Queens hope to ditch Canada

Hangzou, China, Sept 14, GNA - Ghana's Black Queens are hoping to ditch Canada when the two sides clash in the second Group C game at the Hangzou Dragon Stadium on Saturday as the Queens search of a win that could keep their dream of progressing at the fifth FIFA Women's World Cup on course.

The Queens lost 1-4 to Australia their first group game and appreciate the fact that losing tomorrow's meeting against the North Americans means getting effectively out of contention even before their last group meeting with Norway next week.

The general clamour in camp now is 'Now or Never' and when the team walk unto the 54,000 capacity stadium on Saturday evening, one wish the team will carry to the arena is for luck to smile at them whilst they work towards their mission of survival.

Thankfully, the team's attack built around sensational Anita Amankwa reckons that to go beyond the first stage of the competition means converting their chances and which is expected to prove the decisive moment for the team seen as one of the most skilful in the three-week fiesta.

The team is expected to gel especially after Coach Issac Paha's obvious desire to go back for the usual 4-4-2 system that was dumped for a 3-5-2 formation rehearsed for the past two weeks. Both sides have met only once and shared the spoils in that game in 2003 where the Canadians later emerged fourth best at that year's World Cup in USA.

The two teams will be hoping to reverse that trend with Ghana with a bigger hope to be the one smiling after the proceedings. The Canadians who relinquished an early lead to lose 1-2 to Norway in their first group meeting undoubtedly start as favourites in the game they both must win to hold down a place in the last eight. But like Ghana's skipper Adjoa Bayor said, the Queens who were the first African nation to record a win since the inception of the World Cup would go fighting for that decent win despite what the bookmakers will say.

The team would hope to rely on the exceptional goalkeeping qualities of former world number three Suleimana Memunatu whilst expecting that the attacking machinery make use of their chances. Bayor is hopeful that the middle fielders would work hard enough to provide adequate ball supply upfront in search of the goals to make all the difference whilst keeper Suleimana stays in her element at the opposite side.

It remains unknown if coach Paha would keep faith with the team that laboured against the Australians, but one thing that is evident is the fact that the girls are willing to die for the Ghanaian trio of national colours- red-gold-green.