When the United States Under-20 Women’s National Team plays its first match in the 2012 U-20 Women’s World Cup at the Hiroshima Big Arch Stadium in Japan, the USA will play the same opening opponent that they faced in 2010: Ghana. In that match, Ghana scored first,on a 7th minute Elizabeth Cudjoe goal. A 70th minute equalizer by Sydney Leroux salvaged a point for the USA, who would go on to win the group.
The bad news for the USA is that eight of Ghana’s starters in that match are age-eligible for this year’s U-20 WWC. And, the good news is… see the bad news.
Yes, it is a glass half-full situation: Although Ghana could be a challenge to crack, this year the U-20 USWNT has an advantage it did not have in the teams’ previous encounter: Since Ghana returns a majority of its key players from 2010, this makes the scouting of the team easier, which should mean that the USA is better prepared than two years ago.
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CONTENTS
- How They Got Here
- Match-Ups in Previous U-19/U-20 Women’s World Cups
- Coaching Staff
- Notable Players
- Likely Player Pool
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HOW THEY GOT HERE
Ghana’s path for qualification involved a series of home-and-away knock-out contests versus Namibia, South Africa, and Tunisia. Proper match reports are not readily available, so information is spotty. All links in this section go to Ghana FA news items unless otherwise indicated.
Namibia – 10:0 on aggregate (February-March 2012)
Ghana 7, Namibia 0 (4:0 at half-time).
Goal Scorers: Florence Dadson (3), Priscilla Saahene, Elizabeth Addo, Faustina Ampah, Deborah Afriyie
Namibia 0, Ghana 3.
Goal Scorers: Mercy Myles, Deborah Afriyie, Beatrice Sesu
South Africa – 5:0 on aggregate (March-April 2012)
South Africa 0, Ghana 2.
Goal Scorers: Florence Dadson (50′) and Elizabeth Addo (78′ PK)
AllAfrica.com article (with more details, including Ghana’s line-up)
Ghana 3, South Africa 0.
Goal Scorers: Priscilla Saahene (11′ FK), Janet Ayinem (65′), Elizabeth Addo (72′ PK)
CAFonline.com write-up (has some extra details)
Tunisia – 7:2 on aggregate (May 2012)
Tunisia 1, Ghana 3.
Goal Scorers: n/a.
(Apparently Tunisia scored first, see AllAfrica link, below)
Ghana 4, Tunisia 1 (0:1 at half-time).
Goal Scorers: Elizabeth Addo (48, ~90′), Alice Eva Danso (54′), Candice Osei-Agyemang (75′)
Write-up at AllAfrica.com (has a few more details)
Note: Ghana’s website does not have the best navigation, but to find all the relevant articles on their U-20 WNT, see this page: www.ghanafa.org/pages/blackprincesses/
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MATCH-UPS IN PREVIOUS U-19/U-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUPS
The USA and Ghana have only met once before in a U-20 Women’s World Cup: a 1:1 draw in the teams’ opening group stage match. The USA went down early, in the 7th minute, via a shot from outside the box.
Sixty-plus minutes later, Teresa Noyola dispossessed a Ghanian attacker and fed a pass up to Maya Hayes who crossed the ball to a speeding Sydney Leroux in front of Ghana’s goal. Leroux then slide-kicked in a shot for the equalizer. However, Leroux appeared to be in an offside position when Hayes passed the ball. But, the flag was not raised and the USA escaped the match with a draw and a point.
Overall, the USA played a poor match: poor organization, poor passing, poor movements, poor passing, poor shooting.
Notes on Ghana: The team captain, Mercy Myles, left the match in the 35th minute after vomiting on-field… A handful of players went down for injuries, may have milked the clock. A total of nine minutes of stoppage time was added.
Key USA Stat: 25 shots, but only 7 on goal. — Ghana actually had more shots on goal, with 8, out of 15 total shots.
See Also: FIFA Highlight Video; US Soccer match report; FIFA.com box score, write-up, etc.; BigSoccer play-by-play thread. Brief match review at CrossConference.com.
