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Nigeria’s Super Falcons
end Black Queens Olympic dream
(From Veronica Commey, GNA Special Correspondent, Abuja,
courtesy Ministry of Education, Science and Sports)
Abuja, March 16, Ghanadot/GNA– The
dream of Ghana’s Black Queens of making a first Olympic
Games appearance has once again been halted by Nigeria’s
Super Falcons, courtesy a 0-2 defeat in their penultimate
qualifier played on Saturday.
Nigeria scored a goal in each half to qualify for the
Beijing Games on superior goals difference.
Both Ghana and Nigeria finished on nine points each, with
the Queens needing only a draw before the game to book their
qualification.
The Nigerians have already made two appearances at the
Olympics, but were eliminated in the first round on both
occasions.
The Queens, who had their fate in their own hands, did not
impress and allowed the host, who needed all points to make
a third appearance, to dominate throughout the entire
duration of the game.
Nigeria’s dominance, as well as the poor officiating by the
Ugandan referee Aisa Mabikko paid off after 38 minutes
through a dubious goal that infuriated the visitors.
Goalkeeper Memunatu Sulemana had pulled incredible saves to
keep Ghana in the game until referee Mabikko got to the
height of her poor judgement by ignoring a foul on Memunatu
and a few seconds later overlooked a handball that would
have gone against Nigeria in the Ghanaian goal area.
Africa’s female number one player, Cynthia Uwak capitalised
on the referee’s errors to score the first goal, sending the
handful of chanting home supporters at the stadium into wild
jubilation.
The Queens, who had struggled to pull their game together,
had their spirit dampened by the goal and only managed to
survive several assaults for the rest of the first half by
the charged Falcons with play makers Perpetual Nkwocha and
Ifeanyi Cheijine firmly controlling affairs from the middle.
The Queens, after recess nearly got the equalizer through an
initiative by skipper Adjoa Bayor, who neatly picked out
Anita Amankwaah in the middle.
Amankwah took a fine half volley that forced Nigeria’s
goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi to make her first serious save,
sending shivers down the spine of the Falcons and their
followers.
But the Falcons were to return to their dominance, buoyed by
the cheers from the fans and pressed until the second goal
came with less than five minutes to end the game through
Uwak.
Ghana would now play Brazil in a play-off to determine who
qualifies to the quadrennial games.
LINE–UP Ghana: Memunatu Sulemana, Portia Boakye, Ama
Saabi, Olivia Amoako, Aminatu Ibrahim, Lydia Ankra, Florence
Okoe, Adjoa Bayor/Safia Abdul Rahman, Rumanatu Tahiru/Diana
Ankomah, Anita Amankwah, Gloria Oforiwaa.
GNA
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