Queens Play For Pride Today

Memories of the Dragon Stadium in Hangzhou is not a particularly pleasant one for Ghana's Black Queens. It is the venue where their 2007 Women's World Cup (WWC) dream went totally wrong, losing both group matches against Australia and Canada.

So, with their last group match scheduled for the Shanghai Hong Kou Stadium yesterday, the Queens had hoped the change of venue could be a big omen for them and probably they can bow out of the competition with some pride by putting up a good show against Norway.

However, that hope has been dimmed by mother nature as three days of torrential rain and Typhoon Wipha early yesterday has compelled FIFA to reschedule the Ghana-Norway match back to Hangzhou today.

With no choice, the Queens must now brave themselves up for their last assignment at this competition, and without knowing, they still hold the key to the fate of the other Group D members if they can get their last act right, even though the die is cast.

The last group matches will be honoured simultaneously today and the Queens stand the chance of blocking one of the three teams' chances of qualifying if they can upset Norway.

Australia and Norway have four points each and Canada have three, and depending on what happens in these last group matches, the two teams qualifying from this group could be decided through the technicalities of better goal aggregates as well as the head-to-head count.

This is where even after beating the Queens 0-4, the Canadians are hoping the Ghanaians will do them a favour by coming out with a classy act against the Norwegians to at least help them squeeze their way through should they be able to hold the Australians to a draw.

However, Queens Head Coach, Isaac Paha, insists neither him nor his team is out to do any side any favour other than try to salvage his own and the team's image at this competition.

“We came into this competition with a lot of hope but unfortunately, things did not work out well for us. We've had some terrible results and in our last match, we need to make things right,” Coach Paha told the Daily Graphic.

Much as a draw could send the Norwegians through to the next stage, irrespective of what happens in the Australia-Canada game, they are not ready to gamble with their chances, especially when they have been touted as the team to beat in the group.

As former champions and one of the giants in women's football, the Norwegians have shown their resilience and a better technical approach to this competition, and will not spare any efforts in claiming all three points and the top spot from the group.

“Without sounding over confident, I don't think Ghana has a chance against us. We are going to play our last game as if it were our opening match where the first points are important. More so, when Australia and Canada had good results from Ghana, why shouldn't we too?” asked their captain, Ane Stangeland-Horpestad in an interview.

While the Norwegians are ready to confirm Ghana's status as the whipping side of the group, Coach Paha is determined to save his image even if it takes them no where.

Brazil should also not have any problems taking care of Denmark in their last Group D encounter, also rescheduled from yesterday to today at the Dragon Stadium.

Story by Rosalind Amoh