January 31, 2008
Bring on Nigeria, say bullish Ghana
Ghana, buoyed by their explosive performance against Morocco, can’t wait to tackle Nigeria in Sunday’s African Nations Cup quarter-final.
With wins in their three first round matches Ghana and their fervent fans are eyeing a record-equalling fifth title come February 10.
But before making it to the final they must overcome Nigeria, who grabbed their last eight ticket by beating Benin on Wednesday, and if successful a semi-final possibly against either Camerooon or defending champions Egypt.
Assessing the quarter-final puzzle lying in store for the Black Stars Ghana coach Claude Le Roy said: “Nigeria are a very strong team but they have been having some difficulties, the atmosphere with them doesn’t seem to be so good.
“We are fired up and ready to meet any side.”
After another fine showing from midfield star Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari, responsible for the goals that sent Morocco out, Le Roy says there is a ring of confidence in the hosts’ camp.
“It seems that day by day we’re becoming very difficult to beat. I’ve got the same feeling as I had in Morocco in 1988.”
The French-born coach was making reference there to the year he led Cameroon to the title.
“With Cameroon we had to beat Morocco on the way to the final too, so perhaps that’s a good omen.”
Le Roy, who is not known for making rash predictions but says the current Ghana squad is on a par with that title winning Cameroon side, got his tactics just right against Morocco, allowing more space for Essien in midfield which worked a treat.
“For our next game I’ll have to work out a different strategy. The first quality of intelligence is to be able to adapt.”
A key element to Ghana’s win over Morocco was the backing of the fans at the Ohene Djan stadium, the same fans that had given the team, and especially striker Asamoah Gyann, such a hard time in their unconvincing 1-0 win over Namibia.
“We need supporters to get behind the team,” said Celta Vigo striker Quincey Owusu Abeyie.
Nottingham Forest forward Junior Agogo, who was a constant threat to the Moroccan defence, said: “There was a bit of pressure before this game, but now we’re buzzing to be through.
“We hadn’t played our best in our last two games, but we thought things would eventually come right for us.”
Hearts midfielder Laryeah Kingston will be available for Sunday’s game in Accra after sitting out a one match suspension against Namibia.
Eagles determined to win Ghana 2008
The Super Eagles of Nigeria has called their teeming fans to stand solidly behind the team in its determination to win the ultimate at the ongoing Ghana 2008 African Cup of Nations. “We owe our fans the duty to give of our best and prove that we are currently the best on the Continent,” Mr Peterside Idah, Media Officer of the Nigerian national team, told GNA Sports in Takoradi on Wednesday. Mr Idah said the Team’s encounter with the Black Stars at the quarterfinals stage would be a motivation for the team since “playing with Ghana had always been a motivation on its own”. “We are going to black-out the Black Stars to the surprise of connoisseurs and fans and to prove a point,” he said in reference to Sunday’s encounter.
On the general performance of the Super Eagles in the tournament, Mr Idah admitted that he did not believe that they could qualify to the quarterfinals due to the lacklustre performance of the team. He said Cote d’Ivoire did his team a “technical favour” by beating Mali in the last “Group B” match in Accra on Tuesday. Mr Idah said the Super Eagles had to step up their game to ensure victory over Benin only after they had heard that the Elephants were ahead of Mali after the first half.
“Come Sunday and we are going to prove that the recent 4-1 victory of the Black Stars over the Super Eagles was a fluke”, he said. Nigeria accounted for Benin 2-0 in their last “Group B” encounter at the Essipon stadium on Tuesday to give them a quarterfinal berth in the soccer competition.
Mikel Obi and Yakubu Ayigbeni found the net for their side in the second half of the game after an uneventful first half. In a related development, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Omanhene of Essikado and Chairman of the Sekondi-Takoradi Venue Organisation Committee (STVOC), has stressed that the major winner of the ongoing competition should be Africa.
