Maidens Face Tough Task

GHANA'S NATIONAL under-17 women's team, the Black Maidens left Ghana last Wednesday to Yaounde, to play the Lionesses of Cameroon in their last group qualifier.

Sources close to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) indicated that the 23- man delegation including 18 players and 5 officials, left for Cameroon with the resolve to win the encounter, to qualify to the first FIFA Women's Under-17 World Cup to be held from October 30 to November 16, 2008.

Ghana's team will imperatively need a win if they want to go to the World Cup in that category as a draw game will only ensure that Cameroon qualify for the tournament alongside Nigeria.

Two teams from Africa are to qualify to this year's maiden FIFA Women's World Cup to be staged in New Zealand.

The Ghana girls who lost their first two successive games in the qualifying campaign, had their hopes revived last Saturday when they defeated their Nigerian counterparts in Accra by a lone goal, courtesy Elizabeth Addo alias Ama Pele.

Nigeria have already booked a place in the final tournament and winner of the encounter between Ghana and Cameroon in Yaounde will take the other slot.

According to Cameroon's team coach, Enow Ngatchu, “Ghana and Nigeria have dominated women football on the continent and we have much respect for them; but my girls are well prepared for the task.

Some few players who were sitting for examinations could not feature in the first leg in Accra, now they are all around and fit.”

He disclosed that his team will be more defensive while using some counter-attacks to put pressure in the opponents' goal area.

By Pierre Toto