South Africa begin mind games

(From Veronica Commey, GNA Special Correspondent in Egypt, Courtesy Ministry of Youth and Sports)

ISMAILIA, Oct. 5, GNA - The Amajita of South Africa know they will start as underdogs when they cross swords with Ghana's Black Satellites in a crucial FIFA U-20 World Cup knockout game at the Ismailia Stadium on Tuesday but that truth is not enough to prevent them from staging mind games.

The South Africans who have also lodged at Ghana's base at the Plush Mercury Hotel had barely three hours later began their mind games which started from refusing to go according to training schedule and preferred to clash with the Satellites' training plans.

The South Africans who were scheduled to train after Ghana's rather chose to have a shake up on another field where darkness had engulfed the pitch and ran around in a casual manner for just a while. A South African official then crossed over to the Ghana area claiming one of their balls had come to the Satellite's training field and almost had a confrontation with some of the Ghanaian officials for the manner in which he handled the issue.

Both teams are meeting for the third time in ten months with Ghana winning the first at the African Championship in Rwanda with the Amajita revenging in Accra months later and when they meet on Tuesday, the stakes will even be higher.

While Ghana has played well to this point, the South Africans have laboured and relied on a lucky third place finish to merit a meeting with the Satellites at the knockout stage and almost seem to be peaking at the right time.

Ghana won 4-3 in Rwanda where they almost relinquished a four zero lead but hanged on to victory and when South Africa came to Accra for a friendly, they swept the Satellites aside with 5-2 win and now at the Ismailia Stadium on Tuesday, the pundits believe Ghana will start as favourites.

On Tuesday, skills and finesse will be on display as both teams will almost play the same style of play.