Ghana to test youngsters ahead of World Cup

November 18, 2009

Ghana travels to Angola for an international friendly on Wednesday. Head coach Milovan Rajevac says young members in the squad will get opportunities to show their qualities ahead of the African Cup of nations and the World Cup.

Ghana won the Under-20 World Cup in October and now five members of that squad are set to contribute to the senior team. With Agyemang Badu and Lee Addy already playing over the weekend in the World Cup qualifier against Mali (2-2), it could be time for Dominic Adiyiah and goalkeeper Daniel Agyei to make their senior debut.

“The young ones will always have opportunities. I intend to give them some playing time and see the level,” Rajevac told the official website of the Ghanaian Football Association. “They have the quality but they must be prepared to fight for places. The experience would be good for them.

“It would be good to see how they play with some of the seniors. In training, you can see that they are willing to go but we would see.”

The Black Stars will be without some regular squad members for the game against Angola.

Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Asamoah Gyan and Samuel Inkoom who all featured in last Sunday’s final qualifying match in the campaign for next year’s Nations Cup and World Cup competitions were left behind.

Paul Haring

Tags: african cup of nations, asamoah gyan, badu, black stars, dominic, football association, ghanaian football, Goalkeeper, last sunday, Michael Essien, nations cup, playing time, squad members, stephen appiah, sulley muntari, world cup competitions, world cup qualifier, young ones, youngsters

Brave Ghana stun Brazil in U20 World Cup final

October 17, 2009

Ghana overcame Brazil 4-3 on penalties in the final of the Under-20 World Cup at the Cairo International Stadium here on Friday to become the first African side to win the tournament.

Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu struck the winning spotkick in sudden death after substitute Maicon had spurned the chance to give Brazil their fifth title by placing his penalty over the crossbar.

Ghana fought manfully after the controversial first-half dismissal of Daniel Addo, taking the game to extra-time and then riding their luck in the shootout after 120 goalless minutes.

Goalkeeper Daniel Aygei kept Ghana in the game earlier in extra-time with a point-blank save from Maicon, who had been teed-up 10 yards out by Alex Teixeira’s cut-back.

Reported Manchester United target Douglas Costa twice went close in the additional 30 minutes, while Aygei was also called into action by Wellington Junior.

The game changed with the straight red card shown to Ghana centre-back Addo, who was very harshly dismissed for a halfway-line foul on livewire striker Teixeira in the 37th minute despite the presence of a covering defender.

Ghana’s numerical disadvantage handed their opponents the initiative after an attritional first 45 minutes and Brazil dominated the second half.

Striker Alan Kardec scored Brazil’s winner in the 1-0 semi-final victory over Costa Rica but he was in profligate form against Sellas Tetteh’s men.

He spurned four chances inside 12 second-half minutes, first diverting a cross straight at Aygei before twice heading over and also firing into the side netting after a burst down the left.

Tetteh punched the air at the end of extra-time, proud to have kept the favourites at bay despite being a man down.

His joy turned to delirium when Agyemang-Badu slotted his penalty into the bottom-right corner after Maicon had fluffed his chance to give Brazil an unassailable 4-2 lead in the shootout.

Earlier, Hungary secured victory in their third-place play-off match against Costa Rica after heroics from goalkeeper Peter Kulacsi in another penalty shootout.

Marcos Urena’s fine 81st-minute opener for Costa Rica was cancelled out by an injury-time penalty from Vladimir Koman and in the ensuing shootout Kulacsi saved three penalties and saw one strike the crossbar to earn the Europeans a 2-0 spotkick victory.

CAIRO (AFP)