How Ghana National Football Team Name ‘Black Stars’ Originated

Ferdinand | EducationGhana |August 1| How Ghana National Football Team Name ‘Black Stars’ Originated

The Member of Parliament representing South Dayi constituency, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has revealed the origin of the nickname “Black Stars” for the Ghana national football team.

He made this revelation earlier in May 2022.

Before Ghana gained independence in 1957, the team played as the Gold Coast.

Formed in the 1950s, the national team adopted the name “Black Stars” as it coincided with the presence of the Black Star of Africa in Ghana’s flag. However, Dafeamekpor shared the story of how a club in Peki, located in the Volta Region, influenced the naming of Ghana’s senior national team.

“The name ‘Black Stars’ was derived from a football team based in Peki. In the 1950s, Nkrumah visited Peki and discovered the Peki Black Stars, a team situated in Avetime. He subsequently adopted the name,” clarified Dafeamekpor during an interview on TV3.

He further elaborated, “Historical accounts are documenting the name of the football club. It is a well-known fact in Peki. It seems we have not made sufficient efforts to bring attention to the fact that Nkrumah adopted the name from Peki Black Stars and incorporated it into the Black Stars national team.”

“Whenever he visited, they would play community games. On one occasion, Nkrumah found the name Peki Black Stars fascinating, hence he adopted it for the Black Stars team.”

The Black Stars have emerged victorious in the Africa Cup of Nations four times (in 1963, 1965, 1978, and 1982), and they have been runners-up on five occasions (in 1968, 1970, 1992, 2010, and 2015).

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa, Ghana became the third African team to reach the quarter-finals. Additionally, in 2014, they participated in their third consecutive World Cup.

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