Meteors detained in Jo?burg

By Kwabena Agyei-Boahene

THE Black Meteors were yesterday detained for more than two hours at the Johannesburg Airport by the South African authorities who insisted that the contingent were vaccinated before being allowed into the country. The South African authorities were said to have demanded that the team in Johannesburg to play their South African counterparts, Amuglug-glug in a crucial Olympic qualifier tomorrow, take a fresh dosage of vaccines since they could not prove that they were already vaccinated. A Radio GAR sports programme monitored in Accra yesterday said the team were locked up at the airport soon after the plane on which they were travelling landed in Johannesburg.

For several hours, officials of the Meteors contingent and Ghana's High Commission in South Africa were locked in talks with the airport authorities in a bid to get the team out of confinement. Mr Kudjoe Fianoo, the team's welfare officer, in an interview on the radio programme, confirmed the story and described it as a deliberate attempt by the South Africans to frustrate the players.

He said it is unfortunate that the team had to go through such a terrible experience at the time they should be preparing well for the crucial encounter. Mr Fianoo assured that the team would never be deterred by any such designs and would do everything to overcome whatever frustrations come their way to emerge victorious.

Meanwhile, Coach Giuseppe Dossena is said to have almost the full compliment of his team with the arrival in Johannesburg of Peter Ofori-Quaye. Bernard Don Bortey was also due later in the day. The only exception was Stephen Tetteh who is reported to be nursing an injury.

For both sides, tomorrow's match is crucial to their chance of qualifying for the Sydney Olympics from a group which has Cameroun leading by two points, ahead of Ghana and South Africa at seven points each.