Ghana’s National Women’s Handball Team finished fifth at the maiden edition of the IHF Nations Trophy Zone III held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, after recording two wins and two defeats in the four matches played.
The team, coached by Joseph Addokwei, missed out on a place in the top four after losing their opening two matches against hosts Burkina Faso and Nigeria.
Ghana subsequently moved into the placement matches, where they bounced back strongly with convincing victories over Liberia and Togo.
In their first placement match against Liberia on Saturday, September 5, Ghana dominated from the opening whistle, taking a commanding 25-9 lead into the break.
The dominance continued after the restart as Ghana maintained control of the game and eventually secured a comprehensive 48-20 victory. Ghana’s Christian Etwer was named MVP of the match for her outstanding performance.
Ghana returned to action on Sunday, September 6, against Togo in their second and final placement match.
The encounter was highly physical, with both sides determined to end their campaigns on a winning note. Ghana, however, held the advantage at halftime, leading 17-10.
Togo came out strongly in the second half and managed to reduce the deficit to just two goals at one point, putting pressure on the Ghanaian side.
Ghana responded with a series of quick fast breaks and crucial ball steals to regain control and eventually close out the match 37-28, securing their second victory of the tournament.
Elizabeth Otabil was named MVP of the match for her impressive contribution to Ghana’s victory.
Ghana therefore ended the tournament with two wins and two defeats, while also claiming two MVP awards through Christian Etwer and Elizabeth Otabil.
The maiden IHF Nations Trophy Zone III in Ouagadougou featured seven teams, hosts Burkina Faso, Benin, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Togo and Nigeria.
The tournament, which ran from September 2 to 6, served as a pathway for teams to compete for qualification to represent their respective zones in the main IHF Nations Trophy competition.
By: Victoria Kwofie
