France '98

Your miracle underway -- E.T. assures stars "Your miracle is on the way. All that I expect from you is to win the rest of your matches and keep your fingers crossed and wait for the miracle".The Minister of Youth and Sports E. T. Mensah, sounded very prophetic while addressing the Black Stars at the Wangara Hotel after their 3-0 demolition of the Azzingo Nationale of Gabon in their France '98 qualifier at the Accra Stadium last Sunday.The Minister said miracles are part of life and Ghana will hopefully, use that door to enter the World Cup in France in 1998 . In a way, last Sunday was a miraculous one in the history of Ghana soccer, at least with regard to securing one o Africa's five places to the World Cup in France.

The Black Stars shifted venue from the "darling grounds" Kumasi stadium and a blend of locally based and their foreign-based colleagues, conjured the first France '98 qualifying victory.After three drawn games against Gabon (1-1), Morocco (2-2) and Sierra Leone (1-1), a situation that has rendered the chances of qualifying to the world cup a near impossibility, the cry for salvation by the children of coach Rinus Israel, was heard.Coach Israel and his deputy Sam Arday assembled what they described. as the best players against the new -look Gabonese side that is dominated by their 1ocally-based players. The Gabonese are the source of the inspiration for a miracle, just as the other group five member, Sierra Leone are. The protests lodged by Ghana over the outcome of the Gabon - Morocco match in Libreville and the rowdy scenes that characterized the Sierra Leone-Ghana encounter in Freetown, art likely to be upheld, according to the 'soccer prophet'.It is this message that was drummed into the heads of the players prior to the match which enabled them to come up with the 3-0 victory in a match the skipper of the side Abedi. Pele described as "very difficult'."We didn't know what we are playing for, after Morocco beat Sierra Leone 1-0", Abedi stated in a chat.The strategy to drop what Israel described as players either indisciplined or not in form and rely on some local paid off.The victory, made possible by goals by Egypt-based striker Felix Aboagye and two strikes by Italy-based Mohammed Gargo, shot Ghana to the second spot with six points ahead of Sierra Leone.

The Leone Stars lost 0-1 to Morocco in Freetown to enable the leaders consolidate their grip on the top spot and open a four point mortal gap between them and the Black Stars.Victory for the Stars was quite interesting. Even though foreign based players fetched the goals, it was their locally based colleagues, who did the spade work in all three cases, thus vindicating the vision of Coach Israel.Last Sunday, you could have mistaken the roar that greeted the antics of speedster Robert Boateng at the right flank, for the take-off of ten jet fighters. Indeed, he electrified the stadium with an amazing fighting spirit.He played like a jet fighter, bombarding an enemy's territory combat. "He is in fantastic shape. I spotted him during the Hearts-Kotoko match in Accra and I said 'thank God' this is a real gem", said Coach Israel of the Asante Kotoko player. "But the problem is that he might also join the exodus. If Ghanacan maintain these players at home by paying them salaries closer to what their colleagues in Europe receive, then, Ghana Soccer can go places."The fact that he and Richard Ackon, who operated from the left flank, performed well does not mean that the solution to the Black Stars problem is at hand."I'm not happy with the standard of soccer in the country and I will not open the door wide to any local player and abandon the foreign-based players."But, if any local player has the potential to do, better than foreign-based one, I will give chance to the local", assured Coach Israel.Anytime, the Ashanti 'jet fighter' bombarded the Gabonese territory, the visitors had no shelter to hide in, except seeking refuge in rough tackles. The young Gabonese side, dominated by local players who have stepped in the boots Of- their experienced colleagues after they incurred the wrath of their countrymen for a controversial 0-4 home loss to Morocco, could have denied the Stars victory if only they had found solutions to the raids of Boateng and Ackon, and picked, their chances too._Boateng and Ackon's output, vindicated the cry for the formation of a locally-based squad to curtail the expensive and at times, unproductive mass importation of foreign-based players whose commitment is suspect.When Anderlecht's Yaw Preko got injured in the fourth minute with a thorn muscle and gave way to Boateng, it was a blessing in disguise for the team. While Ackon applied pressure from the left flank and created goal scoring chances, Boateng floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee on the right.If the new morale in camp is sustained, the Black Stars can win their other matches and wait for the mother of all World Cup qualifying miracle to happen.