscure date - I am as oblivious to those details as you most likely are - and, somehow, the latter ended up scoring a hundred goals in 90 minutes; again, please don't ask me how, for I know the answer no more than you do.
Or, well... perhaps I could attempt explaining the 'how' part as best as my infantile mind could comprehend at the time.
According to the intricacies of the legend, the Indians were aided by certain mythical forces that were apparently potent enough to transform the ball into all sorts of formidable beings/objects - from ferocious beasts (including a three-headed lion), through blazing fire, to spiky chunks of palm fruit - so fearful that the Ghanaian goalkeeper could only watch helplessly as these whizzed past him only to nestle in the twine in the form of footballs - all one hundred of them.
There was some respite for Ghana, though, when the team was granted a penalty right at the end of the game. A certain Shamo Quaye (other versions mention the deceased silky Ghanaian winger Baba Yara instead, the bullet-footed Wilberforce Mfum or alternatively, the mystery fellow whose image graces the 'Milo' beverage container) stepped up in spite of threats from the opposition of regrettable repercussions if he dared strike the ball.
The Ghanaians apparently mourned their departed comrade all the way to the cemetery, while the Indians left the pitch the very way they entered it: through a bottle placed in the centre-circle
A ball that had apparently turned into an XXL-sized aluminum cooking pot at this point.
Patriotic Quaye, unfazed and eager to salvage something for his country anyway, struck with full venom. He scored, but 'died' not too long after, just as the Indians had said.
Sad?
Well, not really. The queer rules governing that game dictated, considering the 'might' of the Indian team, that Ghana needed to score just once to be declared victors, and this Quaye ensured at the expense of his young life. And so it happened that Ghana, ultimately 99 goals worse off, 'won' that game. With that, the highly unusual encounter came to a conclusion.
The Ghanaians apparently mourned their departed comrade all the way to the cemetery, while the Indians left the pitch the very way they entered it: through a bottle placed in the centre-circle/the referee's shirt pocket.
Ghana might have ended up with its pride wounded, but India also received a long-term ban for their unorthodox methods.
From what I have heard, there is a Nigerian version of the story that sees the Green Eagles feature as the Black Stars - against the same opponents, of course - and with Segun Odegbami as Shamo Quaye/Mfum/the Milo guy but obviously minus the 'death' incident since Odegbami is very much alive.
WHY I BELIEVED IT
My reasons for believing the story might not exactly be yours but at least it is worth sharing.
For a lad that grew up watching Hindi movies most weekends on television and who saw these extraordinary Indian blokes pull off one unbelievable trick/feat after the other, it was only reasonable that I never had cause to doubt the 'facts' of this classic urban myth then. It didn't help either that India hadn't been too prominent on the international football stage in a long while, or that Shamo Quaye - a real-life Ghanaian footballer, in fact - had died albeit through wholly unrelated causes just around the time I first heard the story.
WHY I DON'T BELIEVE IT ANYMORE
First, as I delved more into football while growing up, I discovered little - nay, nothing at all - to corroborate what I had heard. For a fact, Ghana have ever played India only twice (in 1982 and 1997) in friendly cup competitions and those games collectively yielded no more than five goals; Shamo Quaye - as already indicated - passed away under entirely different circumstances; and the highest-scoring official game in world football history never produced that many goals.
These days, of course, this most fanciful, enduring legend has lost much of its currency. Still, quite a few more gullible pre-teen boys are set to excite themselves with it before it completely fades out.
As they mature some more, though, they would realise the ring of truth - or of falsehood, as it were - and grin in the same silently bemused shame with which I am writing this, and with which you probably are reading, too.
Ghana has 10 regions, we all know that right? Here are the fascinating things about each of the regions.
Upper East Region – Tourism
The Upper East region of Ghana is known for it’s tourist attractions, most notably the Paga crocodile pond.
Upper West Region – Millet Production
The
Upper West Region is also known for it’s production of Millet, which is
used in the making of the popular drink Pito. Millet is also used for
other various foods and beverages.
Northern Region – Largest Region In Ghana
Northern Region is the largest region in the country. They make good use of motorbikes as one of it’s major means of transport.
Brong Ahafo Region – Cocoa
The Brong Ahafo Region is known for it’s vast production of cocoa.
Ashanti Region – Royalty
Kente, gold and royalty are among the fascinating things you can find among the people of Ashanti region.
Volta Region – Smart People
People
from the Volta Region are considered to be smart individuals, they
produced one of Ghana’s most influential leaders, Jerry John Rawlings.
People from the Volta are known to occupy all the offices in the country
and hold great positions at firms.
Western Region – Oil & Tourism
The Western Region of Ghana is known for it’s acrude oil discovery and beautiful tourism attractions like Nzulenzo etc.
Eastern Region – Industrious
People
from the Eastern Region of Ghana are known to be very industrious. It
is usually rumored that several of the firms, mansions and properties in
the big cities are owned by people from the Eastern Region, mostly
Kwahu People.
Central Region – Very Learned People
People
from the central region are known to be very learned and smart. Famous
and smart products of the region include, late president John Evans Atta
Mills, Paa Kwasi Ndoum among others.
Greater Accra Region – Gateway In And Out Of Ghana
The
Greater Accra Region houses, Accra, the capital town of Ghana. This is
where the international airport, the luxury hotels and headquarters of
most businesses and firms can be located.
Comment with your region
credit: omgvoice.com
