The very first official Ghana Beach Soccer national team to represent Ghana at an international tournament has been unveiled.
The 12 man team that was selected after a deep search and hectic training regime comprise of stars who have experienced the game as they participated in the GBSA Leagues in 2012 and 2013.
The team will represent Ghana at the African qualifiers in Morocco for the FIFA Beach soccer World Cup to be staged in Tahiti.
TEAM GHANA - Morocco 2013 list of players below:
GK: Francis Agbekey (sunset sports), Daniel Ceasar Osabutey (ada assurance)
DF: Julius Ceasar Beckley (sunset sports), Aziz Kofi, Innocent Kumensah (havedzi mighty warriors), Nii Odartey Lamptey (dansoman)
MF/FW: Divine Sappor, Joseph Larweh Kwetey (ada assurance), Michael Sema (sunset sports), Mathew Lamptey (dansoman), Richard Osai Martei (Wuo Gb3), Isaac Ofori (la yoca).
The Ghana Beach Soccer Association tasked a national team selection committee, made up of experienced FIFA certified coaches from both championship and division one beach soccer leagues to produce a team that commence preparations towards the upcoming CAF beach soccer qualifiers in Morocco slated for the 22nd-26th of May 2013, and now the team has flown to Morocco.
The committee members include; Mr. Maxwell Kpeglo (coach – Ada Assurance), Mr. Theophilus Nii Armah (coach – Teshie United) and Mr. Johnny Heman Mawusi (coach – Gulf Powers BSC).
The team was in non residential training for a week started camping from Saturday 11th May 2013 in Accra until they headed to Morocco yesterday to participate in the qualifiers on Monday 20th May; two days before the opening game.
Through the support of the Ghana Football Association and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ghana’s participation in the qualifiers was confirmed by Beach Soccer Worldwide; organizers of the tournament.
Ghana’s push for recognition was initiated by FIFA technical instructor, Talib Hilal who coordinated the first ever FIFA Beach Soccer Coaches Course in Ghana from the 29th of July to the 2nd of August last year in Prampram.
This will be the first time Ghana will be represented in a beach soccer event internationally since the start of ‘organized’ beach soccer initiated by the GBSA in 2007.
The GBSA has rapidly made strides by staging pilot events in Keta, Senya Breku and Ada to name but a few.
The association has also hosted a successful FIFA coaches course organized by FIFA and the GFA in 2012.
The qualifiers in Morocco will be broadcasted all over the world, such as Euro Sport, FOX watched by over 90 million in America, Al Jazeera Middle East and North Africa, Supersport to be confirmed and also some major national TV station from Europe.
Most football fans have promised to go to Tahiti to cheer the Golden Sharks if the qualify. The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) has also send a message of good luck and congratulations who will represent Ghana for the first time in international beach soccer.
Some of the players expected to shine are Michael Sema of Keta SunSet, Laweh of Ada Assurance and Richrad Osa of La Wuo Gbee.
