Meteors sure to beat Togo today

The assistant coach of Black Meteors, Michael Osei, has expressed his confidence that the national Olympic team will overcome Togo this afternoon when they meet in the African U-23 Championship first leg qualifier at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

Coach Osei’s optimism stemmed from the players’ positive response to training and the tactical approach being deployed by Ghana’s technical handlers for the match.

“I am very confident that we would register a convincing win against Togo, looking at the commitment the players are exhibiting at training. In the last few days the players have responded well and look very sharp and poised for today’s game,” he told the Daily Graphic in an interview yesterday.

The inclusion of some foreign-based players has strengthened the team and also raised their the morale in camp ahead of today’s clash.

“We have told them that qualifying for the African Championship and progressing to the Olympic Games would bring honour to them and the nation, especially where other national teams have fallen.

“The boys are very determined to win and this positive attitude gives me and the head coach, Ibrahim Tanko, the confidence,” he noted.

On November 30, Tanko called 22 home-based player to camp at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre for Excellence at Prampram to commence preparation for the Togo encounter, with eight players were dropped later and replaced to their overseas colleagues, including striker Joel Fameyeh of Dinamo Brest (Belarus), Gideon Mensah of FC Liefening and Isaac Twum of Norwegian side, IK Start.

Meanwhile, Togo coach, Jean Paul Abalo, led an 18-man contingent to Ghana last Sunday and immediately moved base to Kumasi to get his side ready for today’s clash.

The Togolese side include players such as Soumanou Fadil, Atik Fousseni Traore and Victor Mensah who will be out to get a good result against the Meteors ahead of the second leg encounter in Lome on Saturday.