TicketsNov. 29, 2005
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- University of Cincinnati freshman soccer player Dominic Oppong (Toronto, Ontario/Cardinal Newman) has been selected to represent Canada in the 2005 Francophone Games, Dec. 7-17 in Niamey, Niger.
The Francophone Games bring together the nations and regions of the world that share French as a common language. The selection of athletes and artists who participate in the Games is based on excellence in sport and culture. Competitions include sculpture, photography, painting, dance, football, boxing, tennis, and more.
The soccer competition will match 12 teams of 20 players under the age of 20. A random draw was held in April to split the teams into three groups. Team Canada has been placed in Group C, along with Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire and Niger.
The 2005 competition marks the fifth Francophone Games, contested every fourth year. The first Games, held in Morocco in 1989, sported 30 countries and over 1,800 participants. The last Games, in Ottawa, hosted 51 countries and over 3,000 competitors. More than 43 countries are expected to be represented in 2005.
"This is a great honor for Dominic," head coach Hylton Dayes stated. "It is the ultimate goal of every player to represent his country. I'm sure Dominic will represent the University of Cincinnati and Canada in a very positive way."
Oppong saw action in 17 matches for the Bearcats in 2005. The freshman scored the game-winning goal, his first career marker, in UC's season-opening 2-1 victory against Wright State.