Ghana So Confident As Laloko Warns

THE seeming physical stature of Ghana's players and the superb organisation of the team almost intimidated former Gambia national team coach Kashimawo Loloko yesterday as the female footballers left Lagos for Warri for the African Women Championship that starts tomorrow."Everybody should watch out for Ghana. Look at the way they are. They are looking fit and strong. I heard some of the things they were saying. They are so confident. But what impresses me most is the organisation of their team. The seem to have everything and their spirit is high," Laloko said at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport yesterday. The Ghanaians were truly athletic. They all wore special T-shirts dedicated to their 1999 World Cup team. The T-shirts had the group picture of that team which Ghanaians are so proud of. Their Black Stars have never qualified for the World Cup finals, their great potentials notwithstanding. But their female team did and on the T-shirts, they boldly inscribed 1999 World Cup qualifiers.

Their captain, Alberta Sackey exuded so much confidence when she spoke on the championship in Warri and Oghara. They are in Group A where they will battle Nigeria in the first round. "I think we have prepared very well for this tournament. Let the games begin and we'll see the rest," she said smiling. They were beaten 2-0 by the Falcons in the final of the first edition in Abeokuta four years ago. Sackey recalled what happened this way: "Nigeria has always had a good team. But that final would have been much tougher. We had many injuries in our team and some players were out due to card offences. It was really painful. I think that we are better now. We went to the World Cup and acquired a lot of experience. Our main intention then was just to qualify. I think that we are richer now in the game."

The new members of their team could be a pointer to the transformation that they have gone through. Only six members of the team that played in Nigeria are still with them. Kashimawo Laloku even recalled the final and said that the Falcons were even lucky. "We had a better team but the final was tough. The tension that goes with final matches was there and somehow things were not moving on fine until that goal came. I like the way they are. I hope that they will make T- shirts for our team and inscribe on them "FALCONS, THE CHAMPIONS OF AFRICA."