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COACHING STAFF
The Black Princesses’ head coach is Ghana native Robert Sackey, who is currently based in the San Francisco area. In October 2011, Sackey took over for the previous head coach, James Kuuku Dadzie, after Dadzie was promoted to the head coaching spot for Ghana’s senior WNT (www.ghana.gov.gh).
Sackey, who holds a USSF “A” coaching license, has been involved with Ghana’s national teams, women’s and men’s, since 2003. He also has experience coaching a WPSL team, the San Fransisco Nighthawks, youth teams, and high school teams. For more background on Sackey, see the “About,” “Ghana,” and “Teams” pages on www.sabisoccer.com, which is a soccer academy he started.
Sackey’s current assistant head coach is Ben Fokuo. Fokuo recently replaced Edina Yeke, who is now on maternity leave (www.ghanasoccernet.com).
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NOTABLE PLAYERS
Not enough information is available to properly discuss the team’s key players.
At least two players on the team have American connections:
Florence Dadson: Forward. The team’s most dangerous scoring threat. Plays NAIA soccer for Robert Morris University in Chicago, Illinois. Scored 2 goals at the 2008 U-17 WWC, but none at the 2010 U-20 WWC. Height is listed at 177cm, or just under 5’10”. Nickname is “Maa Longie.”
Candice Osei-Agyemang: Forward. Attended the University of Pennsylvania in 2010, but did not play her freshman season due to a knee injury. Transferred to the University of Arizona before her sophomore year, but has yet to play NCAA soccer. Older sister Mimi played for Ghana’s senior WNT, including at the 2003 WWC.
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LIKELY PLAYER POOL
Although an official player pool list is not available, an unofficial list can be constructed based on Ghana’s rosters at past youth Women’s World Cups. Ghana has made three appearances in those Cups: the 2010 U-20 WWC, the 2010 U-17 WWC, and the 2008 U-17 WWC. Based on those rosters, there are 26 players with 1992, 1993, or 1994 birthdays.
Players with 1995 and later birthdays have not been included since they are more likely to make the 2012 U-17 WWC roster, as Ghana is one of the three teams from Africa that has qualified for that tournament. Those younger players include 2010 U-17 captain Beatrice Sesu (1995 birthday), who scored at least one goal in U-20 qualifying.
TABLE 1: ELIGIBLE PLAYERS FROM PAST YOUTH WWCs
(Players are sorted by position, then by minutes played in the tournaments.)
PLAYER P. YEAR HT 10U20 10U17 08U17 MANTEY, Patricia GK 1992 169 270 270 DUMAHISI, Fafali GK 1993 169 0 ASANTEWAA, Nana GK 1993 166 0 OTOO, Margaret GK 1993 161 270 0 SIMPSON, Ayishatu GK 1993 171 0 ----------------------------------------------------------- AMPEM, Rosemary DF 1992 157 270 270 ATOVOR, Edem DF 1994 152 270 224 EGYIR, Janet DF 1992 154 205 DAPAAH, Felicia DF 1994 167 0 MUSTAPHA, Fauzia DF 1993 155 0 ASANTE, Rebecca DF 1994 152 159 YIADOM, Cynthia DF 1994 151 133 OKINE, Priscilla DF 1993 161 0 ----------------------------------------------------------- AFRIYIE, Deborah MF 1992 155 237 245 ADDO, Elizabeth MF 1993 155 235 168 CUDJOE, Elizabeth MF 1992 155 232 207 MYLES, Mercy MF 1992 150 125 211 SAAHENE, Priscilla MF 1992 151 14 0 DJABAAH, Felicia MF 1994 154 202 ESSIFUL, Mary MF 1993 158 154 CUDJOE, Jennifer MF 1994 163 26 ----------------------------------------------------------- DADSON, Florence FW 1992 177 270 270 OKYERE, Rita FW 1993 161 270 DANSO, Alice FW 1994 154 269 FORDJOUR, Isha FW 1993 161 155 Osei-Agyemang, C. FW 1992 174 94
Key: “Year” is the player’s birth year; HT.” is the player’s height in centimeters; “10U20” is the minutes played in the 2010 U-20 WWC; “10U17” is the minutes played in the 2010 U-17 WWC; and “08U17” is minutes played in the 2008 U-17 WWC.
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