Ghana trash Lesotho 7-0

The floodlights are restored

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The Black Stars are in for a goal harvest as they lead the Crocodiles of Lesotho by 3-0 in the first 45 minutes of the World Cup qualifier which is under way at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Skipper Sulley Muntari opened the scoring with a terrific strike from a well rehearsed freekick with just 16 minutes played.
The AC Milan star is easily the man of the match so far with his long searching balls one of which located Jordan Ayew who dummied the goal keeper on the stroke of half time and slotted the ball into an empty net.
Dominic Adiyiah showed why coach Akwasi Appiah kept faith in him by scoring the second goal with a great individual effort.
It has been an incredible team performance with the Stars playing a free flowing game with great telepathy from Derek Boateng and Agyemang Badu in midfield.
Goal keeper Adam Kwarasey has virtually been on a holiday because the Crocodiles are yet to make any effort at goal.
For the first half its Ghana 3, Lesotho 0 a Friday afternoon stroll at the park it appears to be for the Black Stars.

 

Power has been restored at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium after nearly an hour of hold up and the World Cup qualifier between the Black Stars of Ghana and the Crocodiles of Lesotho which was suspended due to the flood lights at the stadium not functioning is underway.
The Black Stars of Ghana who raced to a 3 goal lead in the first half are now 7 goals up. Sulley Muntari opened the scoring with a terrific strike from a well rehearsed freekick with just 16 minutes played with Dominic Adiyiah scoring a brace.
Jordan Ayew dummied the goal keeper on the stroke of half time and slotted the ball into an empty net for Ghana's fourth goal.
Substitute Chritian Atsu who came on for Sulley Muntari added his name to the score sheet when he curled in a beautiful shot in the 85th minute from the outside of the Lesotho penalty box.
Jordan Ayew then latched onto a rebound in the 90th, before defender Jerry Akaminko outjumped the Lesotho goalie and powered home a header for the seventh goal.

Sulley Muntari on Ghana vs Lesotho encounter

Sulley Muntari has challenged his Ghana teammates to expect a tough contest in the qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup as they prepare to kick off their chase of a third straight appearance in the finals.

The Black Stars open their qualifying campaign in Group D at the Baba Yara Stadium against Lesotho on Friday as the African qualifiers enters the second round stage.

Following appearances at the two previous World Cups, Ghana find themselves in a tough group which includes African champions, Zambia and Sudan.

Only one team from the four-nation group will progress to the third round where the ten teams that advance from the second round will be paired into five home-and-away series to determine the final sides that reach Brazil.

Muntari, who has been promoted to the captaincy in the absence of John Mensah says the Black Stars are braced up for a difficult campaign.

“Yeah, before you go to the World Cup, everything is difficult. Even if it’s one game or if you are in the final to win the Cup, it’s difficult," said Muntari, who will captain Ghana against Lesotho.

“Everything is difficult in football. We are just looking forward to the game on Friday and we want to win and want to be in the World Cup.”

Muntari, a campaigner in both of Ghana's World Cup appearances and with two goals to his name is determined to help the Black Stars to a third successive finals.

“The World Cup is an amazing event and every player wants to play in the World Cup. I personally want to do it for the third time," the Ghana midfielder said.

"By doing that we have to start winning. So, we want to do that against Lesotho and then we will go to Zambia."

Harrison Afful, Adiyiah named in Ghana squad against Zambia, Lesotho

Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah has named his 30-man squad for next month's 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zambia.

Europe-based youngsters Ishmael Yartey and Christian Atsu were among the six players who were handed their maiden Black Stars call-ups.

Nine home-based players were also named in the squad with Berekum Chelsea trio of Ernest Sowah, Emmanuel Clottey and Richard Kissi Boateng included.

The team will start a non-residential camp in Accra on 21 May, 2012.

The squad will be pruned before the team departs to Kumasi on 27th May ahead of the match against Lesotho on 1st June, 2012.

Ghana face Lesotho in Kumasi for Appiah's first game before they play Zambia on June 9 in Ndorla.

