Soccer News of Friday, 9 September 2005

Source: GNA

Satellites to get busy soon

Accra, Sept. 9, GNA - The National Under -21 team, the Black Satellites will soon get busy in preparations towards the novelty West Africa Football Union (WAFU) mini league tournament scheduled for September 14 -17, at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra. The Satellites are expected to move to camp on Monday, September 12 at 5:00pm, after the 22nd week Premier League matches, for players drawn from the team, who failed to qualify for the last Africa Youth Tournament and as well as those who participated in the recent invitational tourney in Angola.

The four-nation tournament, which is in commemoration of the 30th anniversary celebration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will have three other West African countries, Senegal, Cape Verde and Niger joining Ghana for the Group B matches in Accra. The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has therefore thrown an invitation to 18 players to begin camping in preparation for the tournament that would see the winner joining Cote d'Ivoire who have already booked their qualification from Group A, with hosts Nigeria gaining an automatic qualification as the host of the final edition of the tournament.

According to the organisers, winners of Groups A and B will join host nation Nigeria for the final phase of the competition in October, with the fourth team being the runners up of both groups with the highest points.

Gambia are therefore standing bye to know their fate after the Group B matches in Accra.

Among the players invited are Kotei Blankson and Kwame Obeng Darko from the camp of Liberty Professionals, Anthony Annan and Prince Tagoe from Accra Hearts of Oak and Emmanuel Anafi, Sherif Danladi and Iddi Yekini joining the team from Feyenoord Academy.

Also in the squad are Jerry Akaminko and Obed Ansah of Heart of Lions, Douglass Nkrumah and Alex Nii Baah of Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Mark Amofah and Hamza Abdulai of Tema Real Sportive. The rest are made up of Francis Mantey, Great Olympics, Rahim Ayew Nania FC, Kennedy Korley, Bofoakwa, Daniel Asamoah, Ashgold and Alex Asamoah from Berekum Arsenals.