China Tears For Queens?

While Brazil's qualification for this year's Olympic Games provides some exciting prospect for the women's competition, many Chinese are sad that Ghana could not qualify. Indeed, if wishes were horses, most fans in Beijing would have loved to see both Ghana and Brazil at the Beijing Games. Last Saturday, they turned up in their numbers to support the two sides, torn between rooting for exciting flair-laced game to sympathy and brotherliness. "Brazil did very well at the Women's World Cup last year and Marta is very good. We want to see more of her, but Ghana is our sisters. They also play well and it will be good if they qualified," some Chinese fans told the Graphic Sports in an interview. Obviously linking the very healthy relationship between the two countries at several levels, the fans who knew more about Ghana, again thanks to the exploits of Serbian coach, Ratomir Djukovic, former Black Stars coach and now the man in charge of both their Olympic and senior men's team, lamented the rate at which the Queens had detoriated. "We remember in 1999 they came to play our national team in some friendly matches and they played so well. In 2003 we saw them so why couldn't they qualify?" they asked. The fans were particularly worried about the manner in which the Queens had been conceding goals, incidentally in China. "Last year when they came to China for the WWC, they lost by big margins, and tonight too, they lost 1-5 to Brazil, what is wrong. Why is China not good for them. We like them. They must win when they play in China," said another fan Li Xiu. As if Mother Nature in China also wanted to show some sympathy, she shed some 'tears' for the Queens as it rained all day last Sunday. But FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, does not think that Ghana or the Queens are jinxed in China. The simple reason according to him is: "Women's football in Ghana has not received the attention it deserves from the official level in its development and promotion."