Ghana Squad

Goalkeepers: Adam Kwarasey (Stromsgodset, Norway), Robert Dabuo (Wa All Stars), Daniel Adjei (Liberty Professionals), Ernest Sowah (Berekum Chelsea)

Defenders: Samuel Inkoom (Dnipro, Ukraine), Daniel Opare (Standard Liege, Belgium), Harrison Afful (Esperance, Tunisia), Richard Kissi Boateng (Berekum Cheslea), Masawudu Alhassan (Genoa, Italy), John Boye (Rennes, France), Lee Addy (Dalian Aerbin, China), Daniel Addo (Arsenal Kyiv, Ukraine) Rashid Sumaila (Dwarfs), Jerry Akaminko (Manisaspor, Turkey), Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim, Germany)

Midfielders: Anthony Annan (Vitesse Arnhem, Netherlands), Derek Boateng (Dnipro, Ukraine), Emmanuel Agyemang Badu (Udinese ,Italy), Rabiu Mohammed (Evian, France) Richard Mpong (Medema) Albert Adomah (Bristol City, England), Christian Atsu (Rio Ave, Portugal), Ishamel Yartey, (Servette, Switzerland), Sulley Muntari (AC Milan, Italy), Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy).

Forwards: Jordan Ayew (Marseille, France), Dominic Adiyiah (Arsenal Kyiv, Ukraine), Ben Acheampong (Kotoko), Emmanuel Baffour (New Edubiase), Emmanuel Clottey (Berekum Chelsea).

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Zambia are AFCON2012 champions

...Zambia became African2012 champions. The end.


Orange Man of the competition:Christopher Katongo (Zambia)

Fair Play Trophy: Cote d'Ivoire

Orange CAN 2012 Best IX

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Goal keeper

16 KENNEDY MWEENE (Zambia)

Defenders

6 GOSSO JEAN-JACQUES GOSSO (CIV)
13 STOPPILA SUNZU (Zambia)
5 JOHN MENSAH (Ghana)
3 ADAMA TAMBOURA (Mali)


Midfielders

20 EMMANUEL MAYUKA (Zambia)
19 YAYA GNEGNERI TOURE (CIV)
10 KOUASSI GERVAIS YAO (CIV)
12 SEYDOU KEITA (Mali)

Strikers

11 CHRISTOPHER KATONGO (Zambia)
11 DIDIER DROGBA (CIV)


Substitutions

1 BOUBACAR BARRY (CIV)
4 Fernando DA GRACIA GOMEZ (EQG)
7 YOUSSEF MSAKNI (Tunisia)
9 MATEUS CONTREIRAS MANUCHO (Angola) 
9 PIERRE EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (Gabon)
9 SADIO DIALLO (Guinea)
9 CHEICK TIDIANE DIABATE (Mali)
11 ERIC MOULOUNGUI (Gabon)
13 HOUSSINE KHARJA (Morocco)
17 MUDATHIR ELTAIB IBRAHIM (Sudan)
17RAINFORD KALABA (Zambia)
20 KWADWO ASAMOAH (Ghana)

Renard – “I dedicate the victory to Kalusha”

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Zambia coach Herve Renard has dedicated his team’s title triumph at the 2012 Orange Africa Cup of Nations to Chipolopolo legend Kalusha Bwalya for giving him the opportunity to handle the team.

 

Kalusha, considered the finest Zambian footballer of all time heads the country’s football federation and the Frenchman describes the feat as a thank you package for the impact in his coaching career. Incidentally, Kalusha escaped the April 28, 1993 air plane crash involving the Zambian team in Gabon on their way to Senegal for a World Cup qualifier because he had to fly to Dakar from his European base.

 

“He is the best Zambian player of the last century and he escaped the plane crash. He was criticized for giving me the second chance. I dedicate the victory to him because he gave me the opportunity to coach. I also thank Claude Le Roy for giving me my first experience in Africa as assistant coach in 2008 with Ghana.”

 

Renard added that his team was destined to win the title after a campaign that saw them start every game as underdogs.

 

“It was unrealisable before the start of the tournament and we realised we have to believe in ourselves. We were not the best team but have the strength to fight on.

 

“We wanted to honour the dead players and that strengthened us. Our first game was against Senegal and the team was on its way to Senegal for a match when the plane crashed. The plane crashed in Gabon and we won the final in Gabon. It is a sign of destiny.”

 

The Frenchman is hoping that the performance of his team will open bigger doors for most of them to play in Europe.