No Xmas for Black Stars - Plan Big for Nations Cup

THE Ghana Football Association (GFA) has ruled out Christmas celebration for the Black Stars players scheduled to resume training for the Mali 2002 Nations Cup.

Chairman of the GFA, Ben Kouffie told the BBC Monday that the Black Stars are expected in Mali to engage their Malian counterparts in a friendly to open one of the Nations Cup stadia on Christmas day.

Kouffie said that though the players would want to stay with their families for the Christmas, they would not be allowed any break to give them enough time to prepare for the Nations Cup. "We know they (players ) will want to stay with their families but we have an important assignment in January so there would not be any Christmas celebration for the players," the GFA boss said.

He disclosed that after the friendly against Mali the Black Stars will play a couple of other matches to tune them up for the Nations Cup. One of them will be against Barcelona

The Ghana Black Stars are aiming for a fifth Nations Cup title after Egypt equalled their record with their fourth victory in 1998 when Hossam Hassan shot them above defending champions, South Africa in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Their last victory was in 1982 when the Ghanaians who for lack of funds almost pulled out, beat host Libya who bailed them out financially to clinch the trophy. The closest they have come since then was a final berth at the Senegal event in 1992 when they lost to Cote d'Ivoire on penalties.