Ampem Darkoa target WAFU victory
Reigning Ghana Women’s Premier League champions, Ampem Darkoa Ladies are hoping their exceptional performance throughout the 2022/23 season, which saw them claiming double trophies, will be replicated as they represent the nation at this year’s West Africa Football Union (WAFU) B Zone Qualifiers.
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The WAFU B Qualifiers will start from Saturday, August 19 and end on Sunday, September 3 at Benin City in Nigeria.
It will be used as ticket to the third edition of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Champions League, which will be played in Côte d'Ivoire from November 5 to 19, 2023.
To ensure a perfect ending, for the past two weeks, the Techiman-based team have been camping at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence at Prampram for intense preparations ahead of their qualifiers against AS Garde Nationale from Niger and Amis du Monde of Togo in Group B.
The Group A fixtures will be played between Delta Queens of Nigeria, USFA of Burkina Faso, Athletico of Côte d'Ivoire and Sam Nelly FC of Benin.
Target
Ahead of the zonal championship, captain Mavis Owusu says the stakes are high so the team is determined to meet any challenge head-on to accomplish the all-important mission to make an appearance at the Africa Women’s Champions League.
“We are ready. Every player in camp is very much aware of what is at stake so they are determined and working towards the common goal,” Mavis Owusu told the Dalily Graphic in an interview.
“Although we couldn’t qualify the first time we participated in the qualifiers, God has given us another chance and we believe that He (God) will see us through this time round. I can’t promise but I believe we will qualify. All we need is massive support to deliver.”
For his part, Head Coach of the team, Nana Joe Adarkwa is optimistic the lessons learnt from the previous qualifiers in 2021 will guide them going into this second one to enable them to secure qualification.
“Last year, we reached the final in the qualifiers but we couldn’t qualify for the Champions League but that is passed and gone. This is a new year and this time we will make sure to qualify for the main tournament,” he said.
Recruitment
To beef up the squad and ensure that their mission is accomplished, the club has hired the services of six new players including Rivers Angels goalkeeper, Charlotte Adjei, Supreme Ladies trio of Nancy Amoh, Diana Amoakoh and Linda Owusu Ansah.
Other new recruits are Helena Obeng from Prison Ladies and Esther Owusu Ansah of Ridge City FC.
“Helena Obeng is an attacking midfielder who can operate from the wings and I believe her inclusion in the team will help us. For goalkeeper Charlotte Adjei, she has a lot of experience because she used to play here in Ghana before she went to Nigeria,” Coach Adarkwa said.
The experienced gaffer is also banking his hopes on 2022 Women’s Premier League Best Player, Mary Amponsah, Black Princesses attacker Ophelia Serwaa Amponsah and captain Mavis Owusu.
Women’s Champions League
In 2022, Ampem Darkoa Ladies’ hope of playing in the 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League was ruined following a 3-0 defeat to Nigeria’s Bayelsa Queens in the final of the WAFU Zone B qualifiers.
They won the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League title for the second time in a row to qualify to the zonal championship again.
Morocco's AS Far are the reigning CAF Women's League Queens, having dethroned South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns, who won the trophy in 2021 after beating Ghana’s Hasaacas Ladies in the final.
