After losing two matches, the coach of Ghana’s U-21 national female hockey team, Junior Black Sticks, is mapping out an all-attacking strategy against USA today in the final pool match at the ongoing Hockey Youth World Cup in the German city of Monchengladbach in the hope of picking the team’s first point.
Subsequently, Coach Edmund Odametey is reshuffling his starting line-up with Captain Nasifatu Umaru playing in front of the two main backline defenders of Janet Adampa and Linda Effah, and resting Elizabeth Opoku for a more energetic player.
Elizabeth, from whom much was expected, has been disappointing as she has failed to exert herself in Ghana’s games. Instead, Cecilia Amoako, Martha Sarfoa, Gloria Darko and Queensilla Shaibu would be the coach’s main attacking force, while Serwaa Boakye would remain the pivot to oil the midfield.
“We have nothing to lose. We are going all out to ensure that we get better placement and enhance our ranking before the tournament ends,” Coach Odametey told the Daily Graphic yesterday.
After technically missing out on the quarter-finals, the Junior Black Sticks are channelling their energies into picking valuable points from some of the weaker teams, including Russia, along the way to finish the tournament on a high note.
The top eight teams would play for the quarter-finals while the rest will battle each other for placement and ranking.
The USA team are fired up to finish as the group runners-up behind leaders Holland, and have vowed to worsen Ghana’s woes. The Americans thrashed Korea Republic 4-1 but were beaten 5-1 by Holland in their second group and will, therefore, need a win at all cost to make it to the last eight.
The permutations make the group quite interesting but the Junior Black Sticks have a remote chance of making it, which puts USA and Korea in good stead for the remaining ticket from Pool A.
By Daniel Kenu
