by Ghana emerged as the top team with aplomb against Malta, Northern Ireland and Latvia in the UEFA Women’s U16 Tournament. Intelligent movement, deft technique and precise execution were the three key attributes that defined the side in the tournament. Coach Nana Joe Adarkwa expressed joy at the opportunity to showcase the team’s abilities on a European stage while discussing the development in Ghana.
An All-Round Excellent Performance
Ghana competed in the UEFA U16 Women’s Development tournament held in Malta that culminated last Sunday, passing the test with flying colours against Malta, Northern Ireland and Latvia.
The team had big wins, beating Malta by 8 – 1, Northern Ireland by 5 – 0 and Latvia by 7 – 1. However, the words expelled by those watching the matches was not just the score, but the spectacular football that the team displayed to earn these victories. Deft technique, intelligent movement and precise execution were the three pillars which defined the Ghanaian side in the tournament.
Coach Nana Joe Adarkwa emphasized that the big scorelines were not the priority for the side, “I am more than happy because our aim was not the results or the scoreline, but to give the girls exposure so that the world can see what we are doing in Ghana. I am happy with what we showed.”
Development & The Growing Link With Malta
The Ghanaian coach explained that the coaches navigate schools to pick promising talents, “Football is played in schools in Ghana. So, us as international coaches visit the schools across the country like scouts. Then we have the Sports Centre where we stay and train these players.”
Discussing the age groups coming up, he continued, “We have U15, U16 (for boys and girls), the U17, U18, U19, U23 and then the senior national team, the Black Queens. Each national team coach oversees a sector, for example I am focused on ages between 16 and 17. So, players move across the age groups accordingly.”
Although none of the players in the U16 team have made the leap yet, Malta’s Assikura Women’s Youth League and Assikura Women’s League have had an increasing presence of Ghanaian players in recent years. Swieqi United led the way with former goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan who went on to compete in the Saudi Women’s Pro League, as well as Salamatu Abdulai, who topped last year’s goalscoring tally.
Nana Joe Adarkwa expressed the joy in having seen Salamatu Abdulai make a name in Malta and go on to feature in the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup held in Colombia last year, “I was part of the technical team with the U20 in Colombia and it was great to see. These players lead the way for these youngsters and will motivate more players that they can come to a country like Malta and go forward.”
Swieqi United’s squad also features forward Karima Abdulai who is on fifteen goals this season, as well as youngster Asana Alhassan has also made appearances for the Owls in both leagues. Besides Swieqi United, San Gwann have also recently acquired the services of youngsters Mariama Kasim and Naila Adomah Addo, both of whom made recent debuts in the Maltese leagues.
All of this bodes for more players to make the leap to Malta. Questioned on the hope that the performance given in the U16 Development Tournament enables them to make the leap to foreign leagues, the Ghanaian coach, Nana Joe Adarkwa replied, “I hope this tournament has given the opportunity for people to see these players in action. Now, it is up to the teams to pick them and give them the opportunity to move forward.”
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