Africa stand up and be counted!!!...

"What doesn't kill you only makes you Stranger!!!.. " 

Heath ledger, who sinks his teeth deep into the joker character pulls off the most audacious yet meritorious bank heist in movie history. Talk about ridiculous opening scenes for films.This is what we've come to associate with Christopher Nolan's genius. And no, the joker didn't just test the mettle of Gotham Authorities but baits Batman with plenty of shrewdness and skill. Just like the joker, our African stars in the world cup have witnessed something tick in the 2nd round of matches.

The morph has been nothing short of glorious. They didn't hit full gear but boy have they redeemed themselves.Morocco, Cameroon (this one, a masterful showing of grit) and now Ghana have carried themselves proudly for the continent. 

Morocco dispatched a Belgian side who are painfully on the decline despite their world rankings. They swarmed the red devils from start to finish and might have very well condemned them to an unceremonious exit from the campaign. The golden generation are a shadow of their former selves. The situation was encapsulated by recent comments by star player Kevin De Bruyne with regards to a team well over the hills to win the competition. 

Ouch!.. He definitely took no prisoners and it didn't bode well with his teammates in the dressing room.

Must be a bitter pill to swallow. 

The "black" magic didn't stop there with Cameroon facing Serbia in a high stakes match after crashing and burning against Switzerland in the first outing. They made a wayward start (typical of their campaign) and were lucky to have their noses in front. Undeservingly so but were soon punished by the dangerous Scandinavians with 2 quick fire goals just before halftime.The song and dance came to a grinding halt as the AFCON 2022 hosts looked perplexed. A tactical decision to bring on target man Vincent Aboubakar for the 2nd second half tilted the match in their favor and labored to an unlikely 3-3 draw. Anyone else think he should have started sooner?.. 

Douse your dubious hearts and souls to some clips of the guy from AFCON early this year. A sight for sore eyes. 

To top it all off, AYEW ready? (see what I did there?....) Our stars shone brighter as Ghana picked up from where they left of, braving incessant pressure from the South Koreans who where unlucky not get a point. They must have felt hard done in that cagey affair. A spirited display allowed the Koreans to peg back the Black stars twice. Much was touted about the pedigree of the Koreans but fell behind to some nimble football from Ghana who dominated the midfield battle with short rapid passing.

Their efforts were well rewarded going up 2 goals to nothing by half time. But with what has become synonymous with African nations in the competition, they were punished for their profligacy with the left wing well utilized to wreck havoc on Otto's men. 

The Koreans don't possess the aerial threat they say!

How quickly those sentiments were put to bed.

It was painful to watch Cho let fly 2 gorgeous headed balls past the outstanding Lawrence Ati Zigi in goal. Even the joker would be proud. This sent their  supporters into a wild frenzy with visible tears and celebration eclipsing the immutable ritualistic song and dance from avid Ghana fans.

When that light hits the sky, it’s not just a call; it’s a warning…to them. 

It's a shame the movie wasn't as good but Robert Pattison's utterances set precedence for what unfolded as the Ghanaians were seemingly galvanized to see off the game despite clutching on to straws in the closing stages of the match. 

I'd hate to jump the gun but I'm extremely bullish for our chances of progression in the competition. The self assured display by Morocco highlights positivity and compounded by the gutsy performance of our western African counterparts,you'd be forgiven for bet against us. 

Watch out world, Africa is coming for the big one.