The Black Queens are one of the strongest women’s teams in Africa, ranked second only to Nigeria. They participated in the World Cup Games of 1999 and 2003, which were both held in the United States. After a disappointing experience at the 1999 World Cup, they bounced back to become one of the powerhouses of Africa and improved tremendously for the World Cup of 2003, where they gained international recognition after playing a close game against China and beating Australia for their first World Cup win. In the fall of 2006 Mr. Sackey organized a tour for the team in the Bay Area, California. Following the tour, they qualified for the World Cup in 2007 in China.
While in California, the Black Queens played friendly games against the San Francisco Nighthawks and the California Storm of Sacramento. Robert Sackey and the Nighthawks believe that the Black Queen’s tour was the beginning of an important and mutually beneficial friendship with the Bay Area, and that this experience will help develop both Ghanaian and American women’s soccer.
Black Queens, Nighthawks Bay Area Tour October 2006
October 7th at 7:30 p.m., the Black Queens played the California Storm of Sacramento at Kezar Stadium. The Storm is ranked among the top ten women’s soccer teams in the world and features several former members of the USA National Women’s Soccer Team.
October 13th 5:30 pm, the Black Queens gave a demonstration and clinic to 300 youth soccer players at Gabe’s field in Berkeley, CA
On October 11th at 5:30 p.m., Mayor Gavin Newsom appeared along with the Black Queens in advance of a ribbon cutting ceremony to inaugurate the renovated field at Garfield Square in the Mission District of San Francisco. Immediately following the ceremony, Black Queens and Nighthawks players put on a soccer skills demonstration for kids on the newly-renovated field.
October 16th at 7:30 p.m, the Black Queens played the San Francisco Nighthawks at Justin Siena High School in Napa.
The Black Queens, together with their counterparts from the Nighthawks, participated in a number of soccer clinics, skills demonstrations and other activities for kids and adults in the Bay Area who love soccer.
Exhibition games with both the Cal Bears Women’s team and the U19 Bay Oaks Premier team were also featured on the Black Queens tour.
Black Queens, Nighthawks hold clinic, thrill fans
By MARTY JAMES, Executive Sports Editor, Napa Valley Register
October 16, 2006
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.
Robert Sackey helped to train the Ghana National Women’s team The Black Queens for the Women’s World Cup 2003 which began September 20, 2003 in Carson California. Robert spent a few weeks with the team during summer in Ghana. He also travelled to Portland to join the team for some pre- tournament matches in the U.S. He travelled to Southern California to work with the Black Queens during their World Cup 2003 opener against China on Sunday September 21st. (8:15AM PST – ESPN2)
The Black Queens played in Group D, consisting of Ghana, China, Australia and Russia
Practicing in Ghana - Summer 2003
