February 09, 2008	Saturday	Safar 01, 1429

ACCRA: There was a distinct air of sorrow across Ghana on Friday as the nation woke up to the harsh reality that their African Nations Cup dream was at an end.

Gone were the wild celebrations that had greeted the hosts’ quarter-final win over regional rivals Nigeria at the weekend, instead people were going about their business with their heads down and their hearts broken.

The Black Stars’ crashed out to Cameroon in Thursday’s semi-final, Claude Le Roy’s side defeated by the mentally tough Indomitable Lions who now face Egypt in Sunday’s finale.

The local press treated the 1-0 defeat as they would a national disaster.

“The dream is over” ran the headline in The Ghanaian Times, above a full page photo of a distraught Michael Essien, the Chelsea midfielder who captained the Black Stars against Cameroon in place of suspended John Mensah.

“Stars miss final, and players weep” was how The Daily Graphic summed up the loss above an image of coach Claude Le Roy comforting Essien and Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari.

Recounting the moment when Ghana’s Cup run hit the buffers the paper wrote: “In the steamy semi-final against Cameroon substitute Alain Nkong ended Ghana’s fifth Nations Cup title dream with a 71st minute drive as the 40,000 capacity Ohene Djan stadium went dead and the players broke down in uncontrollable tears.”—AFP