Black Queens, Nighthawks hold clinic, thrill fans
By MARTY JAMES, Executive Sports Editor, Napa Valley Register
October 17, 2006

Ghana WNT Keeper warming up in goal.

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.

“It’s nice to do something here for the Napa Valley and offer something for our youth in the area,” said Derek McIntyre, Justin-Siena’s athletic director. “We really appreciate the opportunity to host an event like this and give back to the community.”

Greg Hess/Register
San Francisco Nighthawks player Nicole Findlay, top, heads the ball over the Ghana Black Queens’ Yaa Avoe in the second half of Monday night’s women’s exhibition soccer match at Justin-Siena High School.
Greg Hess/Register
Nighthawks goalkeeper Petra Kowalski deflects a shot by Ghana’s Rumanatu Tahiru in the second half. Avoe scored twice as the Black Queens prevailed, 3-2.

Kendra Shaner, a Nighthawks player and the new coach of the Justin-Siena girls soccer team, who helped plan, organize and coordinate Ghana’s trip to the Napa Valley, said the clinic was a success. The entire field was occupied, with young players getting instruction in fundamentals and techniques, including passing, foot skills, how to warm up, developing team unity and playing with rhythm.

“When they actually see the game and see the intensity from both the Nighthawks and the Ghana national team, it’s going to give girls a different outlook on where they can go in soccer as a whole,” said Shaner, who played at San Francisco State.

It was all about soccer on a day and night that benefited:

• Ghana, which is preparing for the African Women’s Championship, a World Cup qualifier. The Black Queens are in the Bay Area for three weeks to tour, train, practice, scrimmage and prepare for the upcoming African Women’s Championship, which begins Oct. 28 in Nigeria. The 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be played in China from Sept. 10-30.

• The Nighthawks, who also play in the premier division of the Golden Gate Women’s Soccer League.

• The young soccer players, who saw first-hand the pin-point passing, creative ball distribution, speed and overall athleticism of big-time soccer under the bright lights.

“I couldn’t believe how many girls were here,” said Lisa Drew, midfielder for the Nighthawks who graduated in 2002 from Vintage High and attends SF State. “It gives little girls the inspiration that they can play in college, too.”

Said Robert Sackey, the Nighthawks coach: “What they learned is that you should play the game with a lot of passion. Not only that, but the game is a passing game. Both teams demonstrated good passing, and that is what the fans I think and the kids will take out of this.”

Added Jason Richmond, a 1987 Napa High graduate and former Indians soccer coach whose daughters Allyson (12) and Jennah (11) took part in the clinic: “Being able to hear something from a national coach, if they can take one thing back, it’s going to be beneficial for them.”

The two teams and game officials were introduced at midfield prior to the start. The Black Queens wore black uniforms with white stripes. The Nighthawks were in white.

Avoe scored Ghana’s first goal at the 38:51 mark of the first half and the Black Queens, who played in FIFA World Cup Games in 1999 and 2003 and are ranked second only to Nigeria in Africa, went ahead 2-0 on a first-half goal by Gloria Foriwaa, an attacker, at the 20:44 mark. Sheila Okine, a midfielder, had the assist on the first goal.

“We were trying to work on our speed. I think today we’ve seen it,” said Paha. “We did well.”

The Nighthawks came back in the second half, getting their first goal from Gabrielle Bohlman, a forward, at the 42:16 mark. Ghana went in front 3-1 on a goal by Avoe. Nicole Findlay’s goal at 32:48 concluded the scoring.

“In the first half we might have been a little intimidated,” said Shannon Strong, a Nighthawks defender/midfielder, who played her college soccer at the University of New Hampshire. “But we hustled and our aggressiveness just took over anyway and we played very well. In the second half our confidence was there and it created a lot of opportunities. I think we played really well.

“This was really fun. (Ghana’s) a great team and they’re very friendly, so it was really nice to have them here. Overall, it was just a great experience. It was great for our team to be able to play such a high level team. It brings our level of play up.”

Ghana’s first-ever appearance in San Francisco was organized and planned by Sackey, a Ghanaian-American soccer coach who served on the technical team as a scout and advisor for the Ghana men’s national team, the “Black Stars,” at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

“It was an exciting game,” said Sackey, a Bay Area resident, who is in his third year as coach of the Nighthawks, an amateur team. “We had some opportunities. I’m happy with what they did today. I told them that in the second half the only way you can score is if you believe in yourself, and they went out and believed in themselves and they got a lot of opportunities.”

Sackey also worked with the Ghana national women’s team before and during the 2003 World Cup.

The Black Queens hope that they will be primed and ready to go to the African Women’s Championship by the time they leave the Bay Area Saturday and return home. They are on a quest not only to qualify for next year’s World Cup, but to advance to the second round, just as the Ghana men’s team did this year in Germany. The Black Queens have also played in the Summer Olympic Games and in every African Women’s Championship.

“If we continue to play like this we’ll do something in the tournament,” said Avoe. “It was a good game. We think we can do better. It will help improve our game. We had a great time.

“If you invite us again we’ll come and perform again. We thank you so much for inviting us here.”

The large turnout for the clinic and game shows just how popular of a sport soccer is locally.

“We are so excited to be playing with this team. It’s an honor,” said Drew. “The game went really well. There were some goals we should have finished. All in all I think we played very well. They’re so fast. That’s probably the biggest challenge for us, is that we are a possession team and to play a team where we’re not allowed more than one, possibly two touches is just incredible.”

Ghana starts the African Championship Oct. 29 against Mali and will also face Cameroon Nov. 1 and DR Congo Nov. 4.

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