Amputees prepare for African cup

The Ghana National Amputee Football Team, the Black Challenge, are feverishly preparing for the 4th Cup of African Nations for Amputee Football (4TH CANAF 2013) scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya from November 22-30, 2013.

The Black Challenge, 6th best team in the world, have stepped up their non-residential training regime as they look forward to annexing the cup they narrowly missed at the 3rd CANAF held in Accra in 2011.

Morale is very high with three of Ghana’s four professionals from Turkey joining their colleagues to put their acts together to win the cup which first edition they enviously won in Sierra Leone in 2007 to become the first African Champions in Amputee Football.

Fresh from their sixth place in the World Cup in Russia last year, the Black Challenge are hopeful the cup would come to Ghana this time around to equal the two-time triumph by the defending champions Liberia.

Richard Arthur Opentil, Captain, Francis Antwi-Darkwah, Deputy Captain and Richard Ekwam, all returned from Turkey to join in preparations for the tournament.

The Chairman of the Ghana Amputee Football Association, Rev. Nii Amartey Adesah, has disclosed that management is working hard behind the scene to ensure the players are not only flown to Nairobi to play but are well motivated to win the cup and rewarded for their efforts.

Consultations are, therefore, going on with key stakeholders to gather all the financial, logistical and human resources needed for a successful participation in the continental competition.

Soon, the Association would launch Ghana’s participation in the African Cup on a yet-to-be announced date.

Rev. Adesah stated that, his focus is not only on the CANAF but also the world cup in Mexico next year where Ghana would have to improve on the sixth position it attained last year.