Basigi turns to pros as Queens prepare for AWC
Black Queens coach, Yusif Basigi, has called up a strong 35-man squad to begin preparations in an audacious attempt to win this year’s African Women’s Championship to be staged in Cameroun.
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While most of the players are old faces, Basigi has extended an invitation to Germany-born Eunice Beckmann who completed her nationality switch from Germany a few months ago.
According to Coach Basigi, he is counting on the experience of Beckmann, 24, who played for Bayern Munich before joining Boston Breakers in the National Women's Soccer League in the USA last season, to help the Queens to win the AWC for the first time.
"Beckmann has expressed her excitement about playing for Ghana and is really looking forward to joining the team. She is a much-travelled player who has experience and exposure and, having played for a team like Bayern Munich she definitely brings something that will be very beneficial to the team," Coach Basigi told the Graphic Sports.
A Women's Bundesliga winner with Bayern in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, the striker, who also played in Sweden, has Ghanaian parents but was born in Wuppertal, Germany. Thus, joining the Queens will see her visiting Ghana for the first time.
She will complete a list of 10 foreign-based players wo will later join the Queens after the initial 25 players have been screened in the first part of preparations. The other foreign-based players are Janet Egyir (former Hasaacas player), Samira Suleman and Linda Eshun, all in Iceland, Grace Adams (USA), Portia Boakye, Juliet Acheampong, Elizabeth Addo (Sweden), Mercy Myles (Canada), and Priscilla Otchere (Serbia).
The 25-man list does not have any major changes from the team that played in the qualifiers.
Defending the players invited, Basigi said there was very little time to try out new players and has thus stuck to the players who won gold at the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo, as well as those who featured in the qualifiers.
"We are already late with our preparations and therefore will not have the luxury of trying out new players. The players invited have all proved their worth and have been in consistent form. The only person I will be assessing is Beckmann, but I believe her experience speaks for herself and I hope she does fit into the team."
The 25-man squad comprises:
Goalkeepers: Nana Ama Asantewaa (Police Ladies), Fafali Dumehasi (Police Ladies), Patricia Mantey (Immigration Ladies), Beatrice Ntiwaa (Hasaacas)
Defenders: Hillia Kobblah (Hasaacas Ladies), Cynthia Adobea (Prisons), Rosemary Ampem (Immigration), Anges Quaye (Immigration), Regina Antwi (Hasaacas), Fauzia Mustapha (Faith Ladies), Mabel Baffoe Eshun (Hasaacas Ladies), Cynthia Adjei n(Police Ladies)
Midfielders: Safia Abdul Rahman(Lepo Ladies), Alice Kusi (Fabulous Ladies), Mary Essiful (Soccer Intellectuals), Grace Asare (Prisons Ladies), Priscilla Saahene(Fabulous Ladies), Ruth Appiah (Ashtown Ladies)
Attackers: Akyiaa Asante (Ampem Darkoa), Rita Otchere( Prisons Ladies), Ruth Anima (Ashtown), Faiza Ibrahim (Police), Alberta Asante (Police), Deborah Afriyie (Police).