A legal settlement agreed between Fifa and match promoter Relevant Sports in the USA has, in the words of Premier League chief executive Richard Masters, “left the door ajar” for league games to be played in different countries.

Whilst the Premier League say they have no plans to do so, despite being the instigators of the infamous ‘39th game’ idea during Richard Scudamore’s time at the helm, La Liga are already planning overseas games for the 2025-26 campaign.

La Liga have revived their plans to play league fixtures overseas after cancelling Barcelona’s league match against Girona in 2019, which was due to be held in Miami.

Fifa had previously been opposed to the idea, feeling it had the potential to take valuable finance away from domestic clubs.

But the matter was discussed at its Council meeting in Bangkok on Wednesday when it was agreed to set up a working group to ‘gather further information and issue recommendations’ and to also look at the impact on host countries.

Before making any decision, Fifa want to address issues such as the amount of notice over the scheduling of matches, the impact on the balance of sporting competition and the effect on the development of football in the host countries.

The Council said any proposal must take various factors into account, including “whether adequate provision has been made for fans of the teams playing a proposed out-of-territory match to attend the match in the host country”.

Relevant Sports had driven the idea of overseas matches being played in the United States, having launched the pre-season International Champions Cup. They also tried to host an Ecuador League game in the United States in 2019, but that was blocked by Fifa.

Last summer they promoted the six-team Premier League summer series that featured Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Brighton, Fulham and Brentford.

I have read heart-wrenching tales of how stowaways subject themselves to all manner of torture in a bid to travel abroad.

Indeed, if there is anyone who has told the god of death “Not today” severally, it should be the one who has gone through the Mediterranean Sea and deserts to travel to Europe. 

When a man’s mind is made up to travel abroad, not even the smell of death scares him!

Well, abroad is heaven to many. They would do anything to go there. A lot of people have sacrificed their dreams just to find themselves in Europe. 

To them, abroad is like a changing room where you enter poor and leave rich. For such, going abroad sits at the top of their priorities, even if it means giving away everything they ever had.

There is never a day in church that blessings are mentioned without the mention of abroad. Parents who say their children can’t marry someone from the north (because of distance) will gleefully agree to have them marry another from abroad (despite distance). We have been raised to assume that one is more advantaged living abroad than here… however they look at it.

My mother once told me a story of how a friend of hers who lives abroad had to sneak out of their hometown anytime he visited Ghana because each morning, there was a tall queue of people who had come to take their gifts.

 As long as he had come from abroad, it was assumed he had a lot of money. In his absence, he was even made the chairman of his church’s harvest programme, obviously because it was thought that he could afford to give more than the entire congregation. Maybe, money grows on trees abroad!

Our mindset has so much influence on what we do. How we were brought up to perceive abroad has had so much influence on our adult lives. Little wonder many don’t mind selling their kidneys to get there.

Of a truth, there are a lot of opportunities abroad. We have seen many who have had their lives turned around after having the opportunity to travel. 

We can’t overlook the many success stories of Ghanaians whose dreams became a reality just because they found themselves abroad. However, take note that location matters, but what matters most is one’s MINDSET.

I find it extremely disturbing when I meet young people who have fashioned their minds that they will only make it in life when they travel abroad. 

It is a sickening mindset to have if you think your life will amount to nothing if you spend it here. Always remember that your location plays a role in your dreams but all of such is useless with a poor mindset.

 If a person has a poor mindset, they may sit on a goldmine where they were born and still be looking for stones abroad. If a man has conditioned his mind that he will be fruitless if he lives in Ghana, give him all the opportunities there may ever be in this country and they will appear to him as useless.

Those who are in a haste to travel abroad to make it in life assume that the principles there are different. You see, the systems may differ but the principles are the same. Life’s principles don’t change wherever you find yourself. 

If it will take you time to build a dream here in Ghana, it will still take you time to do the same out there. You can’t beat time. You can’t skip it. Principles are the same everywhere.

They are only facilitated by systems!

Travelling abroad doesn’t change one’s destiny. It only changes their location. Change in destiny begins with a change in mindset. 

The secret to being who you dream of is your mindset, first, and then, your location. If you are the “give me abroad or I die” kind but with a poor mindset, you will still find yourself in Number 10 Downing Street and die like a pauper on the streets of Accra.

Sadly, many complain of the African problem being a leadership one. But when given the nod to lead in their own small way, they do worse than those they criticise. Isn’t it amazing that almost all our leaders today were part of the crop of generations that lambasted those who had gone ahead of them yesterday? 

As if that is not enough, many young people today are only prepping to be more corrupt when given the baton. In effect, our mediocrity becomes an unending cycle while we covet another’s excellence abroad.

A new Ghana begins with a new mindset; a new way of perceiving leadership; a new perception of everything around us. The bane of Ghanaian society is our toxic mindset. 

