The head coach of Ghana’s skate soccer team, also known as the Rolling Rockets, Daniel Kotey is confident his side will defeat Kano Pillars in the second leg of the International Unity Skate Soccer Cup competition scheduled for Saturday, December 9 at the Lagos State Stadium in Nigeria.
The Rolling Rocket will lock horns with their Nigerian counterparts on Saturday, in a game that is expected to renew the rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria.
Speaking after their final training session on Sunday, 3rd December 2017, coach Kotey remarked that his players that are in a better shape than they were the last time they came up against the same opposition and are determined to get one over them.
Coach Kotey, while expressing optimism also cautioned his side to eschew complacency and go into the game with a ‘must-win’ mentality.
“We have beaten Nigeria before so we know the team very well. We are playing better than we used to due to the regular training sessions we’ve been holding. The Binatone partnership has motivated the guys to come for training every week and that has been helpful. The Nigerians started skate soccer before us and are very good but I’m sure that we will beat them. We are going to beat them as we did in the first game because we are in a better shape now”. We are going into the game with a “must-win” spirit and I believe luck will shine on us”, he said.
The match is under the auspices of the International Federation of Skate Soccer (IFSS), an NGO committed to the development of the physically challenged members of the society (particularly polio victims) through sports in collaboration with Binatone.
The IFSS, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is also committed to the development of the physically challenged especially polio victims, through sports in Africa.
To the IFSS, the ultimate goal of the NGO was to support these physically challenged individuals to play the game at the highest level and participate in the Paralympics and that they would institute a Global Polio Fund, which would cater for polio victims in Africa and the other parts of the World. Early this year, Ghana beat Togo 5-1 in an international friendly match played at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Meanwhile, a 27-member of contingent of 18 players and 9 officials are scheduled to leave Ghana tomorrow for the game on Saturday
Below is the list
Players
Ahmed Gariba, Gariba Sani, Ousman Mohamed, Jamilu Ismail,
Aminu Almu, Masud Alhassan, Mohamed Awalu, Lawal Bin Mohamed, Jibril Dauda, Nasiru Abdulai, Aminu Yaro, Nasiru Shaibu, Malik Umar, Abubakar Mohamed, Salisu Idris, Abdalah Mahamed, Billal Adamu and Dedier Ayiweguni
Officials
Coaches: Isaac Kotey, Yusif
Team Manager - Adamu Alhassan
Welfare Officer – Bismark Gyimah
Referee – George Darko
Journalist –Isaac Wallace
MC – Kojo Nti
