GRi Sports 06-04-99

Visiting Prampram Copra Cove Polo Club beat their Accra counterparts 7-5 to win the 10th annual Rotary Club of Accra-sponsored polo tournament played at the Accra Polo grounds last Saturday.

The game which started on a fast note, saw the visitors scoring five quick goals in the first chukka through Jose Beckley (2), Hans Kankam (2) and Jimmy Torres, before Kenneth Quartey scored one for Accra to end the chukka 5-1. Accra Club warmed themselves into the game in the second chukka and scored two goals through Azam Ahmed but the Prampram lads repulsed the attack and scored a goal each in the third and final chukka through Kankam and Beckley. Accra also scored a goal each in the third and final chukka through Harold Awuah Darko and Kwakye Dopoah Dei but that was not enough to reverse the scoreline.

Mr Frank Adu Junior, Captain of the Accra Polo Club, thanked the Rotary Club for the sponsorship and called on other organisations to help develop the game.

Mr Bossman Agyako, President of the Rotary Club of Accra thanked the participants for the sportsmanship exhibited and gave the assurance that Rotary will continue to sponsor the event in the ensuing years.

LAGOS (Nigeria), 6th April  

Results and standings from the World Youth (Under-20) soccer championship on Sunday:

Group A

Germany beat Paraguay 4-0

Scorers: Enrico Kern 45, 60, 69, Patrick Falk 89 Red card: Miguel Dominguez (Paraguay)

Halftime: 1-0; Attendance: 3,000

- - - -

Group B

In Kaduna: Ghana and Croatia drew 1-1

Scorers: Ghana - Peter Ofori-Quaye 60

Croatia - Zvonimir Deranja 22

HT; 0-1; Att: 5,000

In Kaduna: Argentina beat Kazakhstan 1-0

Scorer: Esteban Cambiasso 44

Halftime 1-0. Attendance: 5,000

- - - -

Group C

In Ibadan: Australia beat Saudi Arabia 3-1

Scorers: Australia - Jason Culina 29, John Masaino 70, Al-Gani Omar 76og

Saudi Arabia - Dabo Mohammed 90

HT: 1-0; Att: 3,000

In Ibadan: Mexico beat Ireland 1-0

Scorer: Rafael Marquez 9

Halftime 1-0. Attendance: 3,000

Standings

Group A

Group B

Group C

LAGOS, 6th April 

A senior Nigerian leader has confirmed that Nigeria will co-host next year's African Nations Cup finals with Ghana, newspapers reported on Monday.

Last month, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that Nigeria and Ghana would jointly host the tournament after taking it away from Zimbabwe, whose facilities were judged not to have met the required standards.

But Nigerian opinion was divided, with one official quoted as saying it was an insult to Nigeria and suggesting Ghana should stage it alone.

Nigerian soccer authorities said CAF had indefinitely postponed a Nations Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Senegal scheduled for April 10 in Lagos, pending Nigeria's response to the co-hosting offer.

But Vice-Admiral Mike Akhigbe, second in the Nigerian leadership, appears to have removed doubts about his country's position.

"Nigeria is looking forward to co-hosting the competition with Ghana next year," the semi-official Daily Times newspaper quoted Akhigbe as saying in Ibadan on Sunday at the world youth cup, which Nigeria is organising.

LAGOS, 6th April 6 -

 Two first half goals from Barcelona reserve striker Gabriel Garcia helped Spain beat Brazil 2-0 in the World Youth Championship on Monday.

The United States beat England 1-0 while Mali sprung a major shock as they scored in the last minute to overcome 1997 runners-up Uruguay 2-1 on an excellent day for African teams.

Zambia and Cameroon both came from behind to beat Honduras and Japan respectively.

Garcia was one of five players to score twice on a day which went well for the Nigerian organisers. Pitches and stadia were in good condition and decent-sized crowds watched most games.

Garcia put Spain in command with well-taken goals in the 16th and 33rd minute. Brazil's best player was goalkeeper Fabio who pulled off a string of excellent saves to keep the score respectable.

Spanish goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia barely had a save to make. Brazil coach Joao Carlos da Costa, whose squad was picked by predeccesor Toninho Barroso before his sudden resignation, admitted: "We lacked the qualities to win. We obviously will have to work harder."

Mali's hero was Mahamadou Dissa who stunned the Uruguayans when he cut in from the left, wrong-footed his marker with a dummy and then cheekily flicked the ball over goalkeeper Hector Carini in the 89th minute.

The team from the poverty-stricken Sahara nation had taken a 51st minute lead through Abdoulaye Camara in the group D game in Enugu before Ernesto Chevanton equalised in the 65th.

"We made mistakes and we will correct them for the next game," said Uruguay coach Victor Pua.

The unlikely pairing of Zambia and Honduras provided the match of the tournament so far, with two spectacular long-range efforts from Bernard Makufi either side of halftime propelling Zambia to a 4-3 to win in a group F game in Calabar.

Spain later went top of group F after outclassing Brazil.

Cameroon also came from behind to beat Japan 2-1 in a group E match in Kano, Gaspard Komol scoring both their goals after

Naohiro Takajara had put the Asians ahead.

Dan Califf's 10th minute goal was enough to give the United States a 1-0 win over England in a group E match in Kano while Portugal's Pedro Simao scored twice as the 1991 champions beat South Korea in a group D match in Enugu.

The tournament continues Wednesday with six games. The matches are Nigeria v Germany and Costa Rica v Paraguay (group A in Lagos,), Ghana v Argentina and Croatia v Kazakhstan (group B in Kaduna), and Australia v Mexico and Ireland v Saudi Arabia (group C in Ibadan).