Author: Victoria Kwofie – Burkina Faso
Team Ghana opened their campaign at the 2nd Edition of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Zone 3 Games on Monday, October 13, at the Stade du Aout in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with contrasting results, a defeat in women’s handball and a victory in men’s volleyball.
In the women’s handball opener, Ghana lost 29–25 to the host nation Burkina Faso, despite a spirited performance. The first half ended 16–14 in favour of Burkina Faso, although Ghana pressed hard after the break, the hosts extended their lead to seal the win.
Deputy captain Alfreda Anobil shared her thoughts after the match, saying, “the game was tough and we missed a lot of chances, but we’re not giving up. We’ll come back stronger against them the next time we meet because I believe we’ll meet again in the finals. We’ll do everything possible to win our next game against Benin. We won’t disappoint Ghanaians, ” she added.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Men’s Volleyball Team began their campaign on a bright note, defeating Niger 3–1 in an exciting encounter. The team won the first set 25–19, lost the second 21–25, but bounced back to claim the third and fourth sets 25–21 and 25–17 respectively.
Middle blocker Azuma Benjamin credited the team’s resilience and experience for the win, stating, “even though we didn’t have enough preparation for this tournament, some of us with experience built the right mentality in camp and that’s what brought the victory you saw today. We’ve faced Niger several times, so we knew what to expect. We’ll correct our mistakes and come back stronger against Burkina Faso in our next match.”
After the matches, the Chef de Mission (CDM) Nii Lante Bannerman, team manager Nana Adu Mankatta and other executives met with both teams to commend their efforts and urge them to remain focused on the purpose for which they are in Burkina Faso.
Ghana’s women’s handball team will face Benin on Wednesday, while the men’s volleyball team takes on host Burkina Faso as the games continue.
