NEWS ROUND-UP AFRICAN PLAYERS

AFRICA'S FOREIGN LEGION
Nigeria's Afolabi joins Salzburg
Sunderland snap up Mensah
Mulumbu agrees new deal
Dindane, Boateng join Portsmouth
Loan deal at Malaga for Nsofor
Fulham's Dikgacoi gets UK permit
West Ham still want Chamakh

NEWS
“The journey is halfway through” – Amoah
09-01-2009
Facebook Del.icio.us Digg Voisineo
From : (Your email adress)

To : (Your friend email adress)

Subject : “The journey is halfway through” – Amoah
Message :




Zoom Black Stars striker Matthew Amoah is Ghana’s top scorer in the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations. In the last two matches, against Mali and Sudan; he has scored thrice to take his tally to four in the qualifiers.
Amoah, who plies his trade with Dutch side, NAC Breda, tells www.cafonline.com that despite the Black Stars leading the pack on nine points, five more than closest rivals, Mali; the journey to Angola and South Africa is halfway through.


Cafonline.com: What’s the secret to the rediscovery of your scoring boots, three goals in two matches and you are now Ghana’s top scorer in the 2010 World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers?

Matthew Amoah: I thank the almighty God for the opportunity and what he has done for me. It is not my strength but the Almighty who is responsible for my recent performances. The scoring boots are always around and I hope to score more goals in the remaining qualifiers.

The Black Stars have come a long way in the qualifying series. What can prevent Ghana’s ambitions of a second successive appearance at the World Cup?

We are not there yet. The journey is halfway through. The remaining three matches are very crucial and we must avoid complacency. As it stands, we are in a good stead to qualify and we hope to do that in grand style. Our next game is against Sudan in Accra and after that, we will know our fate better. For the remaining three games, we will approach them with the same mindset as the earlier games. We will be hungrier than ever because we can’t afford any slip.

What has been the key strength of the Black Stars during the qualifiers?

The strength of the team is the level of unity. There is a high level of unity in camp and this has been a major factor to our success. Though there are different groups of friends in camp, we all come together when the need arises. We relate very well among ourselves and I believe that has been the secret.
Also, there is high level of competition in the team and this has ensured players give off their best for fear of losing their positions. Players like Opoku Agyemang and Kwadwo Asamoah have fitted well in the absence of Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari and Asamoah Gyan during the last two matches, and that’s a good sign for the team. Competition is good for every team as it provides options for the technical team.

How do you see Ghana’s chances against Sudan, whom you beat 2-0 in Omdurman?

The Sudan game is crucial to our qualification for the World Cup. The fact that we beat them at their backyard is not an automatic guarantee for victory in Accra. They will come stronger as they need the points to boost their standings. We are focused on the maximum points and will devote our efforts towards ensuring that. The game will clearly outline our fate and we are bent on giving it our best.

Despite your successes, there are still questions about the team’s attack?

I don’t share that view. The duty of a striker is to score. So when a striker scores he is basically performing his duties. The issue of goal scoring must not rest solely on the shoulders of the strikers; every member of team who finds himself in that position must make the best of it. That is the trend in the Black Stars as the team does not depend on the strikers alone for goals.

What would a win against Sudan impart on your chances?

It will take us a step closer, but the outcome of the remaining matches is crucial. We will maintain our five point lead and that will put us on track. For the playing body, we are focused on winning at least two of our remaining matches to make qualification a certainty. RESULTS
Egypt3 : 0Rwanda Mali3 : 1Benin Guinea2 : 1Malawi Burkina Faso2 : 3Cote d'Ivoire Tunisia0 : 0Nigeria Sudan0 : 2Ghana

LATEST NEWS
“The journey is halfway through” – Amoah CAN 2010 Draw media accreditation launched South Africa to host Angola on Sept. 19 Indomitable Lions return to winning ways Tunisia squad for Ivory Coast friendly Angola launches CAN 2010 publicity and ... All news

PHOTOS


03-28-2009 Kenya 1 - 2 Tunisia
03-29-2009 Mozambique 0 - 0 Nigeria
06-06-2009 Tunisia 2 - 0 Mozambique
06-07-2009 Nigeria 3 - 0 Kenya
06-20-2009 Kenya 2 - 1 Mozambique
06-20-2009 Tunisia 0 - 0 Nigeria
Group 2
Team MP W D L GF GA GD Pts
Tunisia 3 2 1 0 4 1 3 7
Nigeria 3 1 2 0 3 0 3 5
Kenya 3 1 0 2 3 6 -3 3
Mozambique 3 0 1 2 1 4 -3 1