Princesses To tour South Africa

The national Under-20 women's football team, Black Princesses, will tour South Africa next month in preparation for their participation in the All Africa Games women's football.

The team is expected to play some local club sides during the six-match tour before taking up the challenge relinquished by their seniors, the Black Queens.

A member of the Black Princesses Management Committee, S. Oduro Nyarko, told the Daily Graphic that the squad is bracing up for the opportunity to represent the country at the All Africa Games, hence the preparation in order not to disappoint.

"This is a fine opportunity to groom the younger generation for the future and we believe the team can live up to expectation on account of the quality in camp," Mr Oduro Nyarko said.

The Black Queens are the original team to represent Ghana in the football championship at the All Africa Games to be held in Algiers, Algeria, from July 5 to 23 where the women's game is not restricted to a particular age group. But the team have ceded the role to the Under-20 side in view of their tight training programme towards the Women's World Cup in China in September where Ghana and Nigeria are Africa's representatives.

The South African tour will round up nearly three months of camping by the Princesses towards the African tournament. Since March, they have won three of five training games, beating New Town Ladies of Tema 9-2 at Prampram, thumping Ghatel Ladies of Koforidua 6-2 at Koforidua, drawing goalles with Hasaacas Ladies at Sekondi, beating Ghatel Ladies of Sunyani 5-1 at Sunyani and losing 2-3 to an Ashanti select at Kumasi.

Story by Michael Quaye