Three Ghanaians in contention for CAF awards
After 120
minutes of football, 85 of which was fought with reduced strength, Senegal
yesterday earned vengeance over Nigeria and booked a historic final with
Cameroon at the 2002 Cup of Nations in Mali.
Three red
cards (one to Senegal and two to Nigeria), and a missed penalty to Nigeria in extra
time sum up a thriller of a match played at such speed never seen in many
years. It was the ultimate in drama and tension, a display of Spartan courage
by Senegal in a year in which their football has taken a shape that only magic
can explain.
With all
the controversy that had shaped their football rivalry, the nerve breaking
tension experienced at their semi-final clash was anticipated and the Malian
police showed their readiness to handle the situation well before kick-off when
they cleverly off-loaded loaded a small group of Senegalese who had pitched
their camp too close to the more than 2000 strong Nigerian cheer group at the
Stadium.
And Senegal
showed what they were up to within one minute when Henri Camara’s bullet
rumbled off the Nigerian post and back into play, after going round the
defence.
By the
sixth minute, they had established the pattern of attack, working their way
through the right side to the Nigerian defence where strikers Khaliliu Fadigah,
Henri Camara and Ousseynou Diouf looked unstoppable. But the real turn around
was in the 35th minute when defender Birahim Sarr was shown the red
card for an off-the-ball incident.
Rage over
that decision by Beninios referee Coffi Codjia, was appallingly displayed by
Jules Bocande on the technical bench of Senegal and his boss, Bruno Metsu who
splashed water on a television cameraman, eager to capture his mood.
The
warriors on the pitch exhibited no such loss of temper but tenaciously held on to
their desire of avenging a defeat so painfully executed by Nigeria at the last
Nations Cup Finals in Lagos.
Within an
atmosphere of similar drama, Nigeria came from a goal down to beat Senegal 2-1
in a quarterfinal game that was held up due to crowd trouble. Even when Senegal
hosted the event in 1992 it was Nigeria who spoilt their party with a
quarterfinal elimination.
So coolly
but with determination, Senegal, at reduced strength, worked at their own
revenge. The first sign of it came in the 53rd minute when striker
Bouba Diop soared over the Nigerian defence to head in Khalilou’s cornerkick.
They held
on to it till late in the game and when convinced of victory, they withdrew
into a dangerous defensive play and with just three minutes to the end of the
game, slip-party Julius Aghahowa exploited Jamme Diatta's attempt at
shepherding the hall into the control of goalkeeper Marie Sylva.
Aghahowa
slipped past the defender to slice the ball to the far corner of the Senegalese
net to bring the game alive again as the Nigerian cheer group gave a deafening
rendition of the chorus, "He is a God Who Never Fail."
Eight
minutes into the dramatic extra time, Senegal went up again when star player
Diouf made an elegant move to the right, and centred for Alassane Diao to place
at the far side with Nigerian goalkeeper Ike Shorunmu well beaten.
In the 110th
minute, a menacing Nwankwo Kanu was brought down in the Senegalese 18-but
substitute Wilson Oruma shot the resultant penalty against the upright,
immediately after which Aghahowa was shown the red card and later another
Nigerian Ifeanyi Udeze for an off the ball foul forcing Nigeria to end the
match with nine men against Senegal's 10.
In the
other semi-final match, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon made mince meat of
homeboys, Mali, 3-0 to book a second consecutive final. If Cameroon win against
Senegal on Sunday, they would have equaled Ghana’s record as the only country
to have successfully defended the cup.
GRi…/
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 08 February 2002 - The Ghana Hockey Association (GHA) is in touch
with its allies to upgrade facilities at the National Hockey Pitch in Accra to
meet international standards towards the hosting of the African Clubs Hockey
tournament slated for April this year.
Oko Nii-Koi
Dzani, Chairman of GHA, told the GNA Sports in Accra that a consultant has been
contacted to rehabilitate the changing rooms, the secretariat and other
facilities at the match venue to meet standard requirement.
He said the
inner perimeters have also been billed to be re-erected to prevent fans from
entering the pitch. The Accra Astro turf was constructed about two years ago
with funding from the GHA and the International hockey Federation.
The
Chairman regretted governments’ apathetic attitude towards supporting and developing
the sport. He said the association has not received a dime from the State in
preparing for the tournament and urged President J.A. Kufuor and the
vice-president Alhaji Aliu Mahama to intervene and help make it a success.
Zimbabwe
and South Africa have withdrawn from the tournament but majority of the
remaining participating countries have confirmed they would come. The
Exchequers of Bank of Ghana, Trustees of Social Security and National Insurance
Trust (males), Fire Services and
Prisons (female) are representing Ghana.
GRi…/
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 07 February 2002 - Two Ghanaian players, Samuel Osei Kuffour
and Derek Boateng, and coach Emmanuel Kwesi Afrani have been short listed for
the Second CAF Awards ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, in South
Africa.
The award
ceremony, launched by Mr Edward Osei-Kwaku, Minister of Youth and Sports in
Accra on Friday is dubbed "the MTN CAF Awards" - named after a
Cellular Network Provider, the main sponsors of the prestigious event.
The
14-categories award has Bayern Munich Samuel Osei-Kuffour in the topmost group
as the Footballer of the year, Derek Boateng, Young player of the Year and
coach Afrani who guided the national under-20 team to win silver in the World
Youth Championship in the Coach of the Year category.
Also
billed to be awarded is the silver medallists Satellites team. The
Confederation of African Football (CAF) introduced the awards to raise the
level of pride and honour amongst the African football fraternity.
It also
recognizes the efforts of people who have helped to uplift the image of
football both on and off the field. Nigeria, being honoured for her
disciplinary achievements in the CAN 2000 co-hosted by Ghana would be presented
with FIFA Fair Play award for attracting only five yellow cards.
The winner
of the African Footballer of the year, which also includes other
nominees-Samuel Eto Fils of Cameroon and Al Hadji Diouf of Senegal- would be
chosen after voting by the CAF Technical and Media Committee.
For the
remaining categories, voting would be done by a special CAF Committee of eight
people drawn from both CAF and other established independent African football
media representatives. The award venue would be rotated after this year's
event.
GRi…/
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