King Faisal add to Kotoko woes
Twene Amanfo soccer team appeals for help
King Faisal add to Kotoko woes
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 03 April 2000
Kumasi King Faisal beat crest-fallen Kumasi Asante Kotoko 1-0 in their ABC Premier League local derby at the Kumasi Sports Stadium on Sunday in a match that was marred by violence, hold-ups and firing of tear-gas.
The match was held up for over 13 minutes in the 73rd minute when enraged fans hurled stones and bagged iced-water onto the field, forcing the players of both teams massing in the centre of the pitch to save themselves from the flying missiles.
Armed police moved in quickly but were overwhelmed by the intensity of the action of the spectators and had to deploy two riot control vehicles, which took positions at strategic areas of the stadium.
As the fans proved unyielding, the players of Kotoko and officials of the club rushed to the centre-line and pleaded with the fans to give in.
At the time of the incident, Faisal was leading by a lone goal scored by Eric Gawu in the 49th minute after Nana Frimpong had twisted the leaky Kotoko defence.
It was Kotoko who kicked-off but failed to make any impact on the game as Faisal nearly scored the leader in the sixth minute when Massaudu Yahya hit a low shot to miss the side-post narrowly.
Kotoko hit back in the 14th minute with Micheal Osei out-pacing the Faisal defence to deliver a powerful grounder that was saved by goalkeeper Sampson Appiah with some difficulty.
Michael Osei and Shilla Alhassan of Kotoko both missed in the 26th and 32nd minutes respectively as the monarchs reeled under pressure.
After a scoreless first half, Faisal took the lead in the 49th minute as Nana Frimpong sliced through the Kotoko defence to hit a low shot which goalkeeper Samuel Quansah fisted but unmarked Eric Gawu finished off the move to put his side in the lead.
Kotoko went into the offensive but Gordon Ablordey floundered when in a position to score while Isaac Owusu also failed to level up when his piercing shot was blocked on the goal-line, sending Kotoko away empty handed and tasting their fourth defeat in the five-week old league.
GRi../
Table of the ABC premier league after 4th
week matches – 004
Team Local/Region P W D L F A Pts GD
Hearts Accra, Gt. Accra 4 4 0 0 14 1 12 +13
Liberty Accra, Gt. Accra 4 3 1 0 4 1 10 +3
RTU Tamale, Northern 5 3 1 1 4 1 10 +2
Ghapoha Tema, Gt. Accra 4 3 0 1 8 4 9 +4
Goldfields Obuasi, Ashanti 5 3 0 2 7 5 9 +2
Bofoakwa Sunyani, Brong Ahafo 5 2 2 1 5 6 8 -1
Dawu Dawu, Eastern 5 1 3 1 8 7 6 +1
Hasaacas Sekondi, Western 4 2 0 2 6 6 6 0
Power F/C Koforidua, Eastern 5 1 3 1 2 2 6 0
Dwarfs Cape Coast, Central 4 1 1 2 4 6 4 -1
King Faisal Kumasi, Ashanti 4 1 1 2 3 4 4 -1
Okwawu Nkawkaw, Eastern 5 1 1 4 4 6 4 -2
B.A. United Sunyani, Brong Ahafo 4 0 2 2 4 6 3 -2
Kotoko Kumasi, Ashanti 4 1 0 3 2 7 3 -5
Kwaebibirim Asuom, Eastern 4 0 0 4 0 10 0 -10
Olympics Accra, Gt. Accra 2 0 1 1 2 4 1 -2
Accra Great Olympics have an outstanding match against B.A. United while it failed to honour its match with King Faisal of Kumasi on 23 March 2000.
As a result of international assignments engaged in by Hearts, Dwarfs and Olympics their matches against Hasaacas, Ghapoha and Liberty respectively were declared outstanding to be honoured on Wednesday 5 April 2000.
Results of the matches 03 April 2000
Dawu: Dawu Younsters 3 Okwawu 1 Tamale: RTU 1 B.A. United 0
Kumasi: Kotoko 0 K. Faisal 1 Asuom: K’bibirem 1 Goldfields 0
Sunyani:Bofoakwa 1 Power F/C 1
GRi ../
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Region) 03 April 2000
The headmaster of the Twene Amanfo Secondary Technical (TASTECH) at Sunyani, Mr. Jarvis Agyemang-Badu has sent an SOS message to philanthropists and the business community to assist the school's soccer team prepare adequately for the VALCO national football competition.
He said the school, which placed second in the Northern sector version of the competition held recently in Kumasi, is in dire need of training kits, jerseys and cash incentives to boost the morale of the players.
Mr. Agyemang-Badu made the appeal when he led the team to pay a courtesy call on the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Donald Adabre, at Sunyani at the weekend.
He said his team has the potential to lift the national VALCO soccer trophy if it is encouraged by the provision of these needs, adding that as a incentive, the school has awarded scholarships to all the 18 players.
He invited sports lovers to make cash and material donations to encourage the team to bring more honour to the region.
Mr. Donald Adabre paid glowing tribute to the team for their exploits in the competition so far and expressed the Regional Co-ordinating Council's appreciation to them for bringing honour to the chiefs and people of the region.
Whilst urging them to be disciplined and punctual to training, Mr. Adabre, himself a keen sports enthusiast, pledged the council's readiness to assist the team to enable them bring more laurels to the region.
The deputy skipper of the team, Felix Peprah assured Mr. Adabre and the people of the region that the team would do them proud by winning the national VALCO soccer competition and asked for their prayers and assistance.
GRi./