Meteors to break the South African Jinx

Ghana, as a soccer nation, has not had it easy anytime they meet South Africa in any competitive event and the memories of South Africa 19996 as well as other international meetings still remain fresh in our minds.

Today will provide the right opportunity for the national Under 23 team the Black Meteors to redeem this image as well as put the nation on the right path for qualification to next years Olympics games in Athens Greece.

Ghana is paired with Zambia and Algeria who are not minors in the game therefore any fumbling on the part of the team will put the nations campaign for Athens in danger having failed to qualify for the last Olympic Gamers held in Sidney, Australia

From all indications, the meteors this time, are capable of putting some smiles on the faces on Ghanaians following their bronze-winning feat achieved in Abuja Nigeria at the All Africa Games.

Aside this, the team seemed to have both psychological and technical advantage over the Amaglugglug. This is because the South Africans fail to reach the medal zone at the games while the meteors did so and eventually won a medal. Though both sides did not meet in the games, the performance of the Meteors can be said to be far better than their opponents.

However information received from South Africa revealed that the South African have disbanded the squad which represented them at the Abuja Games and formed a new team. This shows the level of seriousness they have attached to Sunday's match.

The South Africans on Thursday defeated Accra Hearts of Oak 2-1 and the warning given by their officials on arrival gave indication that the team is poised to make amends.

On the hand other the Meteors cannot fail the nation because of the quality materials at the disposal of the technical handlers and the need to build on the Abuja performance.

Though coach Ralph Zumdick has not been able to lay hands John Paintsil, Isaac Boakye and Micheal Essien, the presence of Abubakari Yakubu of Ajax Armsterdam and John Mensah of Chievo Verona will further seal the loopholes in the team for Sunday's encounter.

The two foreign based players will join forces with their local colleagues - - Dan Coleman, Issa Ahmed, Yussif Chibsah, Eddy Owusu-Ansah, Kwodjo Poku and a host of other s to clinch the maximum three points.

From the goal post, the coach Zumdick will have no headache in picking first choice George Owoo or Isaac Amoako.

However the defensive system which, performed creditably in the early matches of Abuja, but crumbled in their last two matches when they conceded five goals in two matches in the later stages of the tournament must be given a second look.

But John Mensah's presence will give Zumdick another defensive option, combining him with Coleman while Adamu Mohamed and Issa Ahmed can take care of the wing back positions.

Goal scoring was discovered as the bane of the team at the games and the presence of Boakye would have been the right panacea to the problem (Boakye could not make ii).

A monitoring by the GNA Sports at the team's training grounds saw the players led by their technical men trying to work on the act of goal-scoring.

Should the front men comprising Bernard Don Bortey, Asamoah Gyan and Kwadjo Poku be effectively supported by Chibsah, Eddy Owusu Ansah and Yakubu in midfield there will be no doubt that the meteors will carry the day.

All things being equal the meteors will be out to glitter on Sunday, but will definitely need the support of the teeming Ghanaian soccer fans to succeed. 24 Oct 2003