The National Under 17 Soccer team the Black Starlets on Monday opened their tour to the Volta Region on a good note when they piped Red Bull Academy 1-0 in a friendly match played at Sogakope.
The match which was witnessed by a sizeable crowd saw Red Bull Academy starting the game in a whirlwind fashion after referee Adodo from Aflao had signaled for the commencement of friendly hostilities. Stringing their passes together beautifully,the Bulls endeared themselves very well before their home fans and created some decent chances which they wasted.The Starlets accepted the challenge and started warming themselves into the game gradually and came close to scoring in the 11th minute but the header from Kwame Nsor right inside the 6 yard box was blocked by goalkeeper Mustapha Tahiru on the goal line .The starlets Continued to pressurized and wasted two successive glorious moments in the 19th and 20th minute.
Sensing danger, Red Bull Academy tightened their defense and also gradually but steadily started making some incursions into Starlets goal area .On two occasions ,Red Bull Academy could have caused havoc but wasted the chances they which came their way.The game then became a midfield battle with occasional breakthrough from both sides until Referee Adodo whistled to end a goalless first half.
Back from recess, both teams made substitutions and came into the game fierce opposition to get early opener but over anxiety on the part of both sides caused them to blow the chances away. In the sixty seventh minute, Red Bull could have registered the opener but the connection from Livingstone Logoh veered off target after he had received a through pass from the flanks.
Having being left off the hook by the skin of the teeth, the Starlets turned the heat on their host but the defensive pair of Jonathan Eshun and Joshua Otoo combined effectively to hold the hungry attacking machinery of the starlets in check. From this moment, the match could be aptly be described as “’Red Bull Academy Must FALL mission of the Starlets against unyielding display of agile goalkeeper Mustapha Tahiru’’.
With the defense of Red Bull Academy almost impenetrable the Starlets begun firing from distance .In the seventy seventh minute goalkeeper Mustapha in a jaguar fashion had to stretch to his elastic limit to parry a 30 meter yard thunderbolt shot to safety .
In the eighty eight minute , a beautiful one- two combination in front of the 18 yard box of Red Bull Academy saw the defense being mesmerized for Mohammed Fatau to slot the ball beyond the reach of on- rushing goalkeeper Mustapha for the opener.
With their pride wounded and humiliation staring them on the face in front of their teeming supporters, Red Bull Academy as if possessed attacked in burst and started bombarding the goal area of their opponent to get the equalizer but the shrill of the referee’s whistle to end proceedings saw goalkeeper Mustapha Tahiru who inarguably was the man of the match sobbing like baby and had to be consoled by his colleagues.
After the game, the head coach of Starlets Grand Medalist E..K Nana Afranie commended his boys for the splendid display and doff his heart out for Red Bull team for the stiff opposition. ’’The boys did marvelously well looking at the stiff opposition fron our opponents. I believe if they get a wonderful pitch like this in their training and training matches ,the technical team would assemble a team which will bring back the smiles on faces of Ghanaians”.
Coach Daniel Heidemann praised his team and believes his boys were gallant losers. ’’Football is not only winning but playing good football also counts and from this point I’m proud of my boys ‘’.
Also present to witness the match were the president of Liberty Professionals Alhaji Sly Tetteh and the dribbling magician Mohammed Polo
Red Bull Starting line up(Mustapha,Safiyanu,Joshua (Cpt),Eshun,Hammond,Bernard,Logoh,Zeno,Kouassi,Richard,
Karim)
Starlets starting line up
(James,Eshun,Moro,Abeiku,Masahudu,Amoah,Elvis,Frimpong (Cpt)Nsor,Alhassan,Felix)
