The Ghanaian authorities are not leaving anything to chance as the Black Meteors engage their Nigerian counterparts, the Dream Team 5 in today’s crucial All Africa Games second leg qualifier inside the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
A ministerial order on the side to ensure that they overcome Austin Eguavoen and his wards today despite their 3-1 first leg advantage was issued during the week by the country’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Clement Kofi Humado who also appealed for special prayer sessions for the team, Ghanaian online newspapers reported on Friday.
According to the report, “In a goodwill message sent on behalf of the Government and the people of Ghana, the Minister advised the team to be focused and to show determination to win the match to qualify for the All Africa Games.”
The Ghanaians are particularly interested in the All Africa Games qualification as most of their teams, except the Black Queens crashed out from most of the continental and world competitions holding this year and next.
The Black Queens qualified for the All Africa Games at the expense of the Falcons who they held to a 1-1 draw at the Abuja National Stadium before losing the crucial second leg match in Accra 2-1. They however, failed to make it to the 2012 Olympics while the Nigerian girls qualified.
The Ghanaian minister while acknowledging that the tie may be tough, enjoined religious groups in the country to support the Meteors with prayers ahead of the game while urging the team’s coaches to work assiduously to ensure that the players are physically and psychologically prepared to face the Eguavoen tutored side.
Mr Humado was quoted as saying that “Even though a handful of the players who featured in the first leg have returned to their teams in Europe, I am confident that the team is still more than capable of overturning the first leg score line in Nigeria and to qualify for Maputo since they cannot afford to disappoint the good people of Ghana.” He also called on the fans to troop to the Baba Yara stadium in their numbers to cheer the Meteors to victory.
Meteors captain, Samuel Inkoom to his country men and women they were all determined to turn the table against the Dream Team, stressing the Black Meteors have the capacity to rise to the challenge of snatching the All Africa Games ticket. Meanwhile Eguavoen has assured Nigerians that they were going to play the game as if it were the first leg because he was aware their hosts will come out fighting.
He assured that capable replacements have been drafted for the injured players as well as some others who could not make the trip.
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