GRi Sports 22-02-99

Accra (Greater Accra) 22 Feb.

 President Jerry John Rawlings yesterday opened the eleventh African under-20 soccer championships at the rehabilitated 42-capacity Accra Sports Stadium in Accra.

President Rawlings said "I would have wished Ghana to represent Africa in the World championship but let me say the best team represents the continent".

Earlier, nearly 400 Ghanaian artists from 17 cultural groups had put up splendid performances to bring to the fore, the rich Ghanaian cultural heritage.

Among thousands of soccer loving people, who watched the groups perform, were President Rawlings, Vice-President Professor John Evans Atta Mills and CAF president Alhaji Issah Hayatou.

The stadium was decorated with red, gold and green balloons and the national flags of all the eight participating teams, Ghana, Mali, Cameroon and Angola in Group A in Accra and Nigeria, Guinea, Zambia, and Malawi in Group B in Kumasi.

The games' mascot, "Agoro Nana", meaning (Chief of the game), clad in Kente cloth and carrying three footballs, was carried in a palanquin under an umbrella.

The tournament is to select four countries including Nigeria, host of next April world FIFA/Coca Cola U-20 championships, to represent the continent in the tournament.

In the case of Nigeria qualifying for the semi-finals, there will be a play off between the third teams in groups A and B to determine the fourth team.

Fifty accredited sports journalists and cameramen from various African countries are covering the 15-day championships

Accra (Greater Accra) 22 Feb

 Result of the opening match of the African under-20 youth soccer championship played between Ghana and Mali at the Accra Sports Stadium in Accra yesterday.

Ghana...One (1) Mali... Nil (0)

Scorer

Abdul Razak (Ghana) 44th (pen)

By MICHAEL ADDO LARBI

Accra (Greater Accra) 22 Feb =9299

Ghana's Black Satellites, narrow 1-0 winners over their Malian counterparts in the opening match yesterday, take the field again, this time against Angola in a Group A second round match on Wednesday, February 24 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

It is a must that the Satellites should beat these Angolans, who lost their match 0-1 against Cameroon yesterday, to brighten their chances of getting to the semi-finals.

Admittedly, the Satellites did not impress in the opening match and the sooner they approach their game with all seriousness the better.

Coach Dossena Guissepe even said in his post-match conference that, "Perhaps we had too much respect for the Malians".

The Angolans are no pushovers, and having tasted their first defeat and are without a point, makes them a side to watch carefully.

With this at the back of their mind, the Angolans will try to prevent a second defeat and will therefore fight tooth and nail to get at least a point in Wednesday's match to set the tone for a fierce final group A match on Saturday.

Players like Flavio Da Silva, Alberto Augusto and Agost Morias Sebastio could give the Satellites some anxious moments if an eye is not kept on them.

The Satellites are likely to miss slippery right winger Owusu Afriyie.

His fitness after the injury he sustained in Sunday's match is yet to be ascertained.

"By Tuesday, if he is fit then, he would be in the starting line up", said Dr Martin Engmann, the team doctor.

Luckily, two other Satellites' players, Baffour Gyan and Issah Rahman, who sustained ankle injuries, are said to be fit to play. Anyway let the Angolans play their best game on Wednesday, they cannot beat the Satellites.

The Ghana/Angola match will be preceded by the third group A match between Cameroon and Mali which also promises to be another tough encounter.

While the Cameroonians would want to maintain their position on top of group A and move to the semi-finals, the Malians, who have no point, will also fight all odds to claim the three points at stake to brighten their chances of moving to the next stage of the competition.

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 22 Feb.

Sunyani-based Bofoakwa Tano football club has filed a writ at a Sunyani high court against fellow premier division club, Okwawu United in respect of the transfer of their former player, Philip Opoku Sampene to India.

According to the statement of claim accompanying the writ, Bofoakwa Tano loaned Sampene to Okwawu United for the 1997/1998 football season on the understanding that he could not be transferred during the period to another club without the consent and authority of Bofoakwa.

The agreement also provided that in the event of a transfer, the two clubs were to share any money accruing from the deal equally.

It said Okwawu transferred Sampene to a club in India without "the consent, authority and the go-ahead" of Bofoakwa contrary to the agreement signed between the two clubs.

As a result of this, Bofoakwa have suffered grave damages and therefore asked the court to compel Okwawu United to declare to the satisfaction of Bofoakwa Tano the actual amount realised from the transfer of Sampene.

The court should also compel Okwawu United to pay Bofoakwa Tano its share of the transfer proceeds.

The writ filed on behalf of Bofoakwa by a Sunyani-based lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen further asked the court to impose general damages on Okwawu United for breach of contract and restrain them perpetually from further involvement in future transfers of Sampene.

Accra (Greater Accra) 22 Feb. =9299

Indomitable Lionceaux, the national under-20 soccer team of Cameroon, made an impressive start in the African Under-20 soccer championship with a 1-0 win over their Angolan counterparts in the second group A match played at the Accra Sports Stadium in Accra today.

By their victory, Cameroon join Ghana at the top of group A table with three points apiece. Ghana had earlier beaten Mali by the same margin in the group's opening match at the same venue.

Both teams attacked from the blast of the whistle but it was left winger Mamoun Blaise of Cameroon, who had his name on the scoreboard as he netted the lone goal in the 39th minute.

Angolan goalkeeper Mamona Joao Luis failed to make a first-time save of striker Kioto Adissa Francis's shot and Blaise, who was lurking around the goal area, shot into the net for the only goal of the match.

The Cameroonian became complacent after the goal and nearly paid dearly for it but for the many brilliant saves made by goalkeeper Kameni Adris Carlos.

In the 70th minute, goalkeeper Luis pulled off a great save from a 35- metre shot from midfielder Pereira Da Silva Antonio Jose.

The Lionceaux bounced back into action as striker Ngom Kome Daniel gave the Angolan defence a lot to worry about. No wonder he was adjudged the best player of the match and was presented with a ghetto blaster donated by LG Electronics.

Defender Moussonguide Benoit Fils of Cameroon became the first player in the tournament to receive the red card as he was shown the exit by Libyan referee Al Shalmani Abdelhakim in the 80th minute for a second bookable offence.

Cameroon play Mali in their second group A match on Wednesday, February 24, at the Accra Sports Stadium while Ghana clash with Angola in the next encounter at the same venue.

The tournament continues tomorrow with the opening Group B matches in Kumasi.

Zambia meet Malawi in the first match and Nigeria play Guinea in the second encounter, both at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.

Accra (Greater Accra) 22 Feb.

Standings of group A teams after the first matches of the African Under-20 youth soccer championship played today.

Accra (Greater Accra) 22 Feb.

Giussepe Dossena, Italian coach of the Ghana's under-20 team, the Black Satellites, yesterday maintained that his aim was to qualify for Nigeria '99 in April.

"The Satellites have beaten Mali by a lone goal, but that does not change my aim of participating in this tournament. If we should win so be it", said Dossena at a post-match press conference at the Accra sports Stadium on Sunday.

He admitted that the team did not play as expected because "the pressure from the fans was too much.

"Perhaps we had too much respect for the Malians.

Remember they have beaten us twice but today that myth is broken.

"What is important is to win, I will prefer that the team plays badly and wins rather than pleasing the fans and in the end losing", said Dossena.

Asked whether he was going to maintain the same squad that beat Mali, Dossena said, he has to wait till Monday to consult the team's Doctor on the fitness of some of the players who had minor injuries.

"I have 18 players and everyone is capable of playing", he added.

The Malians, who were disappointed by the scoreline, left the stadium immediately after the match and could not be reached for an interview.