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

Mr Emmanuel Afranie, Head Coach of the National Women Soccer Team, Black Queens, has appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES), to include women's soccer in the sports calendar for junior and senior secondary schools.

This, he said, will help to unearth budding talents for recruitment into the national team, since the absence of a women's national soccer league, is making it extremely difficult to get ready materials to fill the team.

Mr Afranie made the appeal at Sunyani on Wednesday, when the team paid a courtesy call on the Regional Minister, Mr Donald Adabre as part of its three-day training tour to the Brong Ahafo Region. Mr Afranie said the world soccer governing body, FIFA is determined to make women soccer a big sports attraction and is, therefore, pumping a lot of resources into its development. He said the country could only take advantage of this development if it has a strong national women soccer team and asked stakeholders in soccer, to assist materially and financially to maintain a strong national women soccer team. Mr Adabre praised the officials and players for being the first national senior team to qualify for a world cup contest, which, he said, had brought fame to the country.

Mr Adabbre urged the players to be disciplined, obedient and to train hard, so as to be in a position to bring further fame to the country through exquisite exhibition of soccer artistry when they go to the United States for the world cup. He assured them of a good stay in the region and wished them well in their preparations and participation in the world cup. The Deputy Regional Minister, Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam advised the players to endeavour to pursue formal education or acquire a trade, in addition to their football profession. The Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Alhaji Ahmed Abdallah, donated a ram and 500,000 cedis towards the their upkeep while in the region.

A number of training matches involving first and second division teams have been lined up for the Black Queens.