GRi Sports News 24 – 01 - 2000
Ticket racketeering hits Accra
Late arrival to cost Togolese striker Salou
Black Stars performance was encouraging - Dossena.
Algeria coach to join team after illness
Nigeria can afford to relax a little after flying start
Coverage of the CAN 2000 as seen by GRi’s Sports Correspondent Evans Owusu.
The colourful pomp and pageantry that heralded the Cup of Nations tournament, CAN 2000 showcased Ghana’s rich tradition and culture.
But when hostilities was begun between the Black Stars of Ghana and the Lions of Cameroon, the homesters had to live on thorns for the greater part of the game. The much prized Black Stars had to come from a goal down to pull even against a Cameroonian side that showed their pedigree as four-times World Cup campaigners.
The Black Stars made heavy weather of a fine opportunity to score in the 10th minute of the first half and thereafter allowed their opponents to create holes in their lethargic defence. In the 12th and 15th minutes FC Lens player Desiree Job should have put his side ahead but the Cameroonian fumbled on both occasions.
The Lions kept their pressure on the Black Stars as they attacked in bursts from all angles forcing the huge crowd at the Accra Sports stadium and the millions watching at home on television took look on disbelief.
In the 19th minute a good cross from the left flank found Job with a connection that hit the upright and with the goalie Richard Kingston in shatters, Foe Marc Vivien towered above the Ghanaian defence to nod home the first goal of the tournament. A huge silence engulfed the park as most fans remained stock in their seats with their hearts in the mouths.
Four minutes later most fans must have closed their eyes as Job standing just 10 metres away from the Ghanaian posts took a pass and got ready shoot, but with Kingston at his mercy, the bulky Cameroonian striker shot off target, as the thousands of fans who peeked through their fingers, heaved a sigh of relief.
Ghana’s coach Guiseppe Dossena pulled out injured Augustine Arhinful for Peter Ofori Quaye upfront in the 35th minute and the Olympiakos player announced his presence by winning a corner-kick with his first touch of the ball. The resultant kick went wayward.
Ghana’s brightest spot, Otto Addo playing in midfield, wove his way into scoring range in the dying minutes of the first half but defender Njanka Beyaka pulled him down to attract the first yellow card from Referee Ali Bujsaim of the United Arab Emirates. The free-kick that followed was waste to end the first half with Ghana trailing by a lone a goal.
Back from recess the Stars were a different side and lifted their game as they made early incursions into the visitors goal area giving the Cameroonian defence pivoted around Rigobert Song of English club side, Liverpool a tough time.
In the 55th minute Mark Edusei replaced Mohamed Gargo in defence and a minute later, Bayern Munich defender Samuel Osei Kuffour moved deep into attack to lay on a perfect pass to Kwame Ayew who unleashed a right-footer to beat goalkeeper Alioum Boukar for the equaliser.
The thunderous applause that greeted this goal was enough to have brought the stadium walls crushing down. As is if responding to the cheers of his countrymen, Ayew five minutes, later dived to his full length to head home a cross which Cameroon’s glovesman did well to save.
Ghanaians were again to watch with bated breath as Otto Addo missed yet another opportunity when his point blank shot was saved in the 66th minute. The Black Stars who were at this moment on top lost yet another chance when Ofori Quaye failed to squeeze a left footer through an acute angle.
Coach Dossena played his last card by bringing on Stephen Appiah for Addo while Cameroon replaced Job with Siele Pius. The change favoured the Black Stars as they maintained the pressure on their opponents.
The Lions however came back with a last minute raid and their efforts could have clinched them a late win if Vivien had been incisive in front of goal. Vivien’s failure to connect a cross from the right, standing 15 metres from the goal post ended the game draw with Cameroon earning two yellow cards and Ghana one.
More…/
Three more matches were played on Sunday with each ending in a resounding victory for teams tipped by soccer pundits to reach the knockout stages of the competition.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria beat Tunisia 4-2 in an all attacking game which saw the co-hosts leading by 1-0 in the first half in their Group D opening match in Lagos. Austin J.J. Okocha of Paris Sain Germain who was man of the match hit a grounder from the right after being sent through by Africa’s current best player Nwankwo Kano.
Okocha was on hand again in the 60th minute with a deceptive strike that went through the legs of Tunisian goalkeeper El Chokri in goal, after the Tunisians had drawn level three minutes after recess through Aziex Walih’s header.
Victor Ikpeba scored twice for Nigerian in the 69th and 75th minutes to increase the home team’s tally to four. The 1996 Africa footballer of the year was set through with a back heel from Kano for his first, while he netted his second by redirecting a shot across goal by substitute Benedict Akuegbu. Tunisia managed to score their second goal on the stroke of full time through Selimi Adel.
At the Kumasi Sports Stadium South Africa boosted their World Cup bid with a convincing 3-1 over Gabon in a match watched by over 40,000 spectators including the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The Bafana Bafana were shocked with an early goal by the Azzingo Stars when Cousin Daniel outpaced their defence on the left to square one for 16-year old Nzighou Shiva to connect home and go into the history books as the youngest player ever to score in a African Cup of Nations tournament.
South Africa came on level terms in the 43rd minute from a header from Ngobe to Quintine Fortune’s float to end the first half.
The 1996 Africa champions went ahead in the 55th minute and made victory certain in the 78th with goals from Thurston Bartlett.
The Pharaohs of Egypt won their Group C opening match 2-0 against Zambia’s Chipolopolos with goals from Yasser Radwan (37th minute) and veteran Hossam Hassan (50th minute).
Radwan opened the scoring with a diving header in the first half while Hassan, joint leading scorer at the tournament two years ago with seven goals, converted a chance created by Ahmed Salah Hosni.
