body-container-line-1
29.03.2004 Football News

Kalusha Bwalya predicts better days for Ghana football

29.03.2004 LISTEN
By GNA

Accra, March 29, GNA-Kalusha Bwalya, the celebrated legendary African soccer star has predicted better days for Ghana football, citing the performance of the Black Meteors in the Olympic qualifying match against the Young Chipolopolo of Zambia at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. The Zambian star watched his team bow 2-0 to the Ghanaians in their bid to pick the only slot of Group "D" for this year's Olympic Games slated for Athens.

Bwalya who spoke to the GNA Sports after the match, said that "It would not be long for Ghana to reclaim its lost glory considering their performance today". He said the out put of the Ghanaians in both games against his side gives him the conviction that the country is gradually finding the missing link in her current performance which had for some time left much to be desired of them. "The stuff they exhibited in Lusaka and today's performance in Kumasi have rekindled my hope", he added.

The legendary Kalusha told the GNA that he was hopeful that if the current crop of players are maintained and given the necessary support, they would mark the resurrection of the nations' recent decline in the global leather. "I am highly convinced that if these boys are managed well, Ghana will soon bounce back to those glorious days when they were the power house of African Football".

On the output of the game, the soft-spoken star was appreciative of the Meteors ability to take their chances as against his side. "The difference today was the fact that the Meteors took their chances whilst we failed to convert the few we created." When quizzed on whether the (Zambians) did not waste to much time on playing the mind games rather than preparing for the match, the former goal poacher answered in the negative insisting that " we prepared very well for this game except that in football one can only expect three results (win, draw or lose)."

Bwalya said he did not rate the performance of the Ghanaians above the Zambians but believed that some of the decisions by the Togolese referee, Kofi Djaupe was bad for African football, citing their equalizer which was ruled offside as his strong point. He challenged the decision whilst insisting that he was not making excuses for their loss saying, " I think we scored a decent goal and had few unfair infringements against us". The 1994 African Footballer of the year, however, believes the Ghanaian team deserved the victory describing it as a hard fought one.

body-container-line