ALL BLACKS HOLD B. A UNITED AT SUNYANI (NSEMPA, BACK PAGE)

By Samuel Duodu, Sunyani.

DIVISION one side, Brong Ahafo (BA) United drew goalless with Agona Swedru-based Gamba All Blacks, a Premiership side in their friendly encounter played at the Sunyani Coronation Park last Friday.
Right from the blast of the referee’s whistle for the start of the game, BA United began to attack from all angles and also seized the midfield, pushing All Blacks to go on the defensive.
BA United, who approached the friendly as if it was a cup match, placed the ball on the turf and anytime they made a move, the defensemen of All Blacks looked jittery.
However, the BA United attackers could not convert the numerous chances that came their way in the first half of the game into goals.
Immediately after recess, both teams made several substitutions but it was BA United that benefited, as the team’s Italian import Roy Arthur, who came in for Edwin Osei Pele, became a thorn in the flesh of the All Blacks defence.
According to some football enthusiasts who came to watch the match, the All Blacks looked a little rusty and attributed that to the long break of the premiership, which made way for the just-ended Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
An opportunity which fell the way of Roy Arthur to clinch the opener and probably the winning goal for the homesters towards the end of the match, was wasted when his powerful header missed the cross bar by inches.
BA United kept on mounting pressure on the visitors, but any time they got close to scoring their forwards shot wide.
In a post-match interview, the Chief Executive Officer of BA United, Mr Charles Kwadwo Ntim, populaly known Micky Charles said the match clearly showed the team’s preparedness to meet any side, whether in the Division One or in the Premier League.
He said the match was a good exercise for both teams, more especially as BA United had to prepare towards the start of the Division One League, while All Blacks awaited the resumption of the Premiership.
When pushed to the wall to assess the strengths of his team, Micky Charles said he did not want to sound as if he was bragging, but stated that the team which was still in the building process looked good.