(A GNA review by Veronica Commey)

Accra, Feb 23, GNA - It has been good so far for Ghana's Black Meteors as far as the country's dream of qualifying to this year's Olympic Games slated for Athens is concerned.

To many sports enthusiasts, the Meteors could not have failed Ghanaians at this time and they did enough to wipe the nation's tears in the wake of the heart breaking defeat of the Black Queens who stumbled against the Supper Falcons of Nigeria only a fortnight ago via the lottery of penalties in a similar assignment during the Valentine yuletide.

Alas, the Meteors did not only keep their dream of participating in the world biggest fiesta alive, but they yet again proved that the future of Ghana's soccer lies in players like Kwadjo Poku, Abubakar Yahuza, Yussif Chipsah among others who held the fort last Sunday. As expected, the team played the first 20-minutes in the typical Ghanaian style spiced with flair, good inter- positional passes and amazing skills, which to all intents will anywhere and any day send fans crazy and screaming all day long.

The Meteors who's afternoon was characterized with a must win situation as against their opponents who needed only a drew could have even benefited more as they were adventurous right from the blast of the whistle.

The Chipsah led team stayed on top of action until the 20th minute when the Algerians settled down to their own game largely due to the sudden break down of the midfield, which eventually allowed the visitors to warm themselves into the game.

Midfield gem, Razak Ibrahim who but for his excellent pass to Poku in the last quarter of the game which produced the second goal, was a liability and a pale shadow of himself on the afternoon.

His rather strange choice to abandon his role as an offensive midfielder to join the attack as a top striker even though he is not a known goal poacher cost the Meteors who conceded the mid-field to their opponents.

The player who will have been better off in the middle hough noted his good distribution as a midfielder left young Yahuza who had to play his new role in an unfamiliar position in deep in the middle making him over work and creating the minus and a vacuum for his side.

However, Yahuzah's zeal and enthusiasm which enabled him to win all the 50-50 balls coupled with the hard work exhibited by the skipper of the side, Chipsah for example must be commended by all lovers of good football.

The duo worked with such hard work, dedication and commitment that fans who thronged to the Kumasi Sports Stadium to cheer the team to victory saw them as been the brightest spots on the field.

Even as Ibrahim remained the weakest link in the middle, his occasional touches, ball control and movement proved that with conditioning, he will be a huge benefit to the team which has the likes of Charles Taylor, Eddy Owusu Ansah, Stephen Oduro among others to man the middle.

It was, however, glaring that there was little or niether connection nor understanding or correlation between the middle and the attack, which comprised the foreign pros of Ishmael Addo and Razak Pimpong who incidentally had a quite day.

Until Bernard Don Bortey came in the second half, the midfielders found it a herculean task to operate through the middle whilst the hard working Israeli duo of Addoquaye Pappoe and John Painstil who had a stressful first half playing at the wing backs could not operate much through the wings.

Taylor might have occasionally dazzled his way through the North Africans' defence with his dribbling magic, but it was clear that his team mates did not often expect his effective low grounders across the goal line which could have been beneficial to the team rather than their expected high balls which invariably rather favoured their opponents while over elaboration on his part rubbed the team of the much needed goals.

The Algerians might have been overwhelmed though about the complete set of new players that were assembled on Sunday as against the last squad the Meteors' paraded in the first leg that excluded the likes of Patrick Villars, Pappoe, Painstil, Addo, Ibrahim, Pimpong and Taylor. The team was well shuffled and carried the game to the visitors but until the first goal secured by Addo in the 38th minute, he was reduced to an ordinary player supposedly due to the weather and the long absence from the team which naturally diluted the known cohesion between him and Taylor.

At a point in time, the fans wondered why Poku was warming the bench whilst ineffective Pimpong and Razak kept playing and clamoured for their removal, which when eventually accepted paved the way for a drastic mprovement in the game's tempo.

If the former goal king's opener was amazing, then Kwadwo Poku's gives enough window of hope as to how far the country's football can go as when the right ideas, infrastructure, timely preparations and all the ingredients that brings victory are followed to the letter. Bortey and Poku could not have proved their worth any better than the loads of talent and precision they exhibited with every move, which were pregnant with ambitious and speculative signals.

Asante Kotoko's half fit George Owu was virtually on holiday throughout the game whereas Daniel Coleman who was apparently slightly injured had a cool day but combined effectively with Villars who looked a bit slowed down to keep the occasional threats of their opponents at bay.

Obviously, all must say kudos to the gallant players who assisted coach Mariano Barreto to pass his first litmus test with ease, however, the reality remains that the real test will be in South Africa in the next three weeks when the Meteors play against the Amagloglog boys who are effectively out of contention and will have nothing to lose but only their pride to protect.