Double Olympic blow hit Ghana

... as Queens kicked out of Olympic qualifiers
.... Is Ghana Football heading "south" again?

Accra, April 16, GNA- Ghana's Black Queens suffered an embarrassing exit from the qualifiers of the London 2012 Olympic Games, despite beating Ethiopia 2-1 in their second leg duel at the El-Wak Stadium, Accra on Saturday.

The Queens, who needed a 2-0 win to cancel a one goal deficit suffered in the first leg in Addis Ababa stroke twice through Faiza Ibrahim and Leticia Zikpi but had their dreams of a maiden Olympic Games appearance shattered when Erehenic Zarga scored to gift the visitor's an away goal to march on.


The homers struggled to impose themselves on the game and the spontaneous cheers that greeted Ibrahim's goal on the stroke of half time was evident of the hell Ethiopia had put the Queens through.


Ibrahim, whose header from an in swing, from the left put Ghana ahead in between play, had shown flashes of brilliance with Florence Okoe and Agnes Aduako all missing targets unpardonably.


When the Ethiopians threatened occasionally, Ghana's goalkeeper Gladys Quansah managed to rescue her side that exhibited lack of quality through out the game from conceding an early goal.


Both teams resumed from recess with renewed strength but throughout, it was the visitors that proved the quicker of the two, winning all the 50-50 balls and contesting for dominance with a fighting spirit and zest that will win them friends.

Action will switch and Ghana became the beneficiaries and soon they piled a surprised pressure on Ethiopia, who will cave in just a minute after the hour mark for Zikpi to slot in the Queens's second.


The diminutive player surprisingly manning the central midfield as against her comfortable attacking abilities join the attack and pounced on a loose ball from a goal-mouth scramble to consolidate Ghana's lead.


As if the deal was done, the Queens dropped their tempo, attacked little and allowed the visitors to grow in confidence by knocking the ball around in a manner that will get the partisan crowd cheer them on.


Just when it appeared the game was heading Ghana's way, Zarga pulled a goal back to tie the game at two all on aggregate and gifted her side's progress to the next stage of the competition on a crucial away goal.