Why Are 53 Countries Rooting for Ghana?

With one team remaining from Africa in this year’s World Cup, the Ghanians garner widespread support across the continent. While boundaries and internal conflict might make this unity inexplicable, some describe Ghana’s success as another side to the tired, old story of dysfunction in Africa. Furthermore, the “One Africa” narrative has proven extremely lucrative, with respect to promotions by major retail brands Puma and MTN. From an economic standpoint, when Africa is lumped as a whole, economic markers suggest that the continent posts growth rates similar to those of BRIC countries in recent years. Pan-African fever has not captivated the entire continent, but could give many Africans an opportunity to develop a sense of civic pride that they may not enjoy within their own countries. – YaleGlobal