GRi Sports 19-04-99

Accra Greater Accra), 19th April 

Nima Khalid F/C defeated Akim Abuakwa Susubiribi 2-1 in their National Division One football league match played at Legon on Sunday.

Khalid, after kick-off, piled pressure on their opponents and scored the opening goal in the fifth minute through a penalty taken by inside left Kwame Asare. Central defender Gardiner Bebli nearly made it 2-0 two minutes later but missed the chance.

Sensing danger, Susubiribi rallied up and snatched the equaliser in the 25th minute through right winger Yusif Mohammed.

Khalid had the match winner in the 85th minute through prolific goal scorer and centre forward Nana Yaw.

At Tema, Real Sportive beat visiting Okwawu Youngsters 1-0 in their match.

Accra (Greater Accra), 19th April =9299 - Results of the ABC Golden Lager Premier football league matches played on Saturday.

 Accra: Olympics...One (1) Kotoko...Nil (0)

Kumasi: Faisal...Three (3) Dwarfs...Three (3)

Swedru: All Blacks... Hasaacas...(Rained off)

Sunyani: Bofoakwa...Two (2) Afienya...One (1)

Tema: Ghapoha... Hearts...(Rained off)

Dawu: Dawu... Okwawu...(Rained off)

Accra (Fri): Liberty... Two (2) Power...Nil (0)

Accra (Greater Accra), 19th April 

A 16th-minute strike by defender Naana Eshun was all that Accra Great Olympics needed to silence the red-shirted Kumasi Asante Kotoko in their eighth-week ABC Golden Lager premier football league match played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday. It was a terrific grounder from a free kick outside the penalty area, which sailed through the defence wall of Kotoko to the right corner of the net.

Prior to the commencement of the game, the two teams engaged in a heated argument as to whether the match should be played or not. Olympics argued that after a four-hour down pour, the soggy pitch was not suitable for the match to be played. Besides, the attendance was likely to be low. But Kotoko, led by their Board Chairman, Herbert Mensah, insisted that the match should be honoured.

Ho-based referee Carl Amevor later summoned the two teams to the pitch for the start of the game after he and his two assistants had inspected the field.

Oly kicked off but Kotoko quickly took control of the game. However, against the run of play, Oly shot into the lead with Eshun's 16th minute strike.

Many were Kotoko fans who held a strong view that their team would equalise and possibly beat Olympics but it never came true. Kotoko did all the attacking while Oly played a defensive game with occasional counter-attacks.

In the 35th minute referee Amevor ignored a perfect goal scored by skipper Prince Adu Poku of Kotoko, who sneaked through Oly's defence to tap in a lose ball but it was disallowed for off-side.

Essuman Dadzie came in for Kotoko's Burkinabe striker Kambou Clovis in the 52nd minute while Oly brought on Wisdom Abbey for Razak Pimpong five minutes later.

The attack of Kotoko became more purposeful in the last quarter of the game when veteran George Arthur came on for Ernest Boateng yet they could not find the net.

Kumasi: Cape Coast mysterious Dwarfs drew 3-3 with King Faisal in their match played at the Kumasi Sports Stadium .

Dwarfs led 2-0 at half time through goals by Stephen Owusu and Michael Osei in the 20th and 25th minute respectively.

The "Ebusua" boys conceded an own goal in the 47th minute through Fredrick Agyemang in a goal mouth action.

Michael Osei was on target again in the 75th minute for Dwarfs' third goal.

King Faisal immediately repulsed the attack and redeemed the goal deficit through substitute Joe Agyemang, who scored twice in the 76th and 80th minutes.

Accra: Liberty Professionals recorded their first home win in the ABC premier football league with a 2-0 victory over Power FC in the eighth week match played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday.

Ex-Ghanaian soccer international, Foster Bastious got the first goal for Liberty in the 55th minute while Kofi Deblah scored the second in the 80th minute.

Power FC took the kick off and had the better of the exchanges within the first 10 minutes, but it was Liberty who created the first goal scoring chance in the ninth minute.

Deblah received a pass from Bastious but after beating goalkeeper, Humphrey Amoah in posts for Liberty, he shot against the side netting. The Liberty striker nearly made up for his earlier miss in the 19th minute when he once again beat goalkeeper Amoah but this time, his goal bound shot was scooped off the line by Felix Yeboah of Power.

