Ghana and Italy to get their tournaments underway

VOLOS, 11 August - Ghana and Italy will kick off their respective Olympic Football Tournaments at the Panthessaliko Stadium on Thursday, 12 August at 20:30.

It will be the opening Group B match of the Men's tournament and will give spectators a chance to see players from some of Europe's finest leagues.

Italy was the Olympic Champion at Berlin in 1936, but have failed to repeat that achievement since, despite having participated in 12 Olympic Football Tournaments to date. They start their 13th attempt in Volos against Ghana, with hopes of another gold medal after 68 years.

Italy will be relying on the skills of Perugia forward Giussepe SCULLI, Udinese midfielder Giampiero PINZI, former under 21 captain Andrea PIRLO, and Parma pair Alberto GILARDINO and DANIELE Bonera.

?To beat Ghana in that heat, and with their advanced state of fitness preparation, would be an extraordinary feat,? claimed Azzurrini boss Claudio Gentile.

Italy are fresh from their triumph in the European Under-21 Championships and are among the favourites for the gold medal in Athens.

Gentile has adopted his tactical system to suit the introduction of Andrea Pirlo ? one of three over-age players along with Matteo Ferrari and Ivan Pelizzoli.

Ghana's recent Olympic Games record is actually better than Italy's, being able to boast a bronze medal from the Barcelona Games in 1992.

This is Ghana's fifth appearance in Olympic Games Football Tournaments, and this time it will have to rely on its European based players to provide the experience required to go a step further than in Barcelona.

Ghana can even call on four players who play their football in Italy.

The 'Italians' in Ghana's squad are Ibrahim ABDUL RAZAK, Stephen APPIAH, John MENSAH and Asamoah GYAN.

The other European based players will also be very important for Ghana, like Derek Owusu BOATENG, who has the experience of playing in Greece before, when he played for Panathinaikos and Kwadwo Poku (Midtjyland)

The official match line ups can be found ahead of kick off on, Info2004 / Schedules / Football / (GHA v ITA) Reports / Start List.

FA Chairman Predicts Olympic Success For Meteors

The national under 23 side the Black Meteors, begin their Olympic campaign Thursday night with a crunch duel against reigning European under 21 champions Italy.
The Meteors are drawn against other tough contenders like Japan and Paraguay in group B.
That notwithstanding, Dr Nyaho Tamakloe, chairman of the Ghana Football Association, has tipped the squad to be highly successful at the Olympics.
Dr Tamakloe who is currently with the Meteors in Athens told JoySports that he reckons the team?s preparation in Portugal will stand them in good stead when the games begin Thursday.
He has predicted a final berth for the squad.
The Meteors face the Azurrini without key players Isaac Boakye and Sulley Muntari.
Coach Mariano Barreto has dismissed Udinese midfielder Muntari from camp on disciplinary grounds.
Patrick Villars replaces him in the squad.
Striker Isaac Boakye has been ruled out of the tournament by an injury he sustained during one of the Meteors? trial matches in Lisbon.
The Armenia Bielefeld player has been replaced with FC Midtyland striker, Razak Pimpong.
The Meteors are expected to replicate or even better their 1992 feat at the Athens Games.