tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post7656024236137944784..comments2023-12-18T22:02:39.776+00:00Comments on Ramblings of a Procrastinator in Accra: Is Young Mario Balotelli part of the Ghana-Deniers Club?Abena Serwaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-5804906913153792692011-07-31T10:06:12.344+00:002011-07-31T10:06:12.344+00:00@Think-about-it The longer Mario Balotelli keeps u...@Think-about-it The longer Mario Balotelli keeps up with this attitude the more brutal his eventual downfall will be. Sadly, he will only embrace his Ghanaian side as soon as his career starts to hit rock-bottomAbena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-85677477398719422552011-07-25T22:41:15.632+00:002011-07-25T22:41:15.632+00:00http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/p...http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Angry-Mancini-subs-Balotelli-for-failed-backheel?urn=sow-wp3624<br /><br />I wonder what Akwesi Mario said to his team mate next to him after he blew that trickshot.<br />What did he say to the coach when he walked to the bench? "I will score when I want to!"?Think-About-Ithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04361623292147095716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-90016185674477088782010-09-19T07:17:09.929+00:002010-09-19T07:17:09.929+00:00@The Ghetto Intellectual I totally agree. Well sai...@The Ghetto Intellectual I totally agree. Well said.Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-66477761309556071362010-09-19T07:16:14.153+00:002010-09-19T07:16:14.153+00:00@Anonymous I agree with that identity does include...@Anonymous I agree with that identity does include what "you emotionally, intellectually and spiritually connect with." But I disagree that it has absolutely nothing to do with skin colour or ethnic origin. Identity is multifaceted and is also shaped by your interactions with others in the world around you. Whether you like it or not, skin colour defines you and may influence how others see or label you even before they get to know you.<br />How you are perceived and received by the outside world will influence what you emotionally, spiritually and intellectually connect with and thus shape your identity. To sum it up, I don't think race and ethnic origin can be neatly excluded from the equation.Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-22346150894174741202010-09-15T11:42:13.299+00:002010-09-15T11:42:13.299+00:00@ anon- Whether Mario should have an affinity to G...@ anon- Whether Mario <i>should</i> have an affinity to Ghana is for me a question of race and heritage. Social affinity and distinction based on skin pigmentation ("race") is thousands of years old. It is no more or less valid or "shallow" than any other notion of identity. Moreover, African footballers face gross discrimination based on their race, so it is not surprising that these attacks make some African footballers more race conscious. kzsThe Ghetto Intellectual™https://www.blogger.com/profile/03369476219644383582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-24462884183610670742010-09-15T10:28:37.865+00:002010-09-15T10:28:37.865+00:00Why should Mario Balotelli have any affiniy for Gh...Why should Mario Balotelli have any affiniy for Ghana, because his parents are Ghanaian and/or he looks Ghananian? C'mon people how lame and shallow.<br /><br />Identity is what you emotionally, intellectually and spiritually connect with. It has absolutely nothing to do with skin pigmentation or worse, parental lineage or ancestry.<br />It is clear that he has a justifiable right to have only an emotional and intellectual connection to Italy, why should Ghanaians expect him to share an affinity when his life experiences have afforded little interaction, sadly for him this was involuntary as his parents gave him up?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-34654582762658482522010-08-21T03:43:12.031+00:002010-08-21T03:43:12.031+00:00on benevolence, soccer and building its local inte...on benevolence, soccer and building its local interest in a developing country:<br />Pablo Escobar's money and interest in soccer did Colombian soccer some significant amount of good.<br />Granted that he was limited in options as far as foreign investments were concerned :-)<br />If we take pride in our own and not sell each other out, we can be way up there in soccer, engineering prowess and many other fields.Ghana_Hall_of_Shamehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15631542486349684529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-40816197659708004452010-08-20T19:51:35.088+00:002010-08-20T19:51:35.088+00:00@Mike: You couldn't have said it better..To ma...@Mike: You couldn't have said it better..To make money he would turn to the EPL but to invest in his own country's football teams would be giving money away i.e. charity. <br /><br />Interestingly, I was once chatting to a 70+ year old Ghanaian family friend about his love for Manchester United and I asked him what his favorite local team was. He said he did not have any. This was despite the fact that he was once on the board for Asante Kotoko. Over the years, he had become so jaded by the wrangling around the management of Kotoko that he vowed to have nothing to do with local football ever again. Perhaps the Nigerian billionaire is equally jaded.Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-26288603101769708752010-08-20T19:44:40.295+00:002010-08-20T19:44:40.295+00:00@(im)perfect_black ☥☥☥ Yes I agree that we don'...@(im)perfect_black ☥☥☥ Yes I agree that we don't appreciate what we have but its not only Africans trying to get in on the richest football league in the world. Why else would a wealthy Sheikh from the Emirates buy Manchester City. What about previous ManCity owner Thai prime-minister Thaksin Shinawatra? The whole world is aspiring to European standards and yes English Premier league football is superb to watch.Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-71003949930652106012010-08-20T17:28:14.250+00:002010-08-20T17:28:14.250+00:00Like you said Abena Serwaa, things aren't alwa...Like you said Abena Serwaa, things aren't always black and white. Mario's choice could be solely coming from issues he has with his parents. <br />(im)perfect black raises a point I agree with - global inequalities driving these choices.<br />The Nigerian billionaire won't buy the Enugu Rangers because he is probably more interested in making more money right now and not interested in the charity work involved in developing the country & continent's soccer market.<br /><br />MikeGhana_Hall_of_Shamehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15631542486349684529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-87201436880586605862010-08-19T21:52:40.105+00:002010-08-19T21:52:40.105+00:00Yes, the wealthy African billionaire also clamors ...Yes, the wealthy African billionaire also clamors to be accepted on Europe terms. I think many Africans on both sides of the Atlantic have been afflicted with this malady. We don't value the wealth that Mama Africa has to offer. I don't think its true for all of us, but i think it is true for many of us. GIThe Ghetto Intellectual™https://www.blogger.com/profile/03369476219644383582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-38093467672203080732010-08-19T20:54:07.411+00:002010-08-19T20:54:07.411+00:00@(im)perfect_black ☥☥☥ interesting that I weakened...@(im)perfect_black ☥☥☥ interesting that I weakened my own argument with the Boateng example! Indeed, Ghanaian boys would die to play in Europe because the finest football leagues in the world are there. I still don't believe is so black and white. If so, how would you explain a wealthy Nigerian billionaire looking to buy Arsenal Football Club of North London when he could be strengthening the Enugu Rangers? Can this be explained by<br />slavery and colonialism plus global inequalities?Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-47576075998315945762010-08-19T20:38:03.475+00:002010-08-19T20:38:03.475+00:00Ok, yes, i see your point Abena.But Boateng doesn&...Ok, yes, i see your point Abena.But Boateng doesn't fit because he has a Ghanaian parent. <br /><br />My point is that is that it is extremely rare for white people to reject their european heritage to clamor for citizenship in Africa. Whereas it is very common for Africans to clamor for citizenship in some distant land. And specifically speaking to your post its why so many Ghanaian boys would die for an opportunity to play football in Europe. This is in part an outcome of slavery, colonialism and the resultant global inequalities produced by that history. GIThe Ghetto Intellectual™https://www.blogger.com/profile/03369476219644383582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-51669396239429942082010-08-19T20:37:36.698+00:002010-08-19T20:37:36.698+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.The Ghetto Intellectual™https://www.blogger.com/profile/03369476219644383582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-56867151609467449322010-08-19T20:15:30.010+00:002010-08-19T20:15:30.010+00:00@(Im)perfect_black...True....If I understand you c...@(Im)perfect_black...True....If I understand you correctly than I don't entirely agree with the colonialism angle...In high school, two twins in my class were half Italian-half Dutch. They were born in Swaziland and indeed they were clamouring for Swazi citizenship. Just in the same way my brother's former boss was was born in Sunyani in Ghana and is a Ghanaian citizen. Then there is the Kevin-Prince Boateng phenomenon. The first time he actually came to Ghana was after the World Cup yet he yet he chose to play for Ghana. Well, he may not have had any more chances to play for Germany anyway! I guess things are not always so black and white.Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-32936486979483469282010-08-18T23:47:32.745+00:002010-08-18T23:47:32.745+00:00Yeah, clearly dual nationality (officially or unof...Yeah, clearly dual nationality (officially or unofficially recognized) is a complicated matter. And "Mario" obviously has beef with his parents. But is also true that folks don't claim this or that nation outside of history. These choices are partially the outcomes of colonialism. That's why you will <i>never</i> see an Italian footballer clamoring for Ghanaian citizenship. GIThe Ghetto Intellectual™https://www.blogger.com/profile/03369476219644383582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-20605001514346254572010-08-18T23:44:16.123+00:002010-08-18T23:44:16.123+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.The Ghetto Intellectual™https://www.blogger.com/profile/03369476219644383582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-17238413292040367992010-08-17T21:25:24.318+00:002010-08-17T21:25:24.318+00:00@Boatemma LOL When a guy that looks so Ghanaian to...