By Evans Worlanyo Ameamu
Keta (VR) Oct 10, GNA-Black Sharks, the National Male Senior Beach Soccer team, has opened camp at Keta in the Volta Region ahead of the upcoming 2024 CAF African cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament that would be staged at Hurghada, Egypt.
The move, according to the technical team, was to prepare the playing body adequately for the task ahead.
Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, President, Ghana Football Association Beach Soccer Committee, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said that the team has commenced camping on Sunday, and until Tuesday, October 15, before leaving for Egypt.
“The Black Sharks are expected to commence camping for the AFCON earlier than today, but the original training schedule has been delayed due to lack of funds from the Ministry of Youth and Sports,” he stated.
He further stated that the technical teams would do everything possible within their abilities to put the team in good shape to participate in the AFCON and bring honours to the country.
Mr Julius Caesar Bekley, the Assistant Coach of the Black Sharks, told the GNA that a-17-man squad has been called to commence camping and training for preparations ahead of the tournament.
“I and the other technical team members would select the best mandatory 12 players out of the seventeen to represent the nation at Egypt and that means that five players would be left behind.”
He urged all players to put up their maximum best to make the final list of players that would defend the national colours in Egypt during the continental games.
He said that Black Sharks after eliminating the Sand Elephants of Ivory Coast to qualify for the tournament, are expected to repeat same spectacular feat in order to have the chance of making it out of the group of death, which include the host Egypt, African Beach Games gold medalists Morocco and East African champions Tanzania in group A.
He charged all Ghanaians to pray and give maximum support the team to perform to the task after eight years of absence in the beach soccer AFCON.
Meanwhile, with less than two weeks to the continental tournament, other information the GNA gathered indicated that the Black Sharks after beating Côte d’Ivoire 10-5 on aggregate in qualification matches were yet to receive qualification and winning bonus as well as other important remuneration owed them for the past years.
Beach Soccer AFCON defending champions Senegal, Mozambique, Malawi, and Mauritania are also housed in group B.
The Beach Soccer AFCON tournament would kick off on October 19 and would end on October 26, this year and the two finalists would pick the slot to represent Africa in the 2025 Beach Soccer World Cup that would be held in Seychelles.
GNA