All Stars eye good start in Africa

Defending Ghana Premier League Champions, Wa All Stars, look set to begin their maiden continental campaign when they host Ahli Tripoli from Libya in the first leg of the CAF Champions League at their adopted Tamale Stadium on Sunday.

All Stars have since the climax of last season’s league embarked on a training tour of The Sudan and Dubai all in preparation for Sunday’s encounter.

But as they finalise their preparations, connoisseurs are still skeptical about the effect of the late start of the Ghana Premier League on Ghana’s representatives in the two CAF competitions.

However, the assistant coach of All Stars, Alhaji Abubakar Mumuni Sokpari, is optimistic about his team’s readiness to win by a heavy margin on Sunday.

He shared the concern about their seeming lack of competitiveness prior to the game but expressed confidence that the mere fact that they are debutantes in a continental competition is enough motivation for the players to excel.

Alhaji Sokpari, who is known in football circles as Believer, said All Stars are aware of what is at stake and have, therefore, put everything into their preparation for Sunday’s match.
He appealed to fans in and around Tamale to troop to the Tamale Stadium to support the club to make Northern Ghana and the entire nation proud, saying everything is set for the Ghanaians to beat Ahli Tripoli of Libya.

All Stars head coach, Enos Adipah, who is equally upbeat about his team’s chances, will count on goalkeeper Richard Ofori, who just returned from the Africa Nations Cup (AFCON) in Gabon, Moses Nyarko, Issahaku Konda, Nana Addai Aduku, Mario Kwame Sarpong, Kweku Asuandzie Baffoe, Saddick Alhassan, Paul Asare, Richard Arthur and the predator Emmanuel Ocran to break the back of the visitors and ease the pressure on the team even before they leave for the second leg in Tripoli, Libya.

Meanwhile, the Libyans have already dispatched a two-man advanced party to Tamale ahead of the full contingent tomorrow.