Black Stars fans impassive as Ghana qualify for seventh straight AFCON

It's all become so normal that on Sunday, the euphoria across the nation was muted even as Ghana beat Mauritius 2-0 to secure their place in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

With the win in the city of Belle Vue Maurel, the Black Stars have qualified for a staggering seventh straight tournament. But even more staggering is the frustration that it seems qualification is easy these days.

2004 was the last time Ghana did not make it; Tunisia hosted it. And since the coming of the Kwesi Nyantakyi adminsitration, it's been difficult to recall any time Ghana have really struggled to get the showpiece.

But an elusive trophy since 1982 means locals seem not to be bothered. And the players can feel it.

"This past one and a half year, it's been difficult between the Black Stars and fans, to be honest," Andre Ayew said before the Stars departed on Friday for Mauritius. The player, captaining the team in place of the injured Asamoah Gyan, articulates their pain.

"For me as a leader and with other leaders and my colleagues, it's very painful. When we played against Mozambique, the stadium wasn't full but when Hearts of Oak played Kotoko, I was in France but I saw the stadium was full - it's painful."

The past three major tournaments - two African Cups in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea and South Africa as well as the Brazil World Cup - seemed to bring out the limit of fan anger.

Scandal after scandal ranging from millions of dollars worth of taxpayers' money being used to airlift fans, repeated allegations of player bickering, reports of salacious extra-marital affairs and the extraordinary transfer of over $3 million dollars worth of bonus to Brazil simply killed interest in the team.

The team made a mighty effort to win fans back last year at the Nations Cup, with an unexpected push to the final only dented by a defeat to the Ivory Coast. All this work seemed to be undone when it was announced that each team member was to get a Jeep Cherokee and other hefty cash bonuses - after placing second.

Despite that, the next Afcon will take a big PR push from the team to get fans as interested as they should be again.

Andre goes on, "I have to be honest, Ghanaians want us to win and we have been wining but we still don't feel the support. There are different issues that are true or false but I'm just pleading that we all put things behind us."

And after Ghana finished at the top of Group H with 13 points on Sunday, the team can only wait and hope. For they can remember when, not so long ago, the country's major cities would have been filled with happy, horn-blaring, pub-jumping fans.

This time, streets in Accra seemed uncaring about the news. "Why should I care when all they know is to pay us back with bad news all the time? It's nice they've qualified but I've stopped bothering," Atiso Demugah said, from Kokomlemle.

On the Joy FM Facebook page, Clement Boateng wrote: "Oh God why this opportunity again to waste tax payers money on these people again? Ghanaians, they are doing their job to feed their family ooo so concentrate on yours too to feed your families....... let us wise up to put a stop to this!!! Ghana money star!!!"

Samuel Artiso wrote: "So many years down the lane, no nation's cup glory, yet government uses tax payers money to pay $8.000 as winning bonuses to each Black stars player, People sleep in dumsor!! .No potable water for some people to drink.Accra sports stadium is in a deplorable state and no one cares. Are we insane as a nation?"

"Qualifications is a given for a team of this calibre...we need them to go out and win the trophy", wrote Mario Nartey.

Joy News reporters in Kumasi and Sekondi brought the same feedback. And general social media reaction seemed same.

Things are not the same anymore.