FootyDream

The Black Queens will hold a 3-0 advantage into tomorrow’s second leg clash of the first round of 2024 Paris Olympic Games qualifiers against the Female Syli National of Guinea at the Accra Sports Stadium at 4pm.

The Queens began their quest for a maiden appearance at the quadrennial tournament on Friday with an emphatic 3-0 thrashing of the Guineans at the Stade General Lansaba Conte in Conakry.

Striker Vivian Adjei Konadu grabbed the opener on the 19th minute mark after capitalising on a goalkeeping error to smash home.

Doris Boaduwaa scored the second goal in the 27th minute after connecting a brilliant through ball from Jennifer Cudjoe.

Things got worse for the home team on the half-hour mark when they were reduced to 10 women after Camara Manet picked up a second yellow card.

They, however, held on to end the first half 2-0.

Back from the break, the Ghanaians continued to probe for more goals, but failed to score from the numerous chances that came their way.

They finally found the opening on 72 minutes when substitute, Mary Amponsah, set up Evelyn Badu with a tailor-made pass for her to slot home the third goal.

The Queens nearly made it four on the stroke of full time, but Dreamz Ladies’, skipper Stella Nyamekye, who was handed her senior debut, drove a powerful right-footed shot that cannoned off the upright.

The Ghanaians would hope to repeat the 2012 qualifier double over the same side, blowing them apart 7-1.

With the 3-0 away victory, it remains to be seen how many goals the Nora Häuptle-led Black Queens side will be able to score in front of their home crowd.

Häuptle would be in charge of her second official game and fifth game in all, which has seen her record four straight wins.

The winner of the two-legged tie would proceed to play the winner of the Guinea-Bissau and Benin game.

Meanwhile, Senegalese Referee, Fatoumata Sall Toure, has been appointed to officiate tomorrow’s game.

She will be assisted by compatriots Fatou Bintou Sene and Tabara Mbodji, with Faye Mame Coumba as the Fourth Official.

Ahoua Aya Irene from Cote d’Ivoire is the Referee Assessor, with Tall Zoungrana Sabine Marie Isabelle from Burkina Faso as the Match Commissioner.

Ibrahim Sulemana, the talented Ghanaian midfielder, has expressed his strong desire to represent the Black Stars, the national team of Ghana.

With his remarkable performances in Europe, particularly in helping Hellas Verona secure survival last season, the 20-year-old defensive midfielder earned a significant move to rivals Cagliari during the summer transfer window.

Speaking with passion and love for his homeland, Sulemana stated, “I would love to play for Ghana, I love my country,” he told the club’s website.

His aspiration to wear the national team jersey showcases his commitment to contributing to the success of Ghana on the international stage.

At Cagliari, Sulemana faces the challenge of earning a spot in Claudio Ranieri’s starting lineup for the upcoming season. However, he is confident in his abilities and believes he can become a crucial player for the club.

“I love expressing my characteristics, whatever position the coach wants to put me in to help the team. If I had to choose, I would like to play central midfield. Knowing how to use both feet in football is essential and I’m improving a lot to grow in this respect. Shooting from distance is definitely one of my main characteristics,” he added.

While he enjoys versatility, the young midfielder has a preference for central midfield. He emphasized the importance of honing both feet in football, and he is actively working on improving this aspect of his game.

One of Sulemana’s standout qualities is his ability to shoot from distance, making him a potential threat from various positions on the pitch.

As he continues to develop and showcase his talents, Ibrahim Sulemana remains eager to contribute his skills to both Cagliari and the Black Stars, hoping to leave a lasting impact on the football scene.

Ameenu Shadow, the current team manager for Ghana’s Black Stars, expressed his belief that the team would have performed better if Otto Addo had remained as the head coach of the senior national team.

He cited Addo’s lack of previous experience as a head coach at the World Cup as a contributing factor to the mistakes made during the tournament.

According to Shadow, Otto Addo, who is currently a trainer coach at Borussia Dortmund, is someone who learns on the job, and Ghana could have benefited from his continued leadership as the head coach.

“We would have been better if Otto Addo stayed as Black Stars coach. I have always said it that Otto Addo made mistakes at the World Cup because he hadn’t been there before.

“Otto Addo is someone who learns on the job and Ghana would have been better if he had continued with his job as Black Stars head coach”, he told 3Sports.