Obuasi: Goldfields 2 RTU 0 Tema: Ghapoha 1 Dawu 0
Nkawkaw: Okwawu 3 Arsenals 0 Sekondi: Hasaacas 1 K. Faisal 0
Sunyani: Bofoakwa 3 Adansiman 2 Asuom: K’bibirem. 0 Olympics 0
Standings
Club Local/Region P W D L F A Pts GD
Kotoko Kumasi, Ashanti 14 11 2 1 25 4 35 +21
Hearts Accra, Greater Accra 12 9 3 0 24 4 32 +20 Goldfields Obuasi, Ashanti 14 8 1 8 16 10 25 +14
Hasaacas Sekondi, Western 14 8 1 5 17 15 25 +2
RTU Tamale, North 14 6 4 4 13 9 22 +4
Bofoakwa Sunyani, Brong Ahafo 15 5 5 5 15 14 20 +1
Dawu Dawu, Eastern 15 6 2 7 18 18 20 0
Liberty Accra, Greater Accra 14 6 5 3 15 13 20 +2
Okwahu Nkawkaw, Eastern 15 4 6 5 17 15 17 +2
K. Faisal Kumasi, Ashanti 14 6 2 6 11 10 17 0
B. Arsenal Berekum, Brong Ahafo 15 4 3 8 10 24 15 -14
Maxbees Suhum, Eastern 15 4 3 8 12 31 15 -19
Adansiman Obuasi, Ashanti 14 3 5 6 16 20 14 -4
Ghapoha Tema, Gt. Accra 15 2 6 7 6 10 12 -4
Kwaebibrem Asuom, Eastern 15 3 3 9 8 17 12 -9
Gt. Olympics Accra, Gt. Accra 15 2 5 8 8 16 11 -8
NB: Four points was deducted from the accumulated points of King Faisal for fielding an unqualified player in their 2-2 drawn match against Tano Bofoakwa. They lost the point that they picked in the second week match and three from their accumulated points. Hearts have three matches outstanding with Kotoko one and Goldfields one.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 13 August 2001
Kumasi Asante Kotoko played one of their best home games to beat stubborn
Liberty professionals 2-0 in their Star Premier league match at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.
Kotoko gave an indication of their determination to carry the day as early as the fourth minute when they had a free-kick just outside Liberty's penalty box but Shilla Alhassan headed the resultant kick over the bar.
They earned two consecutive corner-kicks in the 13th and 14th minute but wasted
them while Liberty's Samuel Lamptey was booked in the 20th minute for fouling Shilla Alhassan.
The game was fairly balanced until the 23rd minute when smallish Joe Louis of Kotoko got the spectators on their feet ready to celebrate a goal but squandered that great opportunity.
Skipper Godwin Ablordey gave an intelligent free-kick to Joe Louis who after running through the Liberty defence and faced with only goalkeeper Cudjoe Addo to beat shot erratically away.
However, Kotoko, were not to be denied the opener as it came in the 29th minute through ever-improving Shilla Alhassan who connected home Joe Louis' cross from the right.
Stephen Oduro raised the tally to 2-0 for Kotoko in the 34th minute from another Joe Louis' cross this time from the left. He swapped positions with Oduro and after collecting the ball on the left, crossed beautifully for Oduro to slot in the second goal.
Liberty pulled out Abass Moses for Moses Tetteh in the 43rd minute and returned from recess strongly carrying the game to Kotoko but try as they did they could not redeem the tally until the final whistle.
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Region)
Sunyani based Tano Bofoakwa beat visiting Adansiman F/C 3-2 in their 15th week Star Premier League match played at the Sunyani Coronation Park. Half time score was 1-1.
Even though Adansiman lost the match, they were not humiliated because on the whole, they played better than their opponents.
After dictating the pace of the game for 10 minutes during which they squandered about three scoring chances, the homesters lost control of the game to their opponents.
With Captain Hope Leveh leading the attack supported by Isaac Asare, Osei Kofi, Awudu B. Alhassan and Alfred Arthur, Adansiman gave every indication of their preparedness to take the lead and it did come in the 13th minute.
Forward Alhassan opened the scoring for his side with a header which goalkeeper Mohammed Alhassan of Bofoakwa had no antidote.
Bofoakwa however were back on level terms after 39 minutes when Kojo Opoku hit the visitors back of the net.
On resumption of the second half, the tempo of the game increased as the two sides brought out everything under their sleeves to carry the day. It was Adansiman again who run into the lead when centre forward Osei Kofi in the 49th minute fired a canon that zoomed into the net after capitalising on a defensive lapse.
Fortunes swayed from one side to the other with Adansiman slightly on top but against the run of play Bofoakwa had the equaliser in the 68th minute via Kennedy Boadi in the 68th minute. In the 72 minute Akwasi Matthew scored the match winner for Bofoakwa.
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Tema (Greater Accra) 13 - 08 - 2001
Tema Ghapoha Readers beat Dawu Youngsters by a lone goal to collect the maximum three points at stake in their match at the Tema Stadium.
The only goal was scored in the second half by skipper Alex Awuah.
Ghapoha probed further to double the lead but their efforts were thwarted by the Dawu defence.
The Dawu attack led by Awudu Adama mounted pressure on the Ghapoha defence in the latter stages of the game for the equaliser but Ghapoha's steward defender Stanley Afadzi thwarted their efforts.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2001
Ghana's reigning goal king, Ishmael Addo, scored a hat-trick whiles substitute Emmanuel Donkor netted twice as Hearts of Oak walloped whipping boys, Suhum Maxbees 5-0, in their final first round match of the Star Premier league at the Accra Sports Stadium.
It was the third heaviest defeat suffered by the Suhum club in three consecutive weeks after they were whipped 6-2 by Obuasi Goldfields a fortnight ago and lost 4-0 to league leaders Kumasi Asante Kotoko last Wednesday at the Koforidua Park.
Hearts still remained second on the 16-team league table with 30 points while Maxbees are on 15 points.
The Phobians, the only team not to have tasted defeat in spite of their dismal performance at the start of the league, grilled their inexperienced opponents from the blast of Hohoe-based class one referee B. K. Kporsu with some blistering runs down the flanks.
Within the first minute, Hearts had wasted two quick corner kicks and were denied by the woodworks four times before the break.
Ishmael Addo who however opened the scores in the 28th minute from a spot kick after defender Mohammed Elliasu had handled the ball in his own penalty area.
Barely a minute after the goal, Maxbees brightest star, Shaibu Issa, threw away a glaring opportunity to pull level when his chipped over goalkeeper Sammy Adjei went over the cross bar.
Addo was on target again in the 49th minute from a spot kick and added another in the 82nd minute with a perfect header.
Emmanuel Donkor who came on for petit Charles Allotey in the 60th minute, scored two goals with 14 minutes (72, 86) to complete the demolishing of Maxbees.
At the Sekondi Gyandu Park, visiting King Faisal were pipped by a lone goal by homesters Sekondi Hasaacas.
Issa Mohammed scored the lone goal in the 75th minute. Faisal who had better of the exchanges however failed to utilise the numerous opportunities that came their way thus robbing them at least a point at Sekondi.
Goalkeeper Nicholas