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Gospel singer and cheerleader for the Black Stars, Grace Ashy, has revealed that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) wrote a letter to the German Embassy instructing them to deny her a visa for the 2006 World Cup.
Grace Ashy, whose morale-boosting songs became synonymous with the Black Stars during their historic qualification for their maiden World Cup in Germany, was surprisingly left out of the trip despite her contributions.
Recounting her experience on Onua TV, Ashy disclosed: “When we were going for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the maiden one, after I made those songs, the then President, Kufuor, entrusted my trip to the FA. He told them to take care of me because I had aroused the interest of women in football.”
She added: “I was everywhere, spreading the message of the Black Stars on almost every TV station. So, I went to the FA for my letter for the trip to Germany, and not knowing, the letter they gave me stated that I should not be given a visa.”
As a result, Ashy’s request for a visa was denied by the German Embassy.
The Black Stars’ performance in the 2006 World Cup was historic. Placed in a challenging group alongside Italy (eventual champions), the Czech Republic, and the United States, Ghana lost their opening match to Italy but recovered with wins against the Czech Republic and the United States, advancing to the round of 16. There, they faced Brazil, who ended Ghana’s run with a 3-0 victory, as reported by the BBC.