Dossena maintains stand

Accra (Greater Accra) 22 Feb. ?99

Giussepe Dossena, Italian coach of the Ghana's under-20 team, the Black Satellites, yesterday maintained that his aim was to qualify for Nigeria '99 in April. "The Satellites have beaten Mali by a lone goal, but that does not change my aim of participating in this tournament. If we should win so be it", said Dossena at a post-match press conference at the Accra sports Stadium on Sunday.

He admitted that the team did not play as expected because "the pressure from the fans was too much. "Perhaps we had too much respect for the Malians. Remember they have beaten us twice but today that myth is broken. "What is important is to win, I will prefer that the team plays badly and wins rather than pleasing the fans and in the end losing", said Dossena.

Asked whether he was going to maintain the same squad that beat Mali, Dossena said, he has to wait till Monday to consult the team's Doctor on the fitness of some of the players who had minor injuries. "I have 18 players and everyone is capable of playing", he added. The Malians, who were disappointed by the scoreline, left the stadium immediately after the match and could not be reached for an interview.