Warri (Nigeria) 19
December 2002 - Nigeria's Super Falcons walloped their South African
counterparts, Bayana Bayana, 5-0 in their semi finals match played at the Warri
stadium on Wednesday, thus setting the stage for a final clash between Nigeria
and Ghana on Friday.
Regardless of
Friday's scoreline, the Queens and the Falcons have emerged as Africa's
representatives to the FIFA Women's World Cup slated for the People's Republic
of China in September next year.
Friday's encounter
will be the second time the two teams would be meeting at the finals. The first
was in 1998 when Nigeria won the game. While the Queens would be on record as
the team to have conceded less number of goals, the Falcons would be riding
high with the highest goals scored so far in the tournament.
The Falcons,
bolstered by the heavy home crowd, are heavily tipped to win the finals to call
the bluff of the Ghanaians who had silenced them 1-0 in their group match. This
was however, dismissed by the Queens, who said they are looking forward to the
final with a lot of hope.
"Just as the
Falcons think they are poised for action, so are we. We are well prepared and
would not return to Ghana without the cup," Coach Oko Aryee told the Ghana
News Agency in Warri.
The Ghanaians, who
have not lost any match, said they intend to maintain that record after all
five matches. Coach Aryee admitted that the expected heavy home crowd could
impact negatively on the performance of the Queens, but said his side was
psyched up for the intimidation.
"We have had no
support ever since we beat the Falcons and we know Friday will be worse. We
have already psyched ourselves up against the situation."
On her part, skipper
Alberta Sackey, leading goal scorer of the tournament, said she expects her
team to put in its best and face the Falcons "squarely", come Friday.
"We are not going to be a walk-over this time around. Just as they are
ready to surprise us, so are we," she said, adding that with God on their
side, nothing could detract their attention.
South Africa's Bayana
Bayana and the Lioness of Cameroon would also play on Friday for the third
place, ahead of the finals at the Warri City Stadium.
GRi.../
Send your comments to
viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra)
19 December 2002 - The Ghana Football Association (GFA) holds emergency congress
on Monday 30 December, a statement from the GFA secretariat on Thursday said.
According to the statement, the agenda shall be matters arising from the last
emergency congress held on Thursday, December 12.
GRi…/
Send your comments to
viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Warri (Nigeria) 19
December 2002 - The Black Queens of Ghana would be seeking to annex for the
first time the Africa Women Cup of Nations trophy as they lock horns with host,
the Super Falcons of Nigeria in an anticipated breathtaking final.
The two African
soccer giants will be representing the continent at next year's Women World Cup
in China and are yearning to put the icing on the cake on Friday at the Warri
township stadium.
The grand finale
likely to be a reminiscent of their group A clash which the Queens won by a
single goal, would provide an opportunity for the Ghanaians to prove to all
that their historic win against the Falcons was not a fluke. But that
undoubtedly will be a high mountain for the Queens to climb.
The Falcons are
furious to rewrite the script and have just stepped on the right accelerator
towards this final of fury. They walloped the Bayana Bayana of South Africa
5-0, sending shivers down the spines of the Queens.
But the Coach of the
Black Queens Oko Aryee believes that the 3-2 victory by the Queens over their
Cameroonian counterparts has helped polished the rough edges of his adies to
conquer the Falcons.
Skipper of the Black
Queens Alberta Sackey expressed optimism that the cup, which has eluded them
twice, would definitely come to Ghana. "This is our year and nothing can
stop us. We want to make Ghanaians proud and to make history by being the first
Ghanaian squad to win the trophy", the evergreen Skipper told the GNA
Sports Warri.
The players have
psyched themselves up for the showdown knowing very well that the fans will be
against them. The scanty Ghanaians fans in Warri have however assured the
ladies of their support urging them to go all out to make the nation proud.
The Queens said the
greatest Christmas package they have for the nation is to win the trophy on
Friday.
GRi…/
Send your comments to
viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra)
19 December 2002 - Edward Osei-Kwaku, Youth and Sports Minister has urged
sporting personalities to come to the aid of his Ministry by sponsoring
sporting events. This, he said, will help reduce the burden on the ministry on
the provision facilities for sportsmen and women in the country.
Osei-Kwaku said this
when he received a specially designed basketball scoreboard from Nadim
Hozaifeh, Managing Director of Leomart Company Limited at a ceremony in Accra
on Wednesday. The minister remarked, "If there were more of your type, my
Ministry would have reduced the enormous burden on its shoulders".
Peter Kpordugbe,
Chairman of the Basketball Association, promised to put the equipment to very
good use. Hozaifeh promised to make more donations to other sporting
disciplines. Also present were Joe Aggrey, Deputy Minister and Dr Emmanuel
Owusu-Ansah, Acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council.
GRi…/
Send your comments to
viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra)
19 December 2002 - Kumasi Asante Kotoko have quickly put behind them the pain
of 8 December as they reorganize themselves for another journey into Africa
next season.
The latest release
from the technical committee of CAF pits Kotoko Liberia’s Mighty Blue Angels
with the first leg slated for 13 April. The Porcupines are desirous of winning
the trophy next season especially if they can seek a sweet revenge against WAC
who robbed them of continental glory on 8 December 2002, just as El-Haly did in
1982 but were pipped a year later.
However, as the
Africa Cup Winners championship continue to be a huge financial drain on all
clubs, Kotoko’s biggest ambition is to participate in the Champions League as
CAF announces major changes to the structure of the three continental club
competitions.
2003 would be the
last year for the Africa Cup Winners Championship as the number of teams from
the top African nations are allowed to enter the Champions League with two
teams as from 2004. The CAF and Africa Winners Championship will be merged into
a new tournament- the Confederation Cup.
CAF’s new structure
allows the top 12 countries in Africa to have two representatives in the Africa
Champions League Refreshingly Ghana falls into that category, based on her
performance over the previous five years.
Ghana reached the
quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 as well as 2002 while Hearts
won the Champions League in 1999 with Kotoko emerging runners-up in the just
concluded Africa Winners Cup.
It is most probable
then that both Hearts and Kotoko could represent Ghana in the lucrative
champions league where the winner is assured of a cool $1.5m. This is Kotoko’s
dream to be part of the financial windfall. But, before that WAC must get ready
to fall in 2003.
GRi…/
Send your comments to
viewpoint@ghanareview.com