Asamoah Gyan surprised BLACK QUEENS

Government’s delay in release of cash affected black queen’s preparation for all African games. In view this, the senior national team skipper AsomoahGyan decided to mobilization some funds to motivate the Queens to enable them performance well at the competition.

First of all, He lauded the female national team for their qualification to the competition and called on them to prepare their minds for the challenge that will come their way in the competition.

He also added that, the Queens should make the country proud at this year’s All Africa Games by taken shot at winning gold.

AsamoahGyan gave the black queens $10,000 to boost their Morales ahead of commencement of the games.

The Black Queens thanked the Black Stars’ captain for his kind gesture and pledged to make the nation proud at this year’s competition.

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW ON BLACK QUEENS

The fourth edition of all Africa games women’s football tournament is set for Brazzaville, Congo as Black Queens toiled to book their place in the competition.  Ghana beat Zimbabwe 4: 3 on aggregate to qualify.

Coach YusifBasigi’s women have extended their dominance over Zimbabwe, having previously beaten them in the group stage of the 2011 all Africa games in Maputo.

Ghana will thus be making their third successive appearance at the quadrennial competition after making another previous appearance in 2007.

The queens, who won silver four years ago need a good performance  at this competition to restore their top ranking on the continent after failing  to make a mark in the last three years Africa women’s championship. They will be joined by the likes of Nigeria, SouthAfrica, Tanzania, Senegal, Cameroon,and Ivory Coast and hosts Congoin the competition which is scheduled for this month September 4.-18.

“Qualifying for a tournament is different from playing in the tournament itself. We have not been that good in recent tournaments and I believe this is the time to sit up and make things changed.” Said YusifBasigi

“We are in the same group with Cameroon who eliminated us from 2016Olympics qualification. So it tells you how difficult this competition is going to be. As for south African I can confidently say we will be able to put up a show with them now that Egypt have withdrawn” coach Basigi told Ladiesmatch.

He also added that, “in order to win this tournament, I have solve the problem of condition which is affects the performance of the team. That is why we chose Addis Ababa to work on those issues. We are full of confidence and just have to keep on with the good work. The girls are aware of what is at stake. We have to win by all means”

CoachBasigi said, heis aiming to seek revenge and return to the continental stage after failing to make a mark in the last three African women’s championship. And His side is in good position to win this year tournament as the squad is dominated with foreign based players.

The queens who was supposed to open their campaign against the lady pharaohs of Egypt before facing South Africa and title holders Cameroon. But due to the withdrawal of the Lady Pharaohs from the competition, Black Queens will face South African in their opener. 

GFA TO BOOST WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

President of the Ghana Football Association, KwesiNyantakyi publicized that the FA will establish the women’s soccer from early age themed ‘LIVE YOUR GOALS CAMPAIGN’for girls in Ghana’s schools and communities as parts of  his ongoing efforts to expand the interest in women’s football in the country.

In his Speech Mr.Nyantakyi said,“As part of our ongoing efforts to expand the interest in and participation rate in women’s football as well as to develop the footballing skills of girls from a younger age, we will establish the ‘LIVE YOUR GOALS CAMPAIGN‘for girls in school and the communities”

He also said, the GFA will make good use of the expertise of the massive and dominant women football countries on the implementation for a long term plan which will be expected toenhance the development of women’s football in Ghana as well as working hard to improve standards. Also his outfit would start the process of getting the Ghanamansoccer of excellence ready to ensure that the national U-17 players areperfected at the academy atPrampram from an early age.

Nyantakyi made this known to the public at the special congress of the Ghana Football Association where he was re-elected as president for another four years in Tamale last Tuesday.

He was re-elected unopposed after the other competitorsOfeibiaRamatu and George Ankomah, failed to submit their nominations before the required deadline.

He also added, as part of his plan of been re- elected president of the FA, he wants to boost women’s football from the national team level to club team level. 

Black Queens camps in Addis Ababa

The national senior women’s team of Ghana Black Queens, will camp in Addis Ababa a head of the 2015 all Africa games. The entire team is reminded to camp on August 17 to Prampram in Ghana before their move to Addis Ababa according to the head coach.

Ghana’s women’s team has decided settled on Addis Ababa as their camp based for their pre- preparations   2015 all Africa games. The Black Queens who were just eliminated last Saturday from the 2016 Olympics games qualifiers are supposed to meet again in Prampram to begin preparations for the next month’s games in Congo Brazzaville.

The Black Queen’s captain, Mercy Myles said that they are looking forward to excel at the all Africa games to make amends for their elimination from the 2016 qualification series suffered at the hands of the Cameroonians.

In an interview with the coach, YusifBassigi said his side will then fly out to the Ethiopia’s capital five days for familiarization. The black queens are in Group B with Egypt, South Africa and Cameroon.

GHANA WOMEN'S LEAGUE CALL FOR SPONSORS

Ghanaian soccer fans were thrilled to female soccer action on Saturday, August 8, 2015 after weeks’ break to allow the Black Queens and Black Princesses to undertake national assignments. The fixtures for week 8, 9 and 10 were postponed to pave way for the Princesses and Queens to play various qualifying matches.

