The two scenes are easily distinguishable.
Ghanaians seethed with anger, as we awaited the return of the Black Stars after our shameful and winless ouster from Brazil 2014; even unborn babies fretted at the perceived unpatriotism of the players in putting money before loyalty to the Motherland.
Now pan forward to last Sunday's AFCON Equatorial Guinea 2015 final; contrary to overwhelming chorus of "crucify them" of about eight months ago, there is total exoneration of the boys from blame, while Mother luck is ground into the Earth.
It is against this background that The Chronicle appraises Sports Minister Mahama Ayariga's call on Ghanaians to accord the Black Stars a hero's welcome on their return from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
And what is the basis for Ayariga's call?
"Although the team lost the chance to be crowned African champions in the just ended African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, some members of the team swept almost all the prestigious awards of the tournament.
"Christian Atsu won both the goal of the tournament and the tournament best player award. Dede Ayew won the award for top scorer and Cambridge United's Kwesi Appiah was adjudged the overall Fair Player of the tournament", the Minister recalled.
Impressive, very impressive. These awards usually go to members of the winning team. That puts Coach Avram Grant's comment that the loss to the Elephants of La Cote d'Ivoire 8-9 on penalties, the second such defeat in 23 years by the same team, was "heartbreaking" into proper perspective and the raison d'etre for Andre Ayew's inconsolability.
But The Chronicle sees more to the current Black Stars than the accolades they won on Sunday, February 8.
What could go for them, up the next 10 years and beyond, is their youthfulness. Several are below 25. And also their individual talents and their malleability into a winning team, given the correct shepherding.
With a world class coach in the person of Avram Grant, if the Ministry of Sports and the Ghana Football Association do not combine their separate incompetence to frustrate them, as they did in Brazil 2014, they will be the toast of Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
Yes, The Chronicle is calling the spade a spade. The debacle of Brazil 2014 is absolutely the fault of the Sports Ministry and the GFA.
The officials of the two organizations lacked the moral courage to come clean with the Black Stars and tell them right from the beginning that the money for their appearance fee was not ready. And that they may have to wait for it till after the tournament.
Instead of being men and doing that they strung the boys along, being economical with the truth.
They took them to Unibank, the official bankers, and gave them some unfunded cards that supposedly they could use in Brazil.
In the training camp in Holland, where they played two matches, the Ministry and GFA kept assuring the boys that the money was coming.
They were told the same lies in the ill-advised camping in Miami and eventually in Brazil before the start of the tournament the Black Stars were still being lied to.
Which other Ghanaian talents would not bridle at such bare-faced lies?
Regrettable as their behavior became, it was predictable, given government's own admission that the meat has been eaten to the bone. So the blame should be placed where it emanated from.
Though US$100,000 is a fortune to most Ghanaians, to the members of the Black Stars in Brazil it was peanuts and a word from President John Dramani Mahama before the charade of loading cards at the bank, would have quieted them.
The Chronicle hopes that the Sports Ministry and the GFA have learnt or are learning the appropriate lessons and would be competence itself henceforth.
They have, for far too long, been treated with kid gloves. And that most stop now!