Gospel star, Obaa Yaa Grace Ashly, simply called Grace Ashly, has spoken about some of the behind-the-scenes moments for her legendary cheer songs for the Black Stars.
Grace Ashly revealed that her “witness” was Roland Ackah, alias Roro Buddy, “the [sound] engineer”.
“Whenever we received the list of players to play, we would pray against casualties, chaos, disabling injuries, and those things. At the end of the day, our deep desire was for the team’s victory,” the star singer revealed, having noted she and her team used to add fasting to their prayer routines for Ghana’s national senior male football team.
She admitted the Black Stars did not win a cup during her stint recording cheer songs for them. “We were not disgracing ourselves by poor performances on the field as it is today, however,” she added.
While she was active, it was normal, she indicated, for pastors to call her amidst a congregation, using her “as a point of contact” while supplicating for the success of the Black Stars.
“[Apostle Francis] Amoako Attah, [Rev Yaw] Owusu-Ansah, and others were fond of that, and we saw positive results. They’d pray to God against injuries and for victory for the Black Stars players.”
Grace Ashly
Obaa Yaa Grace Ashly intimated this was one of the secrets behind the past glorious performances of the Black Stars.
“They were receiving strength to perform from all these spiritual interventions but relying on your strength will fail you. I recall Gospel music mates such as Minister OJ, Great Ampong, and others, were all in my first music video [cheering] on the Black Stars, it fostered unity. I always say, supporting the Black Stars is the only thing in this country that does not discriminate on any grounds.”
Grace Ashly
The Gospel star further noted that she is not as invested in Black Stars matches as she used to be, stating, “I must mind my business.”
She suggested the Black Stars had lost their vigor because they had lost the spiritual backing.
The singer-songwriter bemoaned she was hardly appreciated by the sports leaders of the country for the self-financed songs and videos she released.
Grace Ashly Reveals How She Supported Black Stars Team
Grace Ashly, the Gospel singer, and cheerleader popular for energizing the Black Stars and their supporters during the mid to late 2000s, observed her efforts had resulted in “large numbers of women supporting football”.
She said she was financially supporting some members of the cheering team devoted to the Black Stars.
Never, she lamented, did the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and sports leaders give her any monetary support. “Nobody, since 2006,” she stressed.
President John Agyekum Kufour once told Obaa Yaa Grace Ashly how her cheer songs impacted football culture in Ghana, the singer has said.
“I thank President Kufour, as always. He told me I was the reason women passionately supported football in Ghana. He said this when he gave me a national award for what I was doing for the country through my cheer songs.”
Grace Ashly
Obaa Yaa Grace Ashly asserted that behind the scenes, she did more than just serve the Black Stars with morale-boosting Gospel songs.
“I had a team of six [people]. We would go away, embark on a dry fast, and pray earnestly for the team, the players, and even the GFA [Ghana Football Association], the moment I bring out a new song,” she said, explaining they were serious about this ritual knowing it was necessary to counter the physical and spiritual machinations of people who wanted to see the Black Stars defeated and disgraced.
Emphasizing this was her heartfelt contribution to the success of the Black Stars apart from her patriotic songs, she said: “I know I was carrying that spirit [for their advantage].”
Noting the current uninspiring performance of the national senior male football team, she remarked how she is unappreciated.
“When a helper is long overlooked and unappreciated, they cannot be faulted when they look on as something they once propped up begins to collapse.”
Grace Ashly
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