The Ghana National Women’s League Board, released the fixtures with the 8th week fixtures being honoured on Saturday, August 8, 2015 with fantastic match results of week 8 across the country.

The rest of the matches were to be played between week 9 August 15, 2015 and week 10 August 22/ 23, 2015. But after match week 9 just ended, there was some poor officiating and match fixing between clubs

 AS a result, “The women’s league board (WLB) has announced that all matches for match day 10 of the national women’s league will be played on the same time and simultaneously to be in sync with what pertains in all national leagues. According to the management, the dates have been revised to august 22, 2015 at 3:00pm”

The main reasons why the Women League Board  call for played on the same time and simultaneously to be in sync with what pertains in all national leagues as the league get to its climax  to avoid  match fixing and corruption according to member of the board Leannier Addy.

Even though Ghana Football Association funds the entire competition, some of the clubs still faced challenges of incentives for the players, as result of lack of sponsorship for the various teams.  

Leannier Addy says, she wants the national women league to be free, fair , corruption free and a change in situations of women’s football from men football.

She tells me in an interviews on phone “for now, our biggest constraint is financing and at this point of the league, the teams in top position will do anything to be there to qualify for the championship especially the four leading teams in both the southern and Northern zone” 

The national women’s leagues board says it is hoping that the level of seriousness and commitments exhibit by all the twelve teams in the national women’s leagues will qualifies hard working teams to the championship and eventually the winner.

Leannier Addy added that the women’s league need serious attention so she appealed for more sponsors to come board because GFA funds are not enough

princesses to faced Equatorial

Ghana’s under 20 female team, the black princesses drawn with Equatorial Guinea in the second round of the 2016 under 20 women’s world cup (WWC) qualifiers series. The match will be played on September 25^th to 27^th in Accra.

The black princesses completed their win over their counterpart’s Senegal with a 2:0 away win in the capital of Senegal Dakar in the second leg to progress on an 8:0 aggregate. They won the first leg 6:0 in Ghana at Accra sport stadium.

The two goals from Jane Ayieyam and Lily Niber- Lawrence ensured victory for the black princesses. Princesses will faced equatorial guinea in the second consecutive qualifiers after beating the Guineans side in the year  2014 under 20 Women’s World Cup qualifier on penalties.

The Guineans on other hand, have also advanced to the second round with a convincing home win 4:0 over Mali. The Equatorial Guinea also made sure of qualification in the first leg as their second leg game away ended goalless. 

BLACK QUEENS STUMBLE AGAIN!

The Black Queens of Ghana failed to advance to the final round of the 2016 Olympic Games qualifiers after drawing 2-2 with the Cameroonian at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Meritoriously, both the Black Meteors and the Black Queens of Ghana have been eliminated from the Rio 2016 Olympics, with the country having suffered an Olympic football drought for over a decade.

The black Queens begun the games with an early attempts at goal. Ghana’s striker Agnes Aduako almost fetch the opener in the 8th minute as she had her effort miss the post by inches after lobbying the ball over the Cameroonian goalkeeper Ngo Ndom Aunnette.

The Ghanaians side kept dominating the game until the US-based attacker Samira Sulieman took advantage of a hauler by Cameroon goalkeeper Ngo Ndom Aunnette who failed to take a first time catch to slot the ball into the net. Striker Samira Sulieman got the opener in the 16th minute.

 Cameroon lifted their game as they pushed forward in search of the equalizer after conceding opening goal but the black Queens goalkeeper Patricia Mantey pulled out an excellent save to deny the visitors the equalizer following a wonderful effort from Cameroon striker Afaba Edoa.

However, the away team got a deservedly goal on the hit of half time after striker Ngono Mani found her way through the Ghanaian defense to beat goalkeeper  Patricia Mantey.

The substitution on Hungarian-based midfielder, Elizabeth Addo sparked up the midfield for Ghana as they begun to dominate possession. A well-taken cross from striker Agnes Aduako saw winger Portia Boakye a superb finish to give Ghana the lead for the second time in the game.

Cameroon coach Substitute Agnes Nkada got the match-needed equalizer for Cameroon in the 83rd minute after heading in a cross from the right hand side of attack.

The hopes of Ghana fielding a football team at the Rio 2016 were banked on the senior female side after the Black Meteors side were thrown out of the qualification race by Congo Braziville earlier this year.

But the Queens’ dreams of playing at the Olympic Games was shuttered after the heartbreaking draw with Cameroon at the Accra Sports stadium on the away goal rule after the first leg ended 1-1 in Younde.

HEARTS OF OAK VS ASANTE KOTOKO IN NUMBERS (STATISTICS )

Over the week I got the chance to listen to Asempa Sports and Adom Sports giving us all the statistics involving the biggest game on the Ghana football calendar, as the Phobians host the Porcupine Warriors on Sunday 2 August in Accra. Hearts of Oak are chasing their first league victory in Accra over Asante Kotoko in 6 years.

