First-half goals from Abdul Salam and Dominic Amponsah gave the Ghana Premier League champions a winning start to their three-week training camp.
YAMOUSSOUKRO, Ivory Coast — Medeama SC began their pre-season programme with a 2-1 win over newly promoted Ivorian side Yamoussoukro FC on Wednesday, the first fixture of a three-week residential training camp in Côte d'Ivoire.
Abdul Salam and Dominic Amponsah scored in the first half to put the Ghana Premier League champions in control at the School Scientific de Yamoussoukro field. Yamoussoukro FC, freshly crowned Ivorian Ligue 2 champions after a penalty-shootout final win over OFC Adiaké, pulled a goal back in the second half but couldn't find an equaliser.
"It was a very good game," head coach Ibrahim Tanko told Medi TV afterwards. "We have to watch the video and look at the mistakes and positives that we can take, and keep on working."
It was the first run-out for the 35-man squad Tanko has taken to Côte d'Ivoire. The party is based in Koumassi, a suburb of Abidjan — the same set-up Medeama used for last year's pre-season — and made the trip to Yamoussoukro for Wednesday's match. Four more friendlies are planned before the squad returns to Ghana.
"We are preparing for the league and the CAF Champions League," Tanko said. "We want to build a very formidable team with a strong bench."
Medeama will need the depth. The defending Ghana Premier League champions open their title defence away to Dreams FC on the opening weekend of the new season, September 4-7, before also embarking on a CAF Champions League campaign.