He said he believed that football could be used to accelerate the efforts for continental unity, adding; “the joy about soccer is that we throw away all our differences and think about ourselves as one people”. Nana Nketsia was speaking during an interaction with foreign sports journalists at the Essipon stadium, near Sekondi on Tuesday. The interaction was organised to assess the performance of the STVOC since the beginning of the tournament on January 20.
The journalists complained about lack of transport arrangement from the hotels in Takoradi to and from the stadium before and after matches. They also spoke about poor sitting arrangements where fans sometimes evaded the areas allocated to the media, thereby causing a lot of embarrassment.
Nana Nketsia promised to address the issues immediately and asked the journalists to approach his office in case they encountered any difficulties.
Eto’o goal record send Cameroon through
Samuel Eto’o became the record goal-scorer in African Cup of Nations history as Cameroon qualified for the quarter finals with a 3-0 win over Sudan in their Group C match in Tamale on Wednesday.
The Indomitable Lions quickly seized control of a rather disappointing first half.
Sudan goal-keeper Mahjoub El Moez was called into action inside two minutes, when Joseph Desire Job latched onto a long throw down the left and forced him into a smart save.
After 25 minutes Yousef Alaeldin was penalised for tugging back Achille Emana inside the Sudan penalty area, and Eto’o stepped up to place the ball past El Moez and net his record-breaking 15th African Cup of Nations goal.
Cameroon went 2-0 up 10 minutes later when Epalle drilled the ball into the box from the right and Hamouda Bashir’s attempted clearance struck Mohamed Ali Khider and bounced over the line.
In the second half, Alaeldin forced Carlos Kameni into a good save with a drive from the edge of the box, and from the ensuing corner Haitham Tambal sent a volley over the crossbar after being picked out at the back post.
Sudan’s efforts produced a few nervy moments for Otto Pfister’s side, but in injury time Eto’o galloped through to slot the ball home and set the seal on his side’s victory.
Cameroon will play the winners of Group D in the quarter finals.
Appiah wants out of Fenerbahce after BIG fallout
Further to recent media reports, Base Soccer Agency Limited, the management company representing Stephen Appiah, would like to issue the following statement in order to clarify certain statements that have been made regarding his injury and his future career with Fenerbahce Football Club:
In January 2007, during a training session with the Club, Stephen picked up an injury to his left knee. This injury worsened over the next few months. However, in order that he could continue playing for the Club and help it achieve its ambitions in the 2006/7 season, at the Club’s request Stephen agreed to play in games for the Club for the remainder of the season with the use of injections to control his pain. During this period, Stephen trained on his own in the swimming pool and would usually join up with the rest of the team a day or two before matches.
Stephen played in matches for the Club with these pain killing injections until April 2007, however, towards the end of the 2006/7 season, he agreed with the Club that, in order that he would be fit in time for the 2007/8 season, he would undergo surgery on his knee. This surgery took place on 23 May 2007.
After taking part in the Club’s pre season tour of Austria during the summer of 2007 (during which he again trained on his own with the Club’s physiotherapist), in or around July 2007, Stephen began to suffer breathing difficulties and pains in his left knee and his left leg generally.
Stephen reported these difficulties to the Club’s medical staff, and was later diagnosed by the Club’s medical staff as suffering from asthma. Stephen was therefore treated for asthma by the Club for the next three months, but without success.
Between October and December 2007, during which time Stephen was playing for the Club, he continued to suffer breathing difficulties. However, the treatment the Club had prescribed was having no effect. Then, in December 2007, Stephen discovered the reason why:
After a series of tests by Turkish and Italian doctors, it was confirmed that Stephen had not in fact been suffering from asthma as the Club had diagnosed, but rather he had developed blood clots in his left leg after his surgery, which later developed into micro embolisms. The Club had therefore misdiagnosed his condition.
Stephen was extremely concerned to learn that the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of his injury had led to a potentially career threatening, not to mention life threatening, condition. The news also came as a terrible shock to his wife, his 3 young children, and his extended family.
