When a Shawnee priest was gifted tickets to see his home country of Ghana play in the World Cup, it was a literal dream come true.
“(Living in Ghana), I dreamed that I was in American watching a World Cup game,” Father Joseph Asante said.
After being hired as associate pastor at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church last year, Asante connected with the congregation enough that a parishioner gifted tickets to Fr. Jaime Zarse and him to travel and watch the Croatia vs. Ghana group stage game last month in Philadelphia.
Although Ghana, also known as the Black Stars, lost that match 2-1, seeing the team he grew up loving, as well as meeting other fans from across the globe, made up for it, Asante said.
“When we went to Philadelphia … We had Croatian friends. We had people from different parts of the world, they were all there enjoying the fun and the excitement of it. That kind of building bridges and letting us know one another because of that is good,” he said.
Now, Asante’s Ghanaian team is on an even bigger stage, and they’ll be even closer to home.
Ghana plays Friday night in Kansas City in a knockout round match against Colombia.
Asante, for his part, expects fierce competition and a win for the Black Stars.
“Colombia is a very good team. I respect them,” he said.
Asante grew up playing soccer
Growing up in Kumasi, Ghana, Asante said soccer always played a big role in his life, both on and off the field. He’s played through grade school, high school and seminary.
“We don’t have a lot of big sports (in Ghana). If I rated it, about 90% of all sporting activities is soccer. The rest are hanging in there,” he said. “The government, the people, everybody pays attention to soccer.”
Often dubbed the “beautiful game,” soccer has a rhythm and calmness to it that Asante believes helps foster connections.
“When I watch soccer, I see beauty, I see connection,” he said. “(It’s) bringing us together. ‘Go Ghana.’ ‘Go USA!’ That kind of thing is so beautiful. People who once were not watching, now they are watching,” he said.
It’s a similar camaraderie that Asante sees with American football, a sport he hadn’t experienced until he moved to the United States.
“I didn’t know anything about it, but now I’m also enjoying it, especially the touchdowns. I love the touchdowns,” he said.
Asante sees a spiritual side to soccer
Since going to Philadelphia, Asante and his love of his home country’s team has garnered attention from local media, including Fox 4 and KSHB.
During Asante’s interview with the Johnson County Post, Zarse popped into Asante’s office to joke about it.
“This man has become a sensation. I said, ‘You should be the pastor,'” he said, laughing.
One of the joys of getting media attention for the trip is spreading the love and joy of the community that soccer builds, Asante said.
“Soccer is peace. Soccer is love. Even though there is money involved, and all the politics, for us human beings who watch or who play, our hearts connect,” he said.
Similar to people connecting through God, Asante said soccer can generate positivity, especially during fraught times.
“The world is so saturated with information that feels like we are all dying of loneliness. We have everything. What we don’t have is joy. And it’s bringing it. I love it. Let it bring joy. Let it bring fun. Let people be happy,” he said.
What’s next
Ghana will play Colombia at 8:30 p.m. in Kansas City on Friday night.
Asante believes Ghana will win and advance in the tournament and hopes the United States will also win its game against Belgium on Monday.
“I’m praying that USA gets to the semifinals because it will still generate more fun and more joy, more happiness,” he said.
