Ever since finding out about my internship placement with Joy Sports, I’ve been trying to figure out exactly which sports and leagues the people of Ghana follow and root for. Shortly after arriving in Accra, I found my answer. I looked up Joy Sports on Twitter and noticed that #AFCON, or Africa Cup of Nations which is organized by the Confederation of African Football, was in their name. After a day spent touring the Aburi Botanical Gardens, we were given the option to travel up the road for a watch-party to take in a soccer game at Net 2 Television, a local TV station where another UO student has been placed for an internship. 

The event was put on for the AFCON game between Ghana and Guinea-Bissau, a game that Ghana was supposed to win handily. The crowd was intense and a great number of people showed up to cheer on their national team. The first half of the game was uneventful, and the teams went into halftime tied 0-0. At halftime, we were able to actually go into the Net 2 building and watch the halftime show live in the station’s studio. It was an amazing experience I’m not likely to forget anytime soon. Almost instantly after the second half started, Ghana scored and wouldn’t relinquish the lead for the remainder of the game. They would go on to pad the lead and won the game by a score of 2-0. 

All in all, the event was definitely worth going to, and it helped me realize I have a lot to learn about the local sports before my internship starts. The people at Net 2 Television were very kind to us and even gave us bags of merch like coffee mugs and T-shirts from the station when we left. It was a really fun experience to watch an AFCON soccer game with Ghanaians who have a rooting interest and it helped me to understand just how much this tournament means to the countries involved. I’m hoping that attending this event will help me prepare for my internship with Joy Sports, but I guess I won’t know until Monday.