GRi
With four matches played so far a total of 14 goals have been scored giving an average of 3.5 per match. Nigeria’s Austin Okocha, Victor Ikpeba and Bartlet of South Africa are leading scorers with two each goals to their credit. Ghana’s Kwame Ayew is among a field of eight players with one goal each. Camerounian Marc Vivien scored the first goal of the tournament while 16 year old Nzighou Shiva became the youngest ever to score in the competition’s 43-year history.
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Ticket racketeering hits Accra
The decision by CAN 2000 organisers to sell tickets in advance for the opening game between Ghana and Cameroon turned a pot of gold for many as tickets got finished early on Friday leaving a field day to black marketers.
A 3,000-cedi ticket was being sold at the gates on Saturday for 7,000 cedis while that of 4,000 cedis was bought for 10,000 cedis. Tickets valued at 7,000 cedis and 10,000 cedis sold for not less than 20,000 cedis.
Luck however run out for a teenaged boy who was picked by security personnel for selling a 3,000-cedi ticket for 7,000 cedis.
Prince, 17, a cosmetic seller claimed they were given to him by his senior brother who had purchased them the previous day.
Accra (1600 hrs) : Cote d’Ivoire Vs Togo
Kumasi (1830 hrs) : Algeria Vs DR Congo
GRi
Late arrival to cost Togolese striker Salou
Accra (Greater Accra), 24th January 2000
Togolese international striker Bachirou Salou who plays for German first division team Eintracht Frankfurt, is likely to miss Togo's opening match of the African Cup of Nations against the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday.
A source in the Togolese camp told the GNA in Accra on Sunday that Salou had a problem with the Togolese Football Federation which coupled with club commitments delayed his arrival and this is likely to affect his selection in Monday's match.
In the absence of Salou who arrived Sunday afternoon, the source Koffi Fiawoo who plays for Lorient in France is a likely choice.
On his expectations on their encounter with Cote d'Ivoire, he said did not know much about their opponents and added, "the only thing I know is that they have good professionals in Europe."
"Remember that there are no minnows in modern football; there is nothing like big teams and small teams but rather the stronger team on the field of play will win."
On his assessment on Saturday's opening match between Ghana and Cameroon, he said, the Ghanaians did not play well like they did two years ago.
The source said if the Stars continue like that, he does not think they would go far, adding that though they were kicked out in the first round in Burkina '98, their performance in that competition was much better.
He tipped Togo and Cameroon to qualify from group A.
GRi
Black Stars performance was encouraging - Dossena.
Tema (Greater Accra) 24th January 2000
The Black Stars Italian coach Guissepe Dossena has described the Stars performance in the opening group A match against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon last Saturday as encouraging.
He was speaking in an interview with newsmen at Tema after the Stars’ training session at the Tema Sports Stadium on Monday.
Coach Dossena said "we drew against a big team", adding that the Cameroonian team has participated in the World Cup four times and drawing with them was encouraging.
He said the Black Stars played well for the first 20 minutes and did not know what happened when they slackened slightly in their performance. "May be the pressure was too much", he added.
The match ended in 1-1 draw.
Asked about the Stars chances against Togo in their next match on Thursday at the Accra Sports Stadium, Coach Dossena said he would know what strategy to adopt after Togo's first match against Cote d'Ivore today.
"We have to play better than we did. Togo is a good team and for us we need to improve our game", he said.
He said even though Mohammed Gargo and Augustine Arhinful were slightly injured during the Cameroon match the team is not be disturbed.
Coach Dossena, however, expressed concern about the two training grounds for the Stars- the El-Wak Stadium and the Tema Sport Stadium.
"The two fields are too hard, and need watering. They also have a lot of holes, which are not good for training. For example Sam Johnson was slightly injured during training this morning due to bad pitch", he added.
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Algeria coach to join team after illness
Kumasi (Ashanti) 24th January 2000
Algeria coach Nasser Sandjak rejoined his team in Kumasi, on Sunday after being hospitalised for two days with food poisoning, officials said.
Sandjak spent two days in hospital in Cotonou, Benin, where the Algeria side had spent a week preparing before the start of the African Nations Cup finals.
Algeria play their opening match in group B against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kumasi on Monday.
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Nigeria can afford to relax a little after flying start
Lagos (Nigeria), 24th January 2000
Nigeria's Super Eagles could afford to relax a little on Monday after a stunning 4-2 group D win over Tunisia got them on a flying start in the African Nations Cup.
"Criticisms over preparations in Malaga, the fact that the team had not been together for a long time and playing in front of the home crowd really got to my boys," Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere told Reuters in an interview.
"We were under tremendous pressure all along ... now we can be cool for a while," he said.
Co-hosts Nigeria had faced strident criticism at home after losing most of their friendly matches during preparations in Spain.
Soccer is treated with almost religious devotion by many of the West African country's 108 million people.
A brace of goals each from midfielder Austin "Jay-Jay" Okocha, with French club Paris Saint Germain, and Borussia Dortmund striker Victor Ikpeba won Nigeria the game and three points.
But players said the pressure had been tremendous at the start.
"The last time we played together was in April last year and when you're playing at home in front of our soccer-crazy fans, you definitely will be under pressure," said captain Sunday Oliseh, who plays with Juventus.
"Because of this we couldn't get it right in the first 15 minutes and I was asking the lads: 'Hey, what's wrong?' But I wasn't comfortable myself."
The Tunisians, who came to Nigeria with solid performances in pre-tournament preparations, felt they would do better in their remaining games.
"The scoreline does not reflect the actual game. If we'd lost by 1-0 or 2-1, then that would have been fine," said defender Samir Trabelsi. "Our poor tactics let us down."
The next game in group D -- dubbed the "group of death" -- is between Morocco and Congo on Wednesday.
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