Sports
Ghana’s World Cup dreams in danger after one all draw with Ethiopia
The Black Stars of Ghana have made their road to Qatar 2022 World Cup a more difficult one after being held one all by the Wallias of Ethiopia at the Orlando Sports Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday.
The Stars who needed the three maximum points to ease their chances in the final game at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium on Sunday, scored first in the 20th minute through a perfectly taken free-kick by Andre Ayew.
This was after the Stars had missed some clear-cut scoring opportunities through returnee Richmond Boakye-Yidom, as well as Kudus Mohamed and Kamaldeen Sulleyman.
Ghana kept the lead till the first half.
After recess, the Ethiopians took over the game outplayed the Stars by pinning them to their own half, winning all the 50-50 balls to keep them under pressure throughout the half.
Ethiopia, created several goal scoring opportunities, hit the cross bar once and forced Joojo Wallacot to make some goal bound chances, to deny them the equaliser.
However, it was obvious that, the equaliser was coming as the Ethiopians continue to mount pressure for it, which eventually came in the 72nd minute through Gataneh Kedebe.
Kedebe fired past Wallacot from a cross to return his side back into the game.
Head Coach Milovan Rajevac exhausted all his substitution by introducing Mubarak Wakaso for Boakye-Yiadom, Edmund Addo for Baba Iddrisu, Caleb Ekuban for Jordan Ayew and Fatawu Ishahaku for Andre Ayew.
But it was not enough to salvage the situation for the Black Stars as they have to be content with one point.
Ghana would have to beat South Africa by at least two unanswered goals to salvage their dreams of advancing to the play off zone.
Line-Up: Jojo Wallacot, Andrew Yiadom, Baba Rahman, Joseph Aidoo, Daniel Amartey, Idrrisu Baba/Edmund Addo, Mohammed Kudus, Jordan Ayew/Caleb Ekuban, Andre Ayew (c)/Fatawu Ishahaku, Boakye Yiadom/Mubarak Wakaso, Kamal Deen
Source: GNA
Officials from the Ghana mission in the United Arab Emirates have paid a morale-boosting visit to the camp of the Black Queens.
The delegation, made up of Consular Officer Percy Okudzeto, Consul and Head of Chancery Abdul-Jalil Sigli Yakubu Abdulai and Head of Transport Anas Shaibu, visited the team to assure them of the government’s support and commitment to their safety and welfare.
During the visit, the officials interacted with the team and offered words of encouragement, urging the team to remain focused on the tournament despite concerns surrounding unrest in parts of the UAE.
Consular Officer Percy Okudzeto emphasised that the Ghanaian government, through its diplomatic mission, is closely monitoring the situation and is committed to ensuring the team’s safety throughout their stay.
“We want the team to stay calm and focus on the competition. The government and the embassy are doing everything possible to ensure your safety and well-being.” he said.
Consul and Head of Chancery Abdul-Jalil Sigli Yakubu Abdulai also reiterated the mission’s readiness to provide any assistance required by the team during the tournament.
Leadership of the team expressed appreciation for the visit, describing it as timely and motivating.
With the backing of Ghana’s diplomatic officials in the UAE, the Black Queens remain determined to represent the country proudly and deliver strong performances in the Pink Ladies Cup.
The Black Queens have arrived in the United Arab Emirates to participate in the upcoming Pink Ladies Cup in Dubai. The team touched down at the Dubai International Airport via Emirates Air on Wednesday morning and were warmly received by the competition’s organising officials.
The squad will be based at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, where they will begin their final preparations for the tournament. Organised as part of the international women’s football calendar, the Pink Ladies Cup is expected to feature four national sides using the competition to assess their squads and fine-tune strategies for upcoming tournaments.
Ghana will open their campaign today with a clash against Hong Kong, while Russia and Tanzania face off in the other opening match.
The Black Queens are then scheduled to return to action on March 3, when they take on Russia in a match expected to test them against a physically strong opponent.
The final round of games will be played on March 6, with Ghana closing their campaign against Tanzania at 9:00 pm.
With three matches in eight days, the tournament promises to be a crucial phase in Ghana’s preparation, as the Black Queens aim to return to continental action sharper, stronger, and more competitive.
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