Ash-Town ladies win women's soccer gala

Kumasi, May 16, GNA - Ash-Town Ladies football club of Kumasi beat Obuasi Goldfields Ladies football club 4-3 in a penalty shoot out to win the 2004 Ashanti Region Women's soccer gala competition held at the Manhyia palace park in Kumasi on Saturday.

Both teams settled for a goalless drawn game at regulation time and when the penalty rules were applied, Ash-Town scored four out of their six shots while Goldfields scored three.

Ash-Town got to the finals by beating Akyawkrom Washington View ladies 4-0 and went ahead to outscore defending champions Fabulous Ladies of Kumasi 2-1.

Goldfields Ladies also reached the finals when they beat Konongo Missiles Ladies 3-0 on penalties after a pulsating goalless drawn game and also beat Oforikrom Ladies 4-2 on penalties after goalless game. Fabulous Ladies took the third place by beating Oforikrom Ladies 3-1 on penalties after a goalless drawn game.

Mr Anthony Kwabena Adusei, Ashanti Regional Sports Development Officer who presented the trophy to the winners commended the participants for the high sense of discipline and sportsmanship exhibited throughout the competition.

He said the country's women soccer was gaining international recognition and that it behoved on them to train very hard to sustain the pace set by the pioneers in women soccer in the country.

Mr Adusei urged sports enthusiasts and organisations to support women soccer in the region so that more ladies can be unearthed and trained to help build formidable regional and national teams. Mr James Akoto, Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Sports Representative urged the players to continue to train very hard to be able to come to the limelight.

Madam Cecilia Anane, Ashanti Regional Chairperson of the regional women's soccer committee said the gala was a prelude to the impending women's league in the region.

She said the committee has formed a regional football team aimed at getting more players to be trained to join the national team and that their main problem has been with finance and appealed to all soccer fans to come to their aid to improve upon women soccer in the country. The participating teams were each presented with footballs.