Paraguay, Spain in Quarterfinals

It was heartbreak for Japan and Portugal as they both went out of the FIFA World Cup 2010 Japan went out on penalties against Paraguay. In the other game, Spain beat Portugal to take the last slot in the quarterfinals.

Japan 0(3) Paraguay 0(5) (Penalties)
It was sheer heartbreak for Japan. Both teams were goalless at the end of full time and extra time too. The game went into penalties. Paraguay managed to make all their penalties count, while for Japan, Yūichi Komano's shot hit the crossbar, to send them crashing out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Japan didn't need to take their last penalty as the game was already over by then, and Paraguay won 5-3.

Spain 1 Portugal 0
As expected, when Cristiano Ronaldo excels, Portugal perform. Otherwise, they just are not able to live up to their number 3 FIFA world ranking. They played with negative tactics and seemed scared of their opponents. Spain, on the other hand, do not rely on just one player so badly. David Villa scored the all important goal in the 63rd minute to take his team into the quarterfinals.

Graduation thought!!!

Earlier today, I and over a thousand other students had our graduation ceremony and you have no idea how great it felt. Graduation for me is the second most memorable moment in a person's life (marriage being the first one).

Four years ago, I and many other came here in pursuit of tertiary education and today our effort was crowned with a glamorous ceremony.

With all the highs and lows, good times and not so good times, we’ve fought tirelessly to see through our various courses and today, we joined the elite league of graduates in the country and around the world…

I received loads of congratulatory cards, congratulatory messages, phone calls and gifts from relatives, friends and well wishers. And I must say that am very delighted and pleased with the praises showered by all and with the whole of my heart; I say a very big thank you.

I say a very special thank you to the women in my life. Mama, you are the reason I live. Had it not been for her prayers, love, advice, emotional as well as financial support; today wouldn’t have been a reality. Mama thank you so much for taking time off you busy schedule to come watch your son graduate. I love you endlessly.

To all my friends, course mates and other graduate colleagues, I say a big congratulation- The journey truly has been worthwhile. I must say that am happy and satisfied that we've succeeded in completing our various programmes but let’s also bear in mind that today we stepped into the real world proper.

All the while in school, I made many wonderful friends. Indeed I’m going to miss all the great times we had together. Lecture sections, group studies, group presentations, outings, soccer sections, petty quarrels amongst others things. You guys are the best.

There are plenty of challenges ahead of us in the real world and each one of them will only make us stronger and more determined people who can give more and more to others and the society at large.

Aside our academic successes, I believe our individual lives was also affected greatly and it is time to go into the world and give our best and all to see that our world becomes a much better place for all.

Indeed, we are going to face obstacles but the obstacles we will face must not hinder us from going forward rather; we should just try as much as we can to deal with any challenges that pop up and move on.

I admire you all for persevering and achieving your goal and I have no doubt that we will use our exceptional skills to succeed in life.

In the interim, all I have to say is that, may the good LORD see us all through our future endeavors…

Good luck…

Biggest Upsets of the FIFA World Cup 2010

With 2010 World Cup soccer nearing its close, it is of interest to note some of the major upsets that occurred during the FIFA Cup in South Africa.

As with any sports competition, World Cup soccer has provided its share of unexpected moments. Despite the expert predictions and analytic odds, human error or excellence, depending on how one looks at it, occurred and surprised the masses.

Switzerland and Spain in the 2010 World Cup

Early on in the World Cup competition, Spain met Switzerland in a game Spain was set to win. In fact, any sports expert asked, picked Spain to win, undoubtedly. At game play time, Spain had lost only one game in their last 48 while Switzerland had lost 15 or their previous 18 games.

Even though Spain, deemed the "pass masters" managed to possess, shoot, and corner the ball with the precision they are known for, the team was unable to put the ball in the net and score. The favorite to beat every team in Group H, Spain was unexpectedly defeated by the Swiss underdogs on Wednesday, June 16, 2010. This defeat may just be the biggest shock of the entire World Cup tournament.

France vs. Mexico and South Africa

After finishing their first game of the World Cup in a 0-0 draw with Uruguay, 2006 World Cup runners up, France needed to win against one of its next two opponents. With critics constantly pointing out Coach Raymond Domenech's unconventional way of using astrologists to choose lineups, the team may have been doomed from the start. In their second World Cup match against Mexico, France was dominated when players Javier Hernandez and Cuauhtémoc Blanco scored back to back goals bringing Mexico to a 2-0 victory.