Head to head

This is going to be the 102 league clash between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko in encounters that date back to 1958. The Phobians have won 34, while the Porcupine Warriors have won 31 and 36 games have ended in draws.

First ever league encounter

1958

Jackson Park, Kumasi

Match cancelled because it ended abruptly

Kotoko 2-4 Hearts

Replay

Jackson Pack, Kumasi

Sunday 2nd November, 1958

Kotoko 2-5 Hearts

These sides have engaged each other in 52 league games at Hearts of Oak home grounds. The Continental club Masters have won 15, whereas the league champions have won 14, with 23 ending in draws. All home matches for Hearts were played in Accra except the 2006/07 league game that was played in Cape Coast.

Hearts of Oak have engaged Kotoko in 51 league games in Accra and the record is even. They have won 14 games apiece and 23 games ended in draws.

First ever league game in Accra

Sunday 16 November, 1958

Hearts 2-4 Kotoko

They have played 12 games in the month of August. Both Hearts and Kotoko won have 3 apiece and 6 ended in draws. Of the 12 games 9 took place in Accra and all Kotoko 3 wins in August happened in Accra. The last two matches in the month of August produces no winner, a goalless in August 3, 2003, which was match day 13 and a one all in August 31, 2003 on match day 18. However the last time a game in August produced a winner was 1987 when Kotoko scored 2 goals through the late George Arthur.

All the matches played on match day 25 couldn’t register a winner. Two of them happened in the month of August 1965 and 1980, while the last match day 25 game was played in October 2005 which ended 1-1.

The last five games between them have produced more draws than wins

Break down of the last 5 league games between these sides

Hearts of Oak have won 1

Kotoko have won 1

Draws: 3

2012/13

Match day 7- Sunday 18 November, 2013

• Asante Kotoko 0-0 Hearts of Oak

David Duncan’s first game as a coach of Hearts

Match day 24: Sun May 5, 2013

• Hearts of Oak 1-1 Asante Kotoko

Winful Cobbinah 24; Michael Helegbe 64

Ahead of the game Kotoko sent a bid for Hearts’ mask man, Mahatma Otoo, but it was rejected.

2013/14

Match day 2: Sunday Sept 22, 2013

• Hearts of Oak 0-1 Kotoko

Scorer: Seidu Bancey

Match day 2:1 June, 2014

Match day 29:

• Asante Kotoko 0-0 Hearts of Oak

2014-15

Match day 6:

• Kotoko 0-1 Hearts

Kotoko have seen 2 victories against Hearts in their last 5 league games in Accra, with 1 going for Hearts and 2 ending in draws, but Hearts are even without a win in their last 4 league home games against Kotoko (L2, D2)

2009/10

Match day 9: Sun Dec 13, 2009

• Hearts of Oak 1-0 Asante Kotoko

Scorer: Samuel Afum 20th min

2010/11

Match day 22: Sun March 20, 2011

• Hearts of Oak 0-2 Asante Kotoko

Scorers: Ahmed Toure 4, Nii Adjei 20

2011/12

Match day 7: November 20, 2011

Hearts of Oak 0-0 Asante Kotoko

2012/13

Match day 24: Sun May 5, 2013

• Hearts of Oak 1-1 Asante Kotoko

Scorers: Winful Cobbinah 24; Michael Helegbe 64

Ahead of the game Kotoko did send a bid for Hearts’ mask man, Mahatma Otoo, but it was rejected.

2014/2015

Match day 25: Sun August 2, 2015

. Hearts of Oak 1:2 Asante Kotoko

Scorers: Amos Frimpong,Muash Inusah and Dauda Mohammed.

SERVICE ENDS TODAY

All graduates from Ghanaian tertiary institutions must complete a one year national service. Every year several ten of thousands of graduates are posted to various sectors as service personnel.

 I smile with friends as the national service ends today. I smile with pride, knowing that I have served my country well.  I love my country so much that when the small allowance wasn’t paid on time I never gave up going to work. Sometimes the delayed of the allowance makes living difficult for those of us who were traveling from long distance to work.

  It has not been easy at all during the service. Sometimes, I have to walk from circle to ministries due to the delay of allowance. I have to be economical to able to go to work why because I wanted served country with dignity and pride. I wanted to be a patriotic citizen. Today, I bow out graciously into the elites of extraordinary employees as one of the benefits.

Perhaps the first and biggest benefit people can ever get from national service is the satisfaction of incorporating service into their lives and making a difference in their community and country. The intangible benefits alone such as pride, satisfaction, make new friends and accomplishment are worthwhile reasons to serve. But there are other benefits as well tangible benefits such as awards, job and education certifications, professional development, and more.

What I will advise the up- coming graduates is that, think of what you can do when you give your time to help your community or where you were posted.

Help your community: Know that you are giving your time, talent, wisdom, and experience to your community and neighbors who need you.

Help yourself: Through service, you can add to the quality and health of your life. Research indicates that volunteers enjoy better health, make new friendships, stay active and involved in the community, and learn new skills.

Make a difference: Be part of a national movement to transform Ghana through the involvement of its national service.