GhanaFA

Le Roy aware of Benin threat

16 years ago
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Benin might be seen as minors in football circles but ahead of Wednesday’s finals of the mini tournament, Ghana coach, Claude Le Roy is not treating them as such.

Ghana and Benin clash in the finals of the Zenith Bank 4-Nation International Tournament tomorrow at the Ohene Djan Stadium after both sides secured wins in their opening games.

Le Roy prepares for the game against Gomez Wabi’s Squirrels; he is keeping a close eye of some of the Benin coach’s key personnel. And one of such players is Stephane Sessegnon, the Le Mans midfielder in the French league.

“I think that they didn’t play with all their best players for example Sessegnon, he was last month the best player of the premier league in France. He was just a substitute for the first game. He is very skillful as a striker and as a midfield player. He scored 5 to 6 goals in the premier league in France.

“He was the best player in the premier league and two of the players were not playing. We know it would be difficult. All the international games are difficult.

"We have to stay clear, stay well organized to create fancy football and we know we have to win the second game. It’s very important,” Le Roy said to the FA’s website at the team’s hotel a day after winning over Togo.

As Le Roy plots for Ghana’s victor, two key members of his squad, Michael Essien and Junior Agogo remain hopeful of a win only through hardwork.

“I think we stand a good chance of winning. If we can do our homework very well, playing on our home grounds, we will take the advantage of the supporters if they rally behind us. I think we can achieve something,” Michael Essien told www.ghanafa.org.

Essien’s teammate, Junior Agogo was quite confident about the chances of the Black Stars.

“Football is football, I hope we go out there and play well. If we do that, I am sure we will go out there and win but I’ve seen Benin play the U.A.E and I think they are a good team. But in football, you can never know, all we have to do is to go out there and give a hundred percent,” said Agogo.

Benin coach Gomez Wabi after leading his team to dispatch off the United Arab Emirates said: “All teams would like to win (tournament). It would be good to play Ghana.”

The winner of the Zenith Bank 4-Nation International Tournament picks $70,000; the runner-up takes home $50,000 in a game which starts at 17:30hrs GMT.

An amount of $40,000 would go to the third-placed side while the fourth team settles for $30,000. Togo and the United Arab Emirates would be competing for the 3rd and 4th positions when they kick off the day’s first match at 15:00hrs GMT.