Elizabeth Opoku named captain of Black Sticks ahead of Paris 2024 qualifiers

Multiple sports award winner, Elizabeth Opoku, has been named captain of the senior national women hockey team, Black Sticks Ladies.

The three-time Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) award winner will lead her team for her first assignment in South Africa as they seek qualification to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Opoku who plies her trade with the Ghana Revenue Authority’s female hockey team, Royal Ladies, will lead a team of 18 top players selected from the Greater Accra Hockey League with most players coming from Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Army, Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Prisons Service.

The ladies will be keen to overcome the odds as they face Namibia, Kenya, and Zambia in Pool B of the qualifiers — set for October 29 to November 05.

The team comprises of Boye Abigail and Ampem Darkoa Mavis as goalkeepers while Sulemana Adizatu, Berko Mavis Boatemaa, Acquah Juwaila, Maanyembim Brenya serve as defenders.

The likes of Amoako Cecilia, Coffie Ernestina, Afriyie Lydia, Owusuwaa Margaret and Okine Rafiatu Dede will play as midfielders then Opoku Elizabeth, Sarfoa Martha, Narkuor Vivian, Antwi Doris, Konadu Jennifer, Copson Hageit, Ackon Mercy, and Addae Gifty as strikers.

Ghana will play her first game against Namibia on Sunday, October 29 and take on Kenya on Monday, October 30.

They will hit the pitch again on Tuesday November 01 to play against Kenya for the last group matches with all the matches played at the University of Pretoria in Pretoria.

Speaking ahead of their departure, Opoku said “I will not make any promises, but we will approach every match with all seriousness. We are hoping for a favorable tournament, that is why we are not putting any pressure on ourselves.

“There are no minors in hockey now so we cannot be complacent. We are positive but won’t make any promises until our first push-off.”

She led her team to win gold at the 2021 Hockey Africa Cup for Club Championship and won silver in the just ended Hockey Africa Cup of Nations to qualify for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

In 2009, she was awarded as the best player in the schools and colleges sports federation and won the promising star player in the 2010 Chairman’s invitational cup.

In 2012, the University of Ghana awarded her as the Discovery of the year during the VC Awards and emerged best player and top scorer in the 2013 Africa Hockey Cup of Nations in Kenya.

Accra-based Happy FM also awarded her in 2013 with the Fans’ Choice Awarded as the best player in hockey and won the International Hockey Federation (FIH) best junior player in the Hockey World League R1 the following year. In 2019, she was voted as Ghana’s Outstanding Woman in Sports.

Aside hockey, she also has the following achievements; Best Female Football Player for 2012/13; Discovery of the year 2012/13; Member, Runner-up,4X100m Team, Mini GUSA Games, Member, Runner-up,4X400m Team, Mini GUSA Games, Member, Runner-up, Soccer Team, Mini GUSA Games, and Gold Medalist, 1500m.

Her other achievements are Gold Medalist, Akuafo Hockey Team, UG Inter- Hall Games, Gold Medalist, Akuafo Football Team, UG Inter- Hall Games; Silver Medalist, Akuafo handball Team, UG Inter- Hall Games, and Bronze Medalist, GUSA (Ghana Universities Sports Association) Cross Country.