No matter the category, any football encounter between Ghana and Nigeria is regarded crucial and Sunday’s Africa Women’s Championships in Equatorial Guinea between the Black Queens of Ghana and Nigeria’s Super Falcons will be no exception. The exciting ingredient in this clash is Nigeria’s domination in women’s football on the continent and Ghana’s determination to halt the trend this time round. It will be tough.

Nigeria has routinely beaten Ghana in several cup finals including last year’s edition of the championship in Warri, Nigeria. In addition, it was the Falcons that halted the Queens ambition of qualifying for this year’s Beijing Olympics. There is therefore a strong desire on the part of Ghana to turn the tables this time. But it is not going to be easy.

This is the third time the two sides are meeting at the group stages that have seen Ghana having a slight edge, but in the end Nigeria have had the last laugh running away with the trophy on each occasion. In South Africa 2000, Ghana drew 1-1 with Nigeria in the group stages but Nigeria were the ultimate winners of the cup. In 2002, when Ghana defied Nigeria’s home advantage and won 1-0 at the group stage, Nigeria hit back gallantly and won the cup in the end.

However Coach Gamel Mumuni is confident that he has been able to psyche his players to remain focused and turn the scales this time. “We can’t continue playing second fiddle to Nigeria any time we clash. We have what it takes to beat them and we are bent on getting it right in our opening match”, he told reporters. The experts say champions die hard, so Ghana would have to really double her efforts to dethrone Nigeria from the top of women’s football in Africa. The two other nations Ghana’s groups are South Africa and Tunisia.

Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Mali and Congo comprise the other group for this eight nation tournament which will end on November 29 with the final in Malabo, capital city of Equatorial Guinea.

While the Black Queens are sorting themselves out in Equatorial Guinea, their male counterparts, the Black Stars, will also begin their series of friendlies to tune them up for the impending World Cup/ African Cup qualifying matches. On Wednesday, Nov 19, the Black Stars will meet Tunisia in a friendly match at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in the capital. It is the first home encounter since the 3-0 demolition of Lesotho in the last qualifying match in the group stage of the World Cup/Africa Cup qualifiers in Sekondi on Oct 11. It was this victory that earned Ghana a place in the second phase of the qualifiers grouped together with Benin, Mali and Sudan.

New Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac has now had enough time to review his team and he has invited three top players who have not played for the Black Stars in recent times. Germany based defender Hans Adu Sarpei, Andre Ayew of French club Lorient and Birmingham City winger Quincy Owusu Abeyie have been invited alongside 17 others to prepare for the friendly against the North African ball jugglers.

The full list of the invited players are :
Goalkeepers;
Richard Kingston (Birmingham City, England)
George Owu (El Masry, Egypt)

Defenders;
John Paintsil (Fulham, England)
Hans Adu Sarpei(Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
Samuel Inkoom(Asante Kotoko)
Jonathan Mensah(Free Stare Stars, South Africa)
Eric Addo(PSV Eindhoven,Holland)
Jonathan Quartey (Kaiser Chiefs, South Africa)

Midfielders; Daniel Yeboah( Lions)
Agyemang Badu(Asante Kotoko)
Haminu Dramani (Locomotive Moscow, Russia)
Stephen Appiah(unattached)
Samuel Kyere(Arab Contractors, Egypt)
Jordan Opoku(Asante Kotoko)
Dede Ayew(Lorient, France)
Quincy Owusu Abeyie( Birmingham City, England).

Strikers;
Junior Agogo (Zamalek, Egypt)
Matthew Amoah (NAC Breda, Holland)
Samuel Ayew Yeboah (Liberty Professionals)
Prince Tagoe (Al-Ittifaq, Saudi Arabia).

It is going to be a busy period for coach Rajevac. Immediately after this assignment against Tunsia, he would have to switch attention to the locally assembled Black Stars in preparation for the novelty African Nations Championship for home based players organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

This maiden competition will be hosted by Cote d’Ivoire in February 2009 and Ghana have a two leg decider against Nigeria to qualify for the tournament having reached this stage after completing the double over Niger in April. The first leg will take place in Ghana on November 30.

The home based players invited to start camping on Monday for the assignment are

Goalkeepers;
Fatau Dauda (Ashgold)
Ernest Sowah (Tema Youth)
Osei Boateng (King Faisal)

Defenders;
Samuel Inkoom(Asante Kotoko)
Emmanuel Ansong(Lions)
Habib Mohammed (Ashgold)
Ofosu Appiah(Asante Kotoko)
Iddrisu Yahaya(Kessben)
Kofi Agyare(Kessben)
Mohammed Awal(Feyenoord)
Nafiu Awudu(King Faisal)
Godfred Yeboah(Kotoko)

Midfielders;
Jordan Opoku (Asante Kotoko)
Edmund Owusu Ansah (Lions)
Daniel Yeboah (Liberty)
Agyemang Badu(Asante Kotoko)
Ebo Andoh (King Faisal)
Ekow Benson( Tema Youth)
Baba Iddi(Kessben)
Abraham Annan (Lions)
Kofi Abanga (Hearts)
Sam Ayew(Liberty)
Francis Mantey (Olympics)
Samuel Oppong(King Faisal)
Mark Sekyere (Asante Kotoko)

Strikers;
Eric Bekoe (Asante Kotoko)
Yaw Antwi (Liberty)
Kojo Poku (Asante Kotoko)
Alex Asamoah (Ashgold)
Latif Salifu (Liberty)