WELLINGTON – Ghana’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign is over despite beating Costa Rica 1-0 in a tightly contested match in Wellington. Rivals Germany and Korea DPR produced a 1-1 draw in Group B’s other match, a result that guaranteed both teams a spot in the quarter-finals.
With conditions at Wellington Stadium blustery, Ghana employed a ‘shoot on sight’ policy in the first half with long range efforts from Elizabeth Cudjoe, Juliet Acheampong and Rosemary Ampem that provided a test for outstanding Costa Rica goalkeeper Priscilla Tapia.
Costa Rica struggled to create any meaningful clear-cut chances but the pace of Raquel Rodriguez caused Ghana problems on the counter-attack. Ghana defender Linda Eshun had a few shaky moments with Rodriguez but had an otherwise solid match.
Ghana took the lead on 19 minutes when Candice Osei-Agyemang burst down the right before whipping over an inviting cross for Deborah Afriyie to side-foot home with an exquisite left foot half volley that beat Priscilla Tapia at the near post.
Abraham Allotey’s team continued to create chances on a regular basis thereafter with Candice Osei-Agyemang guilty of a glaring miss on 32 minutes when she headed wide of Tapia’s goal after a superb cross by Afriyie.
Elizabeth Cudjoe missed another great chance for Ghana ten minutes later when she burst between Costa Rica defenders Mariela Campos and Katherine Alvarado only to shoot wide of Tapia’s goal.
Ghana dominated Costa Rica in the second-half as the African qualifiers chased the quarter-final berth and would have doubled their lead had it not been for the superb performance of Priscilla Tapia.
Tapia made two crucial saves in the first ten minutes of the second-half, first when she denied Mercy Myles miscued cross from dipping under the crossbar and then again when she denied Mantenn Kobblah in a one on one situation.
Ghana’s hopes were dealt a serious blow when captain Mercy Myles was substituted with suspected knee ligament damage on the hour mark. The impressive Florence Dadson became the focal point for Ghana’s attack and she looked set to put Ghana two goals up on 66 minutes only to be denied by yet another inspired save by Tapia.
Ghana’s fortunes were best summed up when Afriyie’s header hit the post on 74 minutes from a superb Dadson cross with Costa Rica goalkeeper Tapia for once stranded. Costa Rica’s Maria Baquero received the game’s only yellow card with two minutes left to play.
With Germany held to a 1-1 draw by Korea DPR, Ghana were eliminated despite enjoying a fine tournament glittered by eye-catching performances.
Ghana coach Abraham Allotey praised his team for a fine performance.
"I think this was a great experience for the girls. This is a team that only came together in December last year, and they’ve come so far already.
It’s a shame that we’re leaving the tournament just as the team is coming into form, though! I’ve enjoyed the whole experience, and I’m sure we will be at the U-20 tournament in two years’ time," Allotey said.
Costa Rica coach Juan Quesada said the physical nature of New Zealand 2008 had caught him by surprise.
"I didn’t expect this World Cup to be quite so hard; I knew it would be different from the CONCACAF tournament, but it was really hard for the girls.
The other teams in this tournament were physically much stronger than us, so we will really need to work on the physical aspects of our play in future, but I still place a special emphasis on technical work too," Quesada said.
Images courtesy of Foto-Net and www.fifa.com
FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup – New Zealand 2008
Ghana (1) 1 (14. Deborah AFRIYIE 19’)
Costa Rica (0) 0
Wellington Stadium
Wellington
New Zealand
Tuesday 4 November 2008
Kick-off: 16h00
Attendance:
CRC: 1. Priscila TAPIA [gk]; 4. Maria BARQUERO, 5. Gabriela GUILLEN, 7. Mariela CAMPOS, 8. Daniela CRUZ, 10. Katherine ALVARADO ©, 11. Raquel RODRIGUEZ C., 12. Raquel RODRIGUEZ V. (9. Carolina MORALES 68’), 15. Adriana GUZMAN, 16. Krickshia SPENCE (13. Jacqueline MATA 27’ (17. Yocxelin RODRIGUEZ 78’), 19. Fabiola SANCHEZ.
Substitutes Not Used: 2. Lina YARAMILO; 3. Daniela VEGA; 6. Jasmine GUZMAN; 14. Daniela CAMACHO; 18. Maria ARIAS [rgk]; 20. Hazel QUIROS; 21. Jakeiline PALACIOS [rgk].
Yellow cards: 4. Maria BAQUERO 88’.
Red cards: None
Coach: Juan QUESAD (CRC)
GHA: 16. Patricia MANTEY [gk]; 3. Edem ATOVOR, 4. Linda ESHUN, 6. Elizabeth CUDJOE , 7. Juliet ACHEAMPONG, 9. Florence DADSON, 10. Mercy MYLES © (8. Elizabeth ADDO 58’) , 12. Mantenn KOBBLAH, 14. Deborah AFRIYIE, 15. Rosemary AMPEM, 19. Candice OSEI-AGYEMANG (11. Isha FORDJOUR 69’).
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Margaret OTOO [rgk], 21. Linda ABOAGYE [rgk], 2. Henrietta ANNIE, 5. Ellen COLEMAN, 13. Priscilla OKINE, 17. Abena AMPOMAH, 18. Samira SULEMAN, 20. Priscilla SAAHENE.
Yellow cards: None
Red cards: None
Coach: Abraham ALLOTEY (GHA)
Referee: CHA Sung Mi (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: KIM Kyoung Min (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: LEE Seul Gi (KOR)
4th official: Talia MITSI (GRE)
Group B
Final Standings – 04.11.08
| PL |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
PTS |
GD |
||
| 1. |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
9 |
3 |
7 |
+6 |
|
| 2. |
DPR |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
+1 |
|
| 3. |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
|
| 4. |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 | 8 |
0 |
-7 |
|
Deborah Afriyie and Florence Dadson celebrate Ghana’s goal – image courtesy Foto-Net
Juliet Acheampong wins the ball for Ghana – image courtesy of Foto-Net