During the past month, as a result of this misdiagnosis and mistreatment, Stephen has been receiving treatment for his condition on the advice of Italian doctors. The Club is aware that this is the case and his rehabilitation has been going well.
However, whilst Stephen has been in Ghana – where he is attending during the African Cup of Nations at the request of the Ghanaian Football Association and with the full knowledge of the Club – he learned through press reports that various confidential details regarding his personal medical details had been published to the worldwide media. These reports also suggested that the Club had sought to freeze Stephen’s contract in order that the Club could sign a further player as a replacement for him.
The Club has since confirmed that it has also sought to exercise an option in its favour in order to extend the duration of Stephen’s contract for a further year. The Club did not seek Stephen’s consent at any stage in order to do this and he has not signed any such extension. The Club has provided a copy of the option, which is subject to his contract, but has not provided Stephen with a copy of the contract itself. Both Stephen and his legal representatives have requested a copy of the contract on several occasions, but the Club has failed to disclose it to date.
As a result, Stephen will request a copy of the contract as filed with the Turkish Football Association, and ensure that FIFA is made aware of his request.
Stephen would like to make clear that he loves the Club and adores its fans. However, he is understandably very disheartened by the Club’s attitude towards him since his injury.
Stephen has been a loyal servant to the Club, and has played through significant pain in order to help the Club. Given this, he is shocked and deeply disappointed by its treatment of him.
As a result of the misdiagnosis of Stephen’s injury, he has been prevented from captaining his country during Ghana’s hosting of the African Cup of Nations.
This is heartbreaking for Stephen and his family. Stephen has been the captain of his national team for 7 years and it was his dream to captain his country as the host nation in the tournament. Stephen was proud to be representing his country in front of his family, who rarely get the opportunity to see him play, let alone in a major tournament in Ghana.
This is a very difficult period for Stephen and his family. Whilst Stephen does not want to be embroiled in legal action against the Club as a result of this matter, the Club’s actions have not only caused Stephen and his family loss and suffering, but have also have meant that he has lost all confidence in the Club’s ability to treat his injury and deal with him as they did prior to his injury.
Stephen is a father of three young boys, with a large extended family, and a charity which he founded in Ghana who support and depend upon him. It is therefore extremely important that he makes the right decision regarding this matter. Given the horrific events of the past few months, he is presently considering his options.
Cameroon fury at ‘catastrophic’ organisation
Cameroon coach Otto Pfister is fuming at African Nations Cup organisers after his side’s luggage failed to arrive with the team for Wednesday’s crunch game with Sudan.
“It’s a total catastrophe,” was how the veteran German-born manager labelled Confederation of African Football’s organisation.
“We left Kumasi on Tuesday morning and they told us a helicopter would follow with our bags.
“We arrive here and we don’t have any shirts or balls. Our hotel rooms weren’t ready. We had to wait three hours in the foyer and our meal was served very late.
“I don’t know who is responsible but it’s a total catastrophe in terms of organisation.”
Pfister added: “On Monday in Kumasi we wanted to eat at 1330, but the owner of the hotel had forgotten to hand over the keys to the kitchen.
“Every day there’s something. Remember, we’ve got several world stars in the squad – it’s really hard trying to keep up the team’s morale.”
Part of Cameroon’s luggage eventually showed up at the end of the day allowing the Indomitable Lions to hold a light training session at the stadium in Tamale ahead of Wednesday’s game, watched by the Sudanese players.
Cameroon captain Rigobert Song insisted his side had to ride above the occasional organisational glitch.
“Whatever the handicaps we encounter they shouldn’t be allowed to destabilise the squad,” said the 31-year-old.
“We’ve often had worse situations than this and we’ve always dealt with them.
“Nothing’s new for us. We have an aim in our sights – qualification.”
Lying second in their group Cameroon must beat Sudan to guarantee their place in the last eight.
| COPYRIGHT © 2007-2011 Zamfoot Sports Agency. All rights reserved. |
