|
Tumultuous welcome for Black Stars to
Tamale
Tamale, May 31, Ghanadot/GNA – The
People of Tamale Metropolis on Saturday came out in their
numbers to welcome the senior national team, the Black Stars
to the Tamale, ahead of their international friendly against
the Uganda national side in the city on Sunday.
Supporters from the Upper East and Upper West regions also
thronged the metropolis to cheer the Stars.
The football enthusiasts expected the Black Stars to win the
friendly and subsequently snatch the maximum three points
from Mali in their quest to qualify for Angola/South Africa
2010.
The GNA observed that the Tamale Sports Stadium was half
full of soccer fans who went there to watch the training
sessions of the Black Stars and the Ugandans on Saturday
evening.
Security personnel had it tough controlling the crowd that
wanted to catch glimpses of the Ghanaian players.
They were however, disappointed by the absence of key Stars
players like Junior Agogo, Sule Muntari, John Mensah and
Michael Essien but they stood in the stands and called cat
names especially goalkeeper Kinston who was called “Kalipo”.
Some of the fans waited patiently by the Stars’ bus and
heaped praises on the players on their way to board the
vehicle to the GETFund hostel in Tamale while others
thronged the pitch to take pictures with their favourite
stars.
After the training session, Mr. Bobby Williamson, head coach
of Uganda, told the GNA that he expected his side to play
well so that other nations involved in the qualifier for
Angola/South Africa 2010 to invite them for similar
friendly.
The head coach said he respected Ghana football and that he
was very happy that his team would be playing the friendly.
Mr. Williamson said “The people of Tamale are very friendly
and I am impressed by the way the cheer us during our
training and we would give them quality soccer on Sunday.”
He was however, not happy because of the absence of key
players from Ghana’s squad and advised Ghana’s technical
team to tackle Mali with all the seriousness.
Mr. Williamson said it might cost the Stars without most of
their key players but expressed optimism that Ghana would
humble Mali.
Some of the Black Stars players told the GNA after their
training that they were determined to qualify for the World
Cup and called on all Ghanaians to pray for them and rally
behind the team ahead of the match against Mali.
Jonathan Quartey said that Ghana had the advantage of
winning since they would be playing away and that they would
do everything within their capacity to win the match adding
“Even if we fail to win and draw, we come back to the
drawing board and win the returning match at home with a
wider margin.”
GNA
|
