Liberia vs Ghana – Finals of Amputee African Cup -Canaf 2011
By Peterking Quaye, Accra, Ghana – The Lone Star amputee football team of Liberia was the first team to arrive for the 2011 Cup of African Nations for Amputee Football (CANAF). Liberia today qualified to play in the final after a heavy penalty taking session ending 4-3 after a goalless game that saw the defending Champion reaching the final for the second time.
Liberia lock horns with Sierra Leone on Friday at the Accra Sports Stadium. Liberia was earlier seeded as the first team in Group B as they are the defending Champion, Liberia group was tagged the group of death as it had teams like Nigeria, Angola and Niger. Liberia beat Sierra Leone 4-3 on penalties after a goalless game that went into 20 minutes of extra time. Ghana beat Angola 2-0. Ghana will play Liberia in the finals and Angola will play Sierra Leone for the 3rd position match and all are on Saturday, 26th November at the Accra Sports Stadium
The Liberians, the defending champions touched down in Accra last Tuesday in their quest to make a successful defense went down 1-0 to Angola, on the tournament they won on home soil in 2009.
The Federation represented Liberia for the first time at the Amputee World Cup which was held in Turkey in 2007. Group A alongside Senegal, Sierra Leone and Kenya in the Cup of African Nations for Amputee Football (CANAF). Host Ghana was playing at the time of going to press today.
Dominic Asabea, Chairman of the LOC who conducted the draw, said that Ghana and Liberia were seeded for the competition due to their outstanding performance in previous competitions. He said Liberians are the defending champions whilst Ghana performed credibly at the last World Cup for Amputees held in Argentina. Mr Asabea said the competition would be guided by the rules of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) and World Amputee Football.
The Black Challenge qualified for the semi-finals of with an 11-0 thrashing of Niger on Wednesday at the Accra Sports Stadium. The result ensured the Black Challenge qualified to the last four of the third edition of the biennial championship alongside Group A winners, Sierra Leone.
The homers got hat-tricks each from Collins Gyamfi and Richard Arthur Opentil, whilst Richard Ekwam grabbed a brace with Augustine Hinne, Hamza Mohammed and Joseph Kwasi Amoh also on target to give hope to the host. Ghana finished on three points, three adrift of leaders Sierra Leone with Niger having no point. In Group B, holders Liberia were held to a 1-1 draw by Nigeria with both goals coming in the second half.
Francis Adjetey Sowah, President of Ghana Amputee Football Association said they are expecting Niger, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Kenya and Niger, by close of Sunday, with Liberia as the first country to report in the country whilst Senegal are yet to confirm their flight arrangement and date of arrival.
Meanwhile after Thursday’s election was held to elected new Executives of AFFA in Accra, 24th November to steer affairs for the next four years are:
President-Francis Adjetey Sowah (Ghana)
1st Vice President- Habiba Lamido (Nigeria)
1st Vice Presient (Technical)- Prince Are( Nigeria)
2nd Vice President- Harouna Ousmane (Niger)
Treasurer- Samuel Eastman (Liberia)
Secretary General- Mambud Samai (Sierra Leone)
Referee’s Representatives- Antonio Luciano (Angola).
Players’ Representatives to be elected on Friday, 25th November, 2011
In all, there were 31 delegates from six countries.
