4 Foreign-Based Players Join Queens

By Raymond Ackumey

Four out of the 14 foreign-based players invited by Black Queen's head coach Bashir Hayford to be part of the team for the upcoming African Women's Cup of Nation have arrived in the team's camp in Prampram.

Ghana is seeking to host and win the continental football showpiece for the first time after coming up as runners-up on three occasions in 1998, 2002 and 2006.

And in a bid to achieve that feat, the coach invited 14 foreign-based players to be part of his team for the tournament. But with less than a month to go for the tournament, only two out of the number have arrived in camp.

Former Hasaacas Ladies stalwart defenders Janet Egyir of Afturelding/Fram in Iceland and Linda Eshun of Grindavik FC also in Iceland, at the weekend joined the teams in camp to prepare for the tournament.

On Monday afternoon, another duo of Queen's skipper Elizabeth Addo, who recently signed for Australian side Western Sydney Wanderers FC and Priscilla Hagan of Parlimni Famagusta FC in Cyprus also joined the Queens, bringing the number of foreign-based players to four out of the 14 invited to camp.

Egyir, is a rock-solid versatile centre-back, who was deployed to the right-back position under interim head coach Mercy Tagoe-Qarcoo at the maiden WAFU Zone B Women championship in held in Ivory Coast in February this year. She won the best player of that tournament after scoring three goals including the winning goal that saw Ghana lift the trophy.

Eshun, a lethal weapon at the rare of the Black Queens, was also adjudged the best defender for her club last year and the duo brings a lot of experience and zeal to the side.

The duo joined the rest of the players in camp to witness the draw for the tournament and believe the draw look favourable for them.

In a chat with Times Sports, Egyir stated that they are in to help the team achieve a feat their predecessors started fighting for.

"Ghana is a football nation and for it to be said that we have not won the AWCON before is a big indictment on us.

"We are therefore appealing to Ghanaians to support the team in any way possible to make sure the host and win dream become a reality."

"Ghanaians must not leave the host and win for us the players to achieve alone. We as players have our roles to play; our technical team, officials and Ghanaians in general, all have roles to play to help achieve that success."

On her part, Eshun called for total support for the team from Ghanaians as they prepare for the tournament.

She said: "We must all put our shoulders to the wheel and as a country come together and make sure the trophy stays here in Ghana."

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