Berekum ( Brong Ahafo), 22nd April ?99?

The national women's football team, the Black Queens,on Wednesday endeared themselves to soccer fans at Berekum, when they engaged local Pro-Sports, a crack second division side in an encounter at the Berekum Coronation park. They gave good accounts of themselves through the display of excellent skills, abundant stamina, physical fitness and other qualities, but in the end lost 1-5 to their taller and more energetic opponents. Some fans attributed the defeat to the unfamiliar grass-less pitch which made ball control difficult, and also because the queens arrived from Accra only a few hours before the match.

The encounter which forms part of the queens? preparation for the women?s world cup in the US in June, was watched by a fairly large crowd including Mr Donald Adabre, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister. Pro-sports registered two early goals through marksman, Samuel Kyere in the fifth and 20th minutes to unsettle the visitors. Kyere was on target again in the 30th minute to bring the scores to 3-0 at the end of the first half. On resumption, Black Queens? Grace Gyamfuah, who come on for Adwoa Bayor, received a pass from midfield, dribbled three defenders and intelligently lobbed the ball over advancing goalkeeper Yakubu George in the 65th minute to reduce the tally to 3-1. The queens continued to probe for more goals, but erratic shooting up front denied them of the opportunity.

Pro-sports got two more goals in the dying minutes of the game through Stephen Amankwaah and Kukubor Bright.

Earlier, the District Chief Executive, Mrs Mary Boakye congratulated the team for qualifying for the world cup and being the second best in Africa. She said being the only woman district chef executive in the region, the visit of the team had made her proud and asked the players to continue to work hard to keep abreast with the scientific development in football. She said their profession is part of the empowerment of women in a challenging world and urged girls in the district to emulate members of the team and aim at self- improvement, self discipline in every field of endeavour they may find themselves.