When we are not leaders, for instance, we will waste our little on weddings and funerals. When we become leaders, this same character is reflected in how we waste our little on state functions that have little or no impact on our productivity. It is all about mindset!

Change in mindset becomes evident in how we perceive work ethics. It begins with how we perceive morality. Change in mindset should be obvious in all areas of our lives. 

If you want to travel with a mindset of littering indiscriminately, abroad will be hell for you. If you are assuming that when one travels abroad they don’t need to work hard but will still be rewarded anyway, then you must be joking!

Change your mindset and consistently put the same efforts into your work wherever you find yourself and see how tremendously your life will turn around. You would realise that every soil [location] is somewhat viable but what matters most is the seed [mindset]. 

Imagine investing the same tenacity one goes through the deserts to Europe into one’s business here. Imagine going all out to pursue a dream here like we pursue our visas.

Never get to the point where travelling abroad becomes your only route to success. If you have the opportunity to travel abroad to be a better version of yourself, take the chance. 

However, never assume that you can never be a better version of yourself until you travel abroad.

The writer is a playwright and Chief Scribe of Scribe Communications, an Accra-based writing company (www.scribecommltd.com). Kindly grab copies of his illustration books, Animuonyam The Bully Stopper and Animuonyam and The Queer Man, via 0243752793. 

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There are Ghanaians in Transnistria, Tuvalu, Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan among others. For many reasons, Ghanaians travel abroad. Some go to further their education, a few go on holidays and others for ‘’greener pastures’’.

Whatever the reason for travel, it is never difficult to spot an African or Ghanaian primarily because of our skin colour.

However, there are mixed races these days and this may be a little confusing. Jumia Travel, Africa’s leading online travel agents outline these few ways of spotting a Ghanaian abroad.

Accent & language – After skin colour, the most likely way to spot a Ghanaian may be through the thick accent and language spoken with friends and family around them. Although English is the official language in Ghana, the accent gives us away almost always. With a strong affinity to our local languages, you are more likely to hear a strange sounding tone of ‘’Ewe’’, ‘’Ga’’ or ‘’Twi’’. Even if Ghanaians stay in a foreign country for long and adapt to the local language there, the accent rarely changes and they never forget their native languages.

Warmth & Friendliness – It is not a mystery that Ghana is ranked as one of the most friendly countries in the world. Naturally warm and friendly people as they are, trust Ghanaians to welcome you with smiles and be nice to you whether they know you or not. The ability to make you comfortable around them and help you when and if they can is just admirable. Trust me on this one, Ghanaians are very easy to fall in love with.

Strong beliefs and adherence to culture and tradition – Culture, heritage, tradition! These are 3 very synonymous words to Ghanaians. These enterprising set of West Africans believe and showcase rich culture and tradition by observing festivals and dressing up in full traditional regalia when there is a Ghanaian ceremony or occasion. Sometimes, when traditional events take place in Ghana, they observe the same event anywhere they are at the same time. Ghanaians never lose a touch of their culture and tradition.

Respect for the elderly and those in authority – All over the world, it is a norm to respect the elderly and those in authority. However, Ghanaians take this particular subject very personal and live it to the fullest. If you have ever seen a young African man giving his seat to an oldie on a bus in Chicago or a young African female taking the bags of an old woman in Berlin, trust me these are Ghanaians.

Hardwork – You may argue that Ghanaians are certainly not the most hardworking people on earth. And this may be true. However, if you see that African who works hard on 3 jobs and makes great use of opportunities that fall for him/her, be sure that is a Ghanaian right there. Even when there is little reward for all the hard work, Ghanaians never give up and put in every inch of effort to succeed.

Music & Dance – Have you ever come across a Ghanaian who can’t sing, dance or do both? Rare isn’t it? Ghanaians are just an amazing group of entertainers. Just drop a really hot tune, sit back and relax. The dance moves will get you back on your feet. Incredible fun dance moves that you only find in Ghana will make it obvious that he/she is a Ghanaian. When it comes to music, just watchout for hot Afrobeat tunes with danceable beats and a mixture of local and foreign language. You are definitely dealing with a Ghanaian here!

Gold ornaments & National colours – Jewellery is common to every nationality in the world and everyone is somehow proud of their country. I have however never seen a nation so proud of its history as Ghana. Ghana has a very solid gold background and Ghanaians will almost always dress up with a touch of gold. Earrings, necklaces, watches, anklets, bracelets plated in gold or made of gold itself is very common to a Ghanaian abroad’s outfit. Often, you also see the national colours of red, gold, green and black or an item made from these colours and flag around them. A bag, scarf, t-shirt or any other paraphernalia will just tell you, this is a Ghanaian!

Popularly known as ‘’boggars’’, Ghanaians living abroad are very easily identified by more than the key points stated above. However you may, ensure to spot a Ghanaian anywhere in the world and enjoy the warmth, friendliness and fun that they exhume.