@Boatemma LOL When a guy that looks so Ghanaian to me denies he's Ghanaian, it can only make me smile! However, I do agree; his link to Ghana is associated with his parents and he has serious abandonment issues...The good part is that Mario is still quite young. Maybe, as he grows older, he will come to appreciate that Ghanaian identity he is trying to hard to repress.Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-18444611627352751722010-08-17T21:22:50.746+00:002010-08-17T21:22:50.746+00:00@Gifty Totally agree with you! Its very hard to es...@Gifty Totally agree with you! Its very hard to escape the African factor when you look so GHANAIANAbena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-55816720452227287742010-08-17T21:21:25.303+00:002010-08-17T21:21:25.303+00:00@The Other Mike You are spot on!! He looks EXACTLY...@The Other Mike You are spot on!! He looks EXACTLY like Castro da destroyer! As long as Mario does not look like Gianluigi Buffon (*yum*), he is bound to be told often that he is not quite Italian.I'm sure he experiences it on a daily basis...Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-40240997903292407562010-08-17T20:42:41.055+00:002010-08-17T20:42:41.055+00:00@Sankofa LOL The sad fact is, as you pointed out, ...@Sankofa LOL The sad fact is, as you pointed out, he probably will never be fully accepted as an Italian. I'm also still surprised that the Ghana Football Association still say they have not given up on him playing for the Black Stars since he is yet to play for the Italian National team. Time for us to give up...Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-50318290181574304572010-08-17T20:38:55.969+00:002010-08-17T20:38:55.969+00:00@Mike Interesting perspective. I think how one ide...@Mike Interesting perspective. I think how one identifies is also very important. I was born and raised in Southern Africa by parents who always emphasized that we were 100% Ghanaian and nothing else. I felt very Ghanaian but interestingly I only discovered exactly what that entailed well into my 20s when I experienced the country not just on holiday but actually living and working the Ghanaian dream.Mario has alot to sort out...but isn't it fascinating how Kevin-Prince Boateng embraced the whole Ghanaian identity and apparently has done so for a while?Abena Serwaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888021677219851484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-6339426209506233492010-08-16T21:09:30.338+00:002010-08-16T21:09:30.338+00:00I can't blame the guy for not considering hims...I can't blame the guy for not considering himself Ghanaian. Mario's link to Ghana is through his parents. If they pretty much abandoned him and he was raised by an Italian family he is whatever he considers himself to be and has taken legal steps to be. Yes, people will always ask about where he is from originally but that does not change the fact that legally, he is Italian.Boatemaahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16328345610855155659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-77300795598282560552010-08-16T18:27:39.736+00:002010-08-16T18:27:39.736+00:00i totally agree with "the other mike".. ...i totally agree with "the other mike".. Mario will ALWAYS be asked where are you originally from.... man, it's like he's moving backwards.. nowadays african americans are PAYING to use their DNAs to find out their country of origin in West africa and seeking dual citizenship (eg. Isaiah Washington of Grey's Anatomy has dual citizenship with Sierra Leone).. and he's just going the other direction.. you can change ur name.. eat tons of pasta, speak fluent italian, whatever.. u are still an african.. better start accepting it..Giftyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06037748182955413658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894178.post-66498362818558035852010-08-16T16:49:37.464+00:002010-08-16T16:49:37.464+00:00He sure earned his spot at the top of the Ghana-De...He sure earned his spot at the top of the Ghana-Deniers list. Since i'm not big on soccer, I could have easily mistaken him for the guy selling the Segal dvd collection. That was funny Abena. He kinda looks like Castro the hiplife guy too (when he was skinny).<br /><br />He is free to choose whatever nationality he wants, and that is OK. But he will quickly learn that in the real world, he will always be asked.... "where are you originally from?" Eating tons of pasta, speaking Italian etc wont change his ethnicity. <br /><br />@ Mike; "sometimes we have to accept..."<br />Sometimes? Really? <br />What are the other times?The other Mikehttp://ghanahallofshame.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com