GRi Sports 02-03-99

Soccer-Queen Mother donates to tournament 

Soccer-Better side to win Ghana/Zambia semi-final - Coaches

Soccer-Queen Mother donates to tournament

Accra (Greater Accra), 2 March 

Nana Kwansimah the third, Queen Mother of the Owuratere, Abura Dunkwa, today donated four cassette recording machines to the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Africa Under-20 soccer tournament currently underway in Accra. The machines are to be given to the best Player, the best Coach, Goalking and the best Goalkeeper of the Africa Under-20 Youth soccer tournament.

Being a sportswomam and sports columnist in the sixties, Nana Kwansimah, who is also the Queen Mother of Abura Kwamantsi in the Central Region, said the donation is to serve as an incentive for the players to give of their best.

Nana Sam Brew Butler, Co-chairman of the LOC regretted the low turn out at the two stadiums and said: "If Ghanaians really want to see the Satellites in the finals, then they must all troop to the Accra sports stadium on Thursday to cheer their team to victory".

The tournament resumes tomorrow, Wednesday, March Three, after two day's break with the third teams play-off between Mali and Guinea in Accra.

Mali finished third in group A while Guinea placed third in group B.

Accra (Greater Accra), 2 March 

Ghana '99 resumes tomorrow after two days' break with pre-tournament favourites Mali clashing with Guinea in a play-off at the Accra Sports Stadium in Accra. The winner of the encounter joins Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and Cameroon in next April's World U-20 FIFA/Coca Cola soccer championship in Nigeria.

Both teams placed third in groups A and B respectively and would have been out of the competition by now but for Nigeria's qualification into the semi-finals.

Mali lost 0-1 to hosts Ghana, drew 1-1 with Cameroon and beat Angola 1-0 while Guinea went down 4-3 to Nigeria, 6-2 to Zambia and won 3-2 against Malawi in their respective group matches.

Nigeria are the hosts of next April's championship and therefore have automatic qualification.

Possible line up:

Mali- Dembele Bourama, Bacayoko Mamadou, Coulibaly Adama, Keita Seydou, Camara Abdoulaye, Dirra Mamadou, Nidiaye Tenema, Cisse Sadio Baba, Traore Issiaka, Coulibaly Youssouf and Dissa Mahamadou.

Guinea- Conde Abdoulaye, Conte Sory, Bangoura Almamy, Sankhon Mohamed, Camara Mohamed, Youla Souleymane, Bangoura Ousmane, Sylla Abdoulaye Capi, Feindouno Pascal, Kaba Lounseny and Toure Fode.

Accra (Greater Accra), 2 Mar

 Ghana's Under-20 team coach, Guisseppe Dossena and his Zambian counterpart, Patrick Phiri have said that the better side will win their semi-final clash of Ghana '99, on Thursday, March four at the Accra Sports Stadium.

In separate interviews in Accra today, coach Dossena said that the Zambians are a very good side and that the Satellites would not have it easy.

He said both teams have a fifty-fifty chance of making it to the final.

The Zambian coach Phiri said the better side would be known after the match adding that he is always comfortable with the underdog status because that will help his team pull a surprise over the others.

"I know people have already started predicting a Ghana-Nigeria final while the semi-finals have not yet been played, but let us wait and see what happens during the semi-final", he said.

Black Satellites' captain, Hamza Mohammed is optimistic of his team's chances of beating the Zambians and any other team they will meet in the finals.