Ghana Village Plans Aston Villa Parade

Why this is here: The village of Juaben, Ghana is home to roughly 1,000 Aston Villa fans who formed the Ghana Lions supporters’ club.

Owusu Boakye and about 1,000 Aston Villa fans in the Ghanaian village of Juaben are planning a motorcycle and minibus parade. The celebration mirrors a similar procession for the team in Birmingham, England. Aston Villa recently won the Europa League with a 3-0 victory over Freiburg at Besiktas Park in Istanbul, Turkey, ending a thirty-year trophy drought.

Boakye attributes the village’s devotion to Aston Villa to his grandfather, Daniel, who shared stories of the club with him as a child. Daniel particularly admired Paul McGrath, a player from the team’s last trophy-winning squad in 1996. Many current fans in Juaben were not yet born when Villa won its first European Cup in 1982.

The fans hope this win will inspire a new generation, but the article does not detail how the supporters’ club sustains itself or plans for future celebrations. Boakye intends to drive through the community to share the excitement and observe how residents react.