The much-awaited 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil kicks off in Sao Paulo tomorrow with the hosts facing off with Croatia in the opening match.
Brazil, five times winners of the event, are easily everyone’s tip to carry the trophy on home soil for the first time after failing to do that in 1950 in their debut as hosts, beaten by Uruguay in the final.
That result was only to emphasise the 1930 feat of Uruguay as hosts at the inaugural tournament and give vent to what has become World Cup folklore that no country from outside the South American continent wins the trophy when the event is staged in South America.
Indeed, in 1962 when Chile hosted, the Cup stayed on the continent as Brazil triumphed in defence of their first championship in Switzerland in 1958, while Argentina who hosted their first tournament in 1978, also won it.
The expectation, therefore, is that the return of the tournament to South America for the fifth time, and Brazil in particular for the second time, must be sure banker for another South American scoop.
But there are other ideas by other teams, including Ghana, whose Black Stars will be descending on Brazil buoyed up by their impressive progression at the last two tournaments that they had participated in, to upset the apple-cart.
Many will frown on such thoughts as Ghana winning the crown or even getting past their quarter-finals epoch the last time in South Africa in view of the array of heavyweights to contend with in Brazil.
However, that is the puzzle awaiting to be unleashed when Ghana takes on the USA on Monday in a Group G game that will tell a lot about what lies ahead in the group that also has Germany and Portugal.
Some have tended to gauge the strength of Ghana by the results of the three friendlies they had engaged in against Montenegro, The Netherlands and South Korea preparing for the tournament.
But, we say the trials may not reveal much in spite of the fact that they help teams to shape up, cohere, rehearse strategies, give hints of the fitness levels of players, their sharpness and fluidity, build winning mentality, among others.
If we are to judge the Black Stars by their recent friendlies then we may be forced to tag them as potential also-runs at the upcoming tournament, having lost 1-0 each to Montenegro and The Netherlands before the apparent morale-boosting 4-0 win over Korea in Miami, Florida last Monday night.
However, the game of football yields not to logic, the experts often say. And sooner than later the reality will begin to dawn on the football world with the big kick-off to Brazil 2014 barely 24 hours away.
We only hope that the tournament will leave up to its billing as a great spectacle to behold, while fears that crime and riotous incidents will be the order, will abate.
Let us all seize the moment and live the World Cup period with pomp and in the expectation that the Black Stars make Ghana and Africa proud once more!
