Tennis- Ghana win Euro-Africa Zone four tournament

Soccer-Ghana's Meteors beat Guinea 2-0

Accra (Greater Accra), 21 February 2000

Ghana's tennis team, the Golden Rackets won the five-day Euro-Africa Zone Four Davis Cup tennis competition when they beat Mauritius 3-0 in the final match at the Accra Sports Stadium tennis court on Sunday.

But the two finalists qualified for Zone three after winning their respective semi-final matches on Saturday.

Thomas Debrah won his singles match against smallish Mauritian Jonathan Vencathachellum 6-3, 6-1, while Courage Anyidoho beat Jean-Marcel Bougault Du Coudray 4-6, 7-6 (3) tiebeaker, 6-3.

In the doubles, Anyidoho and Gunther Darkey defeated the pair of Vencathachellum and Kenny Wong Kee Chuan 6-0, 6-2.

Captain (coach) of the Rackets, David Churcher, described the performance of his boys as impressive and said he was glad that the team had moved back to zone three.

On Ghana's top seed, Frank Ofori's retirement, he said he held discussions with Ofori, who after a second thought, has promised to play for the nation only in the doubles if invited.

"I appreciate his concerns, and for one to serve his country for 12 years I think we should bare with him and let him rest", Churcher said.

The coach said the team would definitely miss him especially now that the team has gained promotion to Zone three where his experience would be needed most.

Andorra beat Algeria 3-0 for the third place. Kenneth Tullier beat Said Ali-Akkai 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 and Jean Baptiste Poux defeated Nourredine Mahmoudi 6-4, 6-7 (8-2), 6-4 in the singles.

Tullier and Poux paired and beat the pair of Abdel Wahid Henni and Mahmoudi 6-4, 6-1.

In the other matches, Nidjat Ramazano of Azerbaijan beat Pierre Otolo of Cameroon 7-6 (8-2), 6-1 while Emin Agaev (Azerbaijan) defeated Lionel Kamajou (Cameroon) 6-4, 6-3. Cameroon however, won the doubles 6-3, 6-2.

Andrea Schweiger of Liechtenstein won 1-6, 6-1, 13-11 against Wail Nour Eldin Elsadin of Sudan and Alex Risch (Liechtenstein) beat Gaffar Elsadig nour Eldin Elsadig 6-0, 6-0. Liechtenstein sealed their victory with a 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (8-2) in the doubles.

Eight national teams, grouped into two, took part in the competition.

Ghana, Azerbaijan, Mauritius and Cameroon were in group B and Algeria, Sudan, Liechtenstein and Andorra in group A.

GRi

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Accra (Greater Accra), 21 February 2000

Unimpressive Ghana's Olympics team, the Black Meteors managed to score a goal in each half to beat Guinea 2-0 in their third group one match at the Accra Sports stadium on Saturday to stay in contention for a place in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Godwin Ablordey and substitute Nana Arhin-Dua fetched the goals for the Meteors in the fourth and 69th minutes respectively.

The win puts Ghana on four points after drawing 2-2 with South Africa in Accra and losing 1-2 to Cameroon in Yaounde last year.

The Meteors started well but lacked urgency in their play. No wonder their two top marksmen Baffour Gyan and Adu Tutu Skelly, who could not find their rhythm, were both substituted.

Arhin-Dua and Osei Kwame took over from them in the 60th and 65th minutes respectively.

Ablordey shot the Ghanaians in the lead in the fourth minutes when he connected a rebound shot from Gyan.

Just after that the goal, the Meteors played like a confused side with faulty passes, poor marking and were not able to utilise the few chances they created.

Coach Giussepe Dossena's substitutions paid off in the 69th minute as Arhin-Dua scored from Osei Kwame's rebound, after goalkeeper A Conde had stretched to push the ball into his path, for the Meteors second goal.

The coach, who wanted the boys to score more goals to brighten the team's chances in the qualifying series, brought on Ali Kwame for Ablordey but that dream could not materialise.

Guinea, who lost their first two games 3-0 to Cameroon at home and 3-1 to South Africa in Johannesburg last year, are without a point.

South Africa top the group with seven points from three matches after beating Cameroon 2-0 in their match today in Johannesburg. Cameroon follow with six points.

Ghana line up: Sammy Adjei, Edmund Copson, Kofi Amoaku, Issah Ramah, Baffour Gyan/Nana Arhin Duah, Godwin Ablodey/Ali Kwame, George Blay, Adu Tutu Skeley/Osei Kwame, Joe Sam, Johnson Eklu, Abdul Rasak.

Guinea- A Conde, K Oumar/ C Maurice, C Mohammed, C Mamadou, N Cisse, M Camara, I Bangoura/I Yattan, O Sekou/ B Tibou , B Sanbegou, A Keito, K Balde.

GRi

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