Power came strongly into the game after the early scare and almost found the net in the 32nd minute but with Louis Quainoo in the Liberty posts already beaten, Abdul Mawunyah shot off target.

Back from the recess, Liberty lifted their game and this earned them the first goal in the 55th minute through Bastious, who connected Benard Aryee's free kick.

Power brought on Anthony Opoku for Charles Asamoah in the 67th minute and James Amarquaye for Maxwell Owusu in the 75th minute. The changes brought some life into the dormant Power attack as he kept probing for the equaliser.

Their attempts at redeeming, the goal fizzled out when Liberty scored their second goal in the 80th minute to secure the three points at stake. Kofi Deblah sneaked through the Power defence and beat goalkeeper Amoah before planting the ball into the net.

Power nearly scored a consolation goal on the stroke of full time but Mohammed Bello's shot hit the cross bar and bounced back Three matches, involving Dawu Youngsters and Okwawu United at Dawu, Ghapoha Readers versus Accra Hearts of Oak at Tema and All Blacks and Hasaacas at Swedru, were all rained off.

Accra (Greater Accra), 19th April 

Pope John's Secondary School beat Aggrey Memorial Secondary School 1-0 in the final match to win the southern sector second annual Valco schools soccer championships at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.

Michael Adjepong scored the only goal in the 19th minute with a powerful shot from close range.

The thrilling encounter ended with both sides playing with 10 men each. Pope John's had their defender, Samuel Laryea sent off in the 35th minute for a bad tackle on an Aggrey attacker while the Cape Coast lads had William Koranteng shown the red card for a similar offence.

Aggrey, who played a determined game in the dying minute in the hope of redeeming the goal, were disappointed as a sudden heavy downpour rendered ball control on the soggy pitch difficult.

Pope John's got to the final by placing second in Zone A with six points. They beat Winneba Secondary, Zone C leaders 1-0 in the semi-finals.

Aggrey, on the other hand, topped Zone B with six points. They beat Kinbu Secondary/Technical, 4-3 on penalties in the semi-finals, ending the regulation time goalless.

Both schools have, so far, qualified to play in the five-team national championship scheduled from May nine to 15 at the Accra Sports Stadium. They comprise two teams each from the Northern and Southern sectors and the defending champions, Accra Academy.

Dr Charles Mensa, Resident Director of Valco said his company is spending 150 million cedis in organising the championships. He said it is through such tournaments that talented players like, the Osei Kofi's, William Evans' and Sam Acquah's could be tapped for the national junior teams. Dr Mensa called on head masters of the various schools to encourage their students to put in their maximum effort to win laurels for their schools.

The eight schools that did not qualify for the grand finale were each presented with a cheque for 400,000 cedis and two footballs.

Twenty-four players have been selected to form the nucleus of the Southern Academicals.

Meanwhile the northern sector tournament, involving 10 schools grouped into three zones, kicks off at the Kumasi Stadium from Monday April 18 to Sunday, April 25.

Zone A is made up of Kumasi Anglican Secondary, Vitting Secondary/Technical, Techiman Secondary and Bolgatanga Secondary Schools.

Wa Secondary, T.I. Ahmadiya and Sunyani Secondary Schools are in Zone B while Opoku Ware Secondary, Tamale Secondary and St Peters Secondary Schools are in Zone C.

Tema (Greater Accra), 19th April

The National Volleyball team has called on the Ministry of Youth and Sports for financial support and motivation to enable it to perform better to project Ghana's name in the game.

General captain Josuah Zinsu made the call on Saturday at Tema where the team is in camp preparing for the All-Africa zone three qualifying games in Cotonou, Benin from April 19 to 25. Mr Zinsu was hopeful that the team would qualify to participate in the All-Africa games scheduled for September this year in South Africa.

Dr George Pupulampu, chairman of the Ghana Volleyball Association said the team would qualify in view of the quality training received and the commitment exhibited by the players.

He said it is a dream come true for the players to play their counterparts outside Ghana.

The participating countries are Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cote D'ivoire, Togo, Niger, Liberia and Benin.