/ 10 March 2000

STARLESS AMGLUGS FOR GHANA MATCH

AMAGLUG-GLUG face the Black Meteors in an Olympic qualifier this weekend without defender Aaron Mokoena, midfielder Quinton Fortune and strikers Benni McCarthy and Siyabonga Nomvete after a domestic ruling barring senior national team players from the squad. The under-23 side is trailing in Group B with Cameroon leading 1992 bronze medalists Ghana and South Africa by two points while Guinea have lost four consecutive matches. Cameroon seem certain of victory over Guinea in Yaounde and will qualify for the 16-nation tournament if they collect maximum points and the clash between South Africa and Ghana near Johannesburg is drawn. Nigerian striker Julius Aghahowa, who rose from obscurity with his timely goals and breathtaking celebratory somersaults at the recent African Nations Cup, has been ruled out of a crucial Olympic Games Group A qualifier in Angola this weekend through a hip injury.