From: Daniel Kenu, GNA Special correspondent, Pretoria, South Africa Courtesy: Ministry of Education and Sports
Pretoria, Oct. 4, GNA - The national female hockey team's chances of winning a medal at the ongoing African Hockey championship is in danger after a barren draw in their second match against minnows Namibia in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The team, rated second in the group after South Africa, exhibited some poor finishing after coming out with all guns blazing. Some fans also took a swipe at the Ghanaian technical team for ineptitude.
Right from the first match when Ghana played Nigeria, young Gertrude Inkom of CEPS had demonstrated that she was not ready for a match at the championship level but strangely enough, she played all the 70 minutes in that encounter.
And even when it was clear that she was tired in Tuesday's game and had become a liability to the defensive network, she was still kept in for inexplicable reasons until some Ghanaian officials, particularly those at the VIP, yelled at the bench for the player to be substituted. Added to that, the players could hardly vary their method of effecting all the eight penalty corners they had.
The ladies started on a blistering note as Emelia Aggrey initiated some scintillating moves but her through balls were shot wide by Rejoice Noi.
By the end of the first half, the ladies had wasted six penalty corners. In most cases, they lacked the ideas to plant the ball into the net.
Hard hitting Noi and Cecilia Ofoe made frantic efforts to give the team the needed boost with at least a goal but their surging runs from defence to join the attack yielded no results. In the 41st minute, Ofoe had the brightest opportunity to score but she hesitated in front of goal with only goalkeeper Maureen Isaacs to beat.
Ten minutes later, Ramatu Abass hit the upright from an open chance as the team mounted an incessant challenge to win the game. The ladies play their final group match on Thursday against host, South Africa, while the men would try to make amends on Wednesday as they come up against Namibia. Line up: (Ghana)
Ahiabor Evelyn, Rejoice Noi, Erica Ametepe, Olivia Lamptey, Georgina Sam, Gertrude Inkom, Greta Aryeetey, Cecilia Foe, Ramatu Abass, Emelia Aggrey, Grace Marmon-Halm Beatrice Darko Mirable Lamptey.