Hearts of Oak U-20 side Auroras will play as guests of Dawtex F/C in the first game of the Greater Accra Region Division Two Zone 3 league season at the Legon Ajax Park on Sunday.
Auroras are re-entering the Division 2 league for the first time since the late 1990s and they are hoping to kick off the season with a victory away from home.
Head Coach Stephen Abugri believes his charges are ready for the battle ahead starting with the first game against Dawtex F/C after an impressive pre-season.
The young Phobians have sparkled during the off-season but they are going to face their stiffest test yet in this 14 team round-robin league having been pitched in the same zone as Accra Youth S/C, Desert Warriors, Dawtex F/C, Dynasty F/C, Emmanuel F/C, FC.M Maamboi, Golden Boys F/C, Zein F/C, Westland F/C, Powerlines F/C, Newtown Youth F/C, Lenient F/C, and Great Farcos F/C.
Precocious stars Daniel Yeboah, Mawulo Agolo, Ibrahim Mickey, and a host of others will be looking to follow in the footsteps of the Stephen Appiahs, Ishmael Addos, Francis Bossmans, and many other Hearts legends, who cut their teeth at the Auroras level before graduating into the first team.
Already this season, Macou Badu has made the transition from Auroras to the first team, but the team have very good replacements in their fold.
“We are playing against Dawtex FC. They are based at the Legon Ajax Park; we do not know much about them and we have never seen them play but our aim is tackle it match by match so we are fully prepared for them,” Abugri said in his pre-match interview for the game.
“We play better away than home because the pressure is always less when playing away and so we are comfortable [starting the season with an] away match.
“I expect the support given to the senior side by the supporters to be given to Auroras because you are aware that so many great players passed through Auroras and there are some young talented players you should be looking [out for during our season].
“There’s a young guy called Mawulo Agolo – a fantastic striker. Ibrahim Mickey, a holding midfielder; Daniel Yeboah, who is the captain and scores in every match; there are so many of the boys I cannot even count so the fans should do well and come [and support us on Sunday]."
GREATER ACCRA ZONE 3 DIV. 2 FIXTURES
Accra Youth S/C vs Zein F/C La Town Park (Sat)
Desert Warriors vs Westland F/C Ablenkpe JSS Park (Sat)
Dawtex F/C vs Auroras Legon Ajax Park (Sun)
Dynasty F/C vs Powerlines F/C Okponglo Town Park (Sun)
Emmanuel F/C vs Newtown Youth Borstal Park,Roman Ridge (Sun)
FCM Maamobi vs Lenient F/C Kaokudi Park (Sat)
Golden Boys F/C vs Great Farcos F/C Apenkwa Cock Park (Sat)