With their star striker, Nicolas Anelka, sent home after a verbal altercation with Coach Domenech, France's next defeat would come at the hands of the Bafana Bafana of South Africa. While France was able to get one goal in, South Africa rose to a 2-1 victory, putting an abrupt end to France's chance at a 2010 World Cup championship.

2006 World Cup Champions - Italy

After winning the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the Italian team came into the 2010 soccer tournament as reigning champs. Ranked in the top ten teams with the potential to be World Cup winners by Fox Sports, Italy entered the tournament as leaders. Drawn in Group F along side Slovakia, New Zealand, and Paraguay, Italy was set to compete in the easiest group of the tournament.

Although they dominated parts of the second half of their first match of the World Cup against Paraguay, Italy still only managed to come up with draw at a score of 1-1. The second game for the Italians played out much the same way as New Zealand took an early lead in the first half to be tied up in the second for a final score of 1-1. In their final qualifying match against Slovakia, who were playing at the cup for the first time as a independent nation, Italy lost 3-2 and finished World Cup 2010 in South Africa with zero wins.

With all these upsets, it was undoubtedly the time for African teams to shine at her first World Cup. Seeing major big guns in association football fall, it would have been a thing of joy if other African teams capitalized. But be as it may, Only Ghana did now fly the flag of the whole continent.

As for the other African teams, "They didn't come to the party".

The black Stars of Africa!!!

Ghana continues to carry Africa's remaining World Cup hopes after booking a shock but deserved place into the quarter-finals with an extra time win over the United States, who had topped their group which also included England and Algeria.

Before the Black Stars, only two other African teams, Cameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002) had previously reached the last eight of the world's biggest football competition.

But despite overcoming the American, whom they have now beaten twice in as many World Cup meetings, Ghana's next opponents appear to be a team on a mission.

Uruguay stormed the quarterfinals after beating South Korea 2-1 in the first game of the second round on Saturday.

Contrary to Ghana, who are only playing in their second World Cup, Uruguay won the competition in 1930 and 1950. However, since then they had only reached the last 16 at Italia '90.

The South American country will face Ghana in the quarterfinal on Friday, the first time in 40 years Uruguay has reached that stage of the tournament and they will fancy their chances of reaching the last four.

Even as Uruguay fancies her chances against the West Africans, Ghana also is set to become the first African team to make it to the last four of the World Cup.

As an African, I say.... Go Ghana, go make Africa proud, Go make history!!!
African is rock solid behind you.

The Last African Team in the First African World Cup

One of the most appealing elements of South Africa hosting World Cup 2010 was the perceived advantage it offered to African teams. Cameroon reached the World Cup quarterfinals in 1990 and Senegal the same in 2002, and there was plenty of pre-tournament optimism that one of the six African teams could take advantage of the World Cup being on African soil and go one step further in 2010: The first African team in the World Cup semi-finals. Maybe even the first World Cup winner. Things haven’t quite gone as planned.

Five of the six African teams (South Africa, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Algeria) went out in the group stage. Cameroon with three straight defeats and Algeria without scoring a goal. Only Ghana progressed, finishing second in a competitive Group D. So whatever hopes the world has of seeing an African team break the semi-final barrier now rest on the shoulders of the Black Stars.

It’s maybe a little unfair to place all that expectation on the backs of Ghana. But right now World Cup 2010 is going to be remembered as a infrastructure success for South Africa, rather than a footballing success for African teams. Ghana are the only team in a position to change that, when they face the USA in the Round of 16.
I can only pray and hope the Black Stars come out tops!!!
GO GHANA, AFRICAN IS BEHIND YOU

Reflections on Yesterdays Matches

Well, I guess I should start with England vs Algeria. But luckily - due to a winning combination of drunkeness and boredom - I really can't remember anything about it. I think there was the occasional pass that actually reached another England player, but I might have dreamt that. I do remember a forward run, but that could have been Algeria. Let's move on from the paucity of England's performance to the paucity of the refereeing in the Germany v Serbia match.

Referee Alberto Undiano's decision to send off Miroslav Klose for clipping Dejan Stankovic's heel was an absolute shocker and, in effect, turned the game for Serbia.

That is without even mentioning the 7 additional yellow cards he handed out for a variety of offences, including - I'm pretty certain - tackling another player, looking slightly scary and playing in defence.

Seriously, if Undiano gets to referee another match at this World Cup Finals, it would be a scandal. Almost as much as a scandal as England's appalling performance against Algeria. But luckily, I've repressed most of my memories of that one.
The world cup is becoming more interesting day in day out.

Ghana in for the kill against wounded Australia

Next up for Ghana are an Australia side who suffered more than just wounded pride in their 4-0 defeat to Germany; the thrashing was a serious blow to Aussie hopes of qualifying.

