Sports
Encouraging Signs for Black Queens
When the international friendly match between Ghana’s Black Queens and the Lionesses of England was announced, it was received with mixed feelings. For the faint-hearted, lining up such a high-profile friendly against the European champions was an audacious move. Fans who aligned with this school of thought were guided by what has earned a place in Ghana’s football history as the ‘Bochum Disaster,’ recorded on April 14, 1993.
It was a disaster, although there was no loss of life. On that cold evening in Bochum, the Black Stars suffered a 6-1 humiliation from the German national team in an international friendly. It came as a shock to soccer fans across the globe, coming just a year after Abedi Ayew Pele skippered the Black Stars to dominate the continent, culminating in an AFCON final in the 1992 edition held in Senegal. In a final against the Elephants of La Cote d’Ivoire, the game went to extra time, with the eventual winner decided after a marathon penalty shoot-out. Ghana’s strength on the continent at the time was considered second best.
Fast forward to April, Ghana faced Germany again, needing a high-profile friendly to commence USA ‘94 World Cup qualifying. What followed was a battering that no follower of the team would want to remember—a 6-1 defeat for the team that had previously brought honour to the nation. Guided by this history, nervous fans had reason to doubt the Black Queens’ ability to share the field with the European champions, currently the top-ranked female team in the world, and come out unscathed.
However, there were fans who remained optimistic that the Black Queens would perform well. Despite losing the game 2-0, fans expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall performance, as many had anticipated a worse outcome than the Bochum disaster. The English coach had changed the team that had thrashed China 8-0 just four days earlier, which gave some hope to Ghana supporters.
The Black Queens defended well for 90 minutes, aided by some profligacy from the English in front of goal and an excellent performance from Ghana’s goalkeeper, Cynthia Konlan Findib. England captain Alessia Russo praised Ghana’s performance, stating, “Ghana provided the type of test we wanted… We want to test ourselves against different playing styles, and we definitely got that tonight.”
Despite the defeat, the match proved to be a valuable exercise for the team as they prepare for the next AFCON. It highlighted improvements in both the playing staff and the technical direction of the team. Coach Kim Lars scored full marks for knowing the strengths of his team and adopting strategies they were comfortable with. While some fans disapproved of the defensive approach, as long as it proves effective, it must be encouraged to achieve results rather than merely entertain the crowd.
By Andrew Nortey
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A step closer to glory awaits six Ghana Premier League (GPL) club sides and two Division One clubs as they battle for spots at the semi-finals stage of the 2025-26 MTN FA Cup this weekend at the Cape Coast Stadium and the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park in Bechem.
Dreams FC, the 2022-2023 champions, will clash with Heart of Lions in the quarter-finals at the Cape Coast Stadium tomorrow at pm.
Heart of Lions are going through a difficult spell in the league, having lost ground on their title aspirations that started brightly.
Dreams FC thrashed Lions 3-0 in the reverse fixture of the GPL game in January after losing 1-0 in the first round tie, and tomorrow’s game comes in to settle the scores between the two sides this season.
Although struggling, Lions lie two places above Dreams’ 12th position on the league log and will look to take that inspiration into the game.
The day’s other game will see two-time champions Medeama SC battle Access Bank Division One League (DOL) Zone Three side Attram De Visser at the same venue at 7pm.
The GPL leaders Medeama SC are in the chase for a double this season and will chase a win to appease their fans.
After defeating Asante Kotoko 4-2 on penalties in the Round of 16, Aduana FC will seek to account for Access Bank DOL Zone One B campaigners, Techiman Liberty Youth, today.
Aduana FC are in the hunt for a double this season as they are currently third on the GPL table, trailing leaders Medeama SC with five points.
Having been decisive in matches against Nsuatre FC, Victory Club Warriors and Real Tamale United to get this far, the best in the annals of the club’s history, coach Ezekiel Nii Yeboah of Liberty Youth would be out to cause an upset.
At the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park in Bechem tomorrow, another interesting pairing is set to play out as the all-Premier League affair between Nations FC and Berekum Chelsea takes centre stage.
By Raymond Ackumey
The Black Starlets will intensify preparations for the upcoming 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations with a double-header of friendly matches against FC Samartex 1996 at the Nsenkyire Sports Arena, Samraboi.
The national U-17 side will first take on the youth team of Samartex on Saturday at4pm, as the technical team continues to assess player combinations and sharpen match readiness ahead of the continental tournament.
The following day, Sunday, March 15, the Starlets will return to the same venue to face the senior side of Samartex in another crucial preparatory fixture, also scheduled for 4pm.
These matches form part of a series of build-up games designed to test the squad’s depth, tactical discipline and competitive edge as they prepare for the AFCON challenge.
The Starlets have already played several friendly matches during their training programme, including encounters against True Democracy FC, Port City FC, Attram De Visser Academy, Semper Fi FC and Golden Kick FC.
The upcoming double-header is expected to provide another valuable opportunity for the technical team to fine-tune strategies and evaluate players as Ghana’s young talents continue their preparations for the 2026 U-17 AFCON.
