A failed attempt to relocate to Germany during the 2006 FIFA World Cup left Ghanaian media personality Deloris Frimpong Manso, popularly known as Delay, emotionally devastated and uncertain about what lay ahead.
At the time, Delay was working at Top Radio, but she had grown dissatisfied with her career and was determined to leave Ghana in search of better opportunities.
The World Cup, which was being hosted in Germany, presented what she considered the perfect opportunity to make a fresh start abroad. She began preparing for the journey, even as she continued reporting for work at the radio station.
Delay said her physical presence at Top Radio did not reflect where her mind was, as she had already become focused on leaving the country.
“In 2006, the World Cup was in Germany. The World Cup was on, and I was on the radio at Top Radio. But my heart was elsewhere. I wanted to leave.
“I walked into that embassy with a dream folded in an envelope, a visa, a one-way ticket, and a plan to go and never come back. I wanted to seek greener pastures,” she said.
Her hopes of travelling, however, came crashing down after her visa application was rejected.
The disappointment became even harder to bear because a former classmate who lived in Germany had previously assured Delay that she would have a place to stay if she made it there.
After receiving the visa refusal, Delay said she repeatedly tried to contact her classmate but received no response.
“They said no. That broke me. I had a classmate who had promised me a corner to sleep if I made it. After the refusal, I called her. And called, and called. She never answered again.
“That silence was louder than the refusal. I cried then; I didn’t understand it then. But now I know that sometimes God says no because He has built you to become the greener pasture others will travel to find,” she added.
Recounting the experience years later, Delay believes the rejection was more than just a failed travel plan. She now sees it as a moment that redirected her towards a different future.
The decision she once viewed as a painful setback ultimately kept her in Ghana, where she went on to establish herself as one of the country’s prominent media personalities.
Check out her post below.
In 2006, the world was in Germany.
— Lion Queen 🦁👸🏻🔋 (@delayghana) August 23, 2026
The World Cup was on, and I was on radio — top radio.
But my heart was elsewhere. I wanted to leave.
I walked into that embassy with a dream folded in an envelope, a visa, a one-way ticket, a plan to go and never come back. To seek greener… pic.twitter.com/5UdRPRP712