The Black Stars know that if they beat the Socceroos in Rustenburg tomorrow then they will be through and Australia will almost certainly be eliminated. With all that in mind, the stakes couldn’t be higher in this Group D encounter between two sides who both reached the Second Round four years ago.

This time around, being drawn alongside a formidable looking German side in the group stage means that there is probably only room for one of these teams in the next round, with Ghana looking well placed to qualify after the opening set of fixtures. It is still all to play for though; were Germany and Ghana to win their next games then they would both to qualify, but were Serbia and Australia to take three points, they would blow the group wide open.

Ghana showed great quality in their 1-0 victory over Serbia, and play a similar system to the one which Germany employed to such effect against Australia in Durban on Sunday evening.

For impressive German trio Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller and Lukasz Podolski; read Andre Ayew, Prince Tagoe and Kwadwo Asamoah. The young Ghanaians may not have quite the same level of quality as the German three, but they are all highly promising players with their own box of tricks. They are also blessed with the pace to wreak havoc amongst an aged Australian backline that struggled so miserably against Germany.

In the form of forward Asamoah Gyan, Ghana also have a forward with the potential to cause real problems for Lucas Neill and Craig Moore in the heart of Australia’s defence. Moore and Neill coped reasonably well with Miroslav Klose for long stretches against the Germans, but the pace and movement of Gyan is another proposition entirely.

Not only did Gyan score Ghana’s winner in the opening game, he also hit the post twice and on another day could have had a hat trick. Ghana will be hoping for more of the same from their all-time top goal scorer in World Cup finals.

The Ghanaian back-line looked reasonably solid in their opening game, with centre back pairing John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah coping admirably with the varied threats posed by the Serbian attack. They will be hoping for a similarly solid performance this time around and veteran ‘keeper Richard Kingson would love to keep a second successive clean sheet.

Make no mistake though; Australia are far from dead and buried. Ghana may be favourites for this game, but the Aussies will give everything to regain their pride and hold onto a chance of qualification.

Unfortunately for them, they will have to do so without their best player. Midfielder Tim Cahill; suspended after a rather harsh red card against Germany, is the heartbeat of the Australian side as well as their most likely goal scorer and will be a huge miss here. He is as important to Australia as the absent Michael Essien is to Ghana, and it is a shame that each country’s top man will not be on the field when battle commences.

Australia do possess attacking threats besides Cahill though; Brett Emerton, Jason Culina and Richard Garcia showed glimpses of their ability against Germany. They are likely to be joined by giant forward Josh Kennedy in this game after Cahill’s suspension, although Kennedy is a less gifted version of Serbian front man Nikola Zigic who Ghana dealt with fairly comfortably. A more viable alternative to Kennedy may be precocious forward Harry Kewell, who has the potential to perform brilliantly or terribly on any given day.

Australia’s only enforced change will be due to Cahill’s suspension; whether or not they decide to make other changes to shake things up after their terrible opener remains to be seen. Ghana will likely keep the same starting XI as the team which beat Serbia last time around.

Overall, it is a clash of cultures in many ways; Ghana’s flair, youth and speed going up against Australia’s discipline, experience and strength. Who will come out on top remains to be seen, but with World Cup futures at stake, the motivation to perform could not be higher.

My appreciation!!!

Most of all, I'd like to thank God Almighty. The giver of life for bringing me this far.
Second to God, my amazing friends... Never ever have I felt so much love before.
Thanks to all those who made my day a memorable one. The e-mail, text messages, calls, gifts!
Woo! I was simply blown away... It was a blast...
Y'all are wonderful people and I'm glad to be part of your lives...
Stay easy!!! Next year is gonna be bigger.

Key Players Are Dropping Like Flies...And It Hasn't Even Started Yet

Well, the first match of the 2010 World Cup Finals is just under a week away, but already key players are dropping like flies.

Just to keep you all updated: Rio Ferdinand suffered an injury in a collision with Emile Heskey that will mean he misses the World Cup.

Nigeria's Jon Obi Mikel also misses out as his knee injury hasn't cleared up sufficiently for him to play any part.

Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba fractured his elbow in a friendly against Japan and is currently rated doubtful by manager Sven Goran Eriksson.

Italy's Andrea Pirlo suffered a calf strain and will definitely miss their opening match.

Also injured are USA striker Jozy Altidore, who has an ankle injury and Brazil 'keeper Julio Cesar who has back problems.

We haven't even played a match yet. God only knows what the injury list will look like then!
I only hope these injuries won't take the spake out of the world cup...