| |
The
Black Queens are one of the strongest women's teams in Africa, ranked
second only to Nigeria. They participated in the World Cup
Games of 1999 and 2003, which were both held in the United States.
After a disappointing experience at the 1999 World Cup, they bounced
back to become one of the powerhouses of Africa and improved tremendously
for the World Cup of 2003, where they gained international recognition
after playing a close game against China and beating Australia for
their first World Cup win.
Currently,
the Black Queens are on a quest to not only qualify for the 2007
World Cup in China, but to make it to the second round, just as
the Ghana Men's Team did this past summer in Germany.
While in California, the Black Queens will be playing friendly games
against the San Francisco Nighthawks and the California Storm of
Sacramento. They will also be practicing with the UC Berkeley team
and will be playing a GGWSL All-Star team along with other Premier
teams in the Bay Area.Robert Sackey and the Nighthawks believe that
the Black Queen's tour is the beginning of an important and mutually
beneficial friendship with the Bay Area, and that this experience
will help develop both Ghanaian and American women's soccer.
Black
Queens, Nighthawks Bay Area Tour
October
7th at 7:30 p.m., the Black Queens will played the California
Storm of Sacramento at Kezar Stadium. The Storm is ranked among
the top ten women’s soccer teams in the world and features
several former members of the USA National Women’s Soccer
Team.
October 13th 5:30 pm, the Black Queens gave a demonstration
and clinic to 300 youth soccer players at Gabe's field in Berkeley,
CA
On October 11th at 5:30 p.m., Mayor Gavin Newsom
has been invited along with the Black Queens in advance of a ribbon
cutting ceremony to inaugurate the renovated field at Garfield Square
in the Mission District of San Francisco. Immediately following
the ceremony, Black Queens and Nighthawks players will put on a
soccer skills demonstration for kids on the newly-renovated field.
October 16th at 7:30
p.m, the Black Queens will play the San Francisco Nighthawks at
Justin Siena High School in Napa.
The Black Queens, together with their counterparts from the Nighthawks,
will also participate in a number of soccer clinics, skills demonstrations
and other activities for kids and adults in the Bay Area who love
soccer.
Exhibition games with both the
Cal Bears Women's team and the U19 Bay Oaks Premier team are also
scheduled on the Black Queens tour.
Black
Queens, Nighthawks hold clinic, thrill fans
By MARTY JAMES, Executive Sports Editor, Napa Valley Register
October 16, 2006
San Francisco,
CA - The message from Isaac Paha, the head coach of the Ghana Women’s
National Soccer Team, as he made his way around Braves Field at
Justin-Siena High School Monday was pretty clear and concise:
“Without good ball control and passing you cannot do well.”
Nearly 500 youths, boys and girls from Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Marin
and Contra Costa counties ranging in age from 6 to 18, received
instruction in all aspects of soccer in a free clinic from Paha
and other Ghana team officials as well as the San Francisco Nighthawks,
a Women’s Premier Soccer League team, for an hour and a half.
An exhibition game followed, with Yaa Avoe, a defender, scoring
two goals to lead Ghana, a team that is known as the “Black
Queens,” to a 3-2 win over the Nighthawks before a crowd of
2,000.
|