Ghana’s Women’s Premier League and FA Cup winners, Ampem Darkoa Ladies will slug it out with Nigerian giants, Bayelsa Queens in the grand final of the WAFU Zone-B CAF Champions League qualifier at the Stade Yamoussoukro today.
The competition will provide another meeting between the two sides after an earlier clash in a group game which ended in a goalless stalemate.
Prior to the much-heralded final, Ampem Darkoa Ladies rallied from behind to secure a 1-1 draw before surprising Ivorian side 6-5 on penalties in a cagey semi-final clash; having kicked off in grand style with 3-0 win Sportive des Forces Armées 3-0 and a slender 1-0 victory against Togo’s Athleta.
The latter have been on an amazing scoring spree with a 6-0 victory over Benin club, Espoir FC in the semis, having thrashed Togolese side Athleta FC 5-0 and Burkinabe fold Sportive des Forces Armées 3-1.
However, the Techiman-based Ghanaian champions would not leave any stone unturned to replicate what fellow compatriots – Hasaacas Ladies, displayed last season – where they emerged champions in West Africa and runner-up in the maiden CAF Champions League edition to Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
Today’s clash will also present two of Africa’s giants (Ghana and Nigeria) another platform to renew their ‘heated’ rivalry where Ghana’s Black Stars denied the Super Eagles of Nigeria a golden opportunity to represent at the Mundial in Qatar.
Of course, Bayelsa Queens would be a hard nut to crack but Coach Nana Adarkwa believes their second meeting will be victory for his ladies as they are keen on making history.
“We met them in our group game which ended in a draw, but not this time. We are much more prepared to deliver and make history for ourselves. It is our maiden edition but we want to win and be in Morocco later this year,” he said.
BY LINUS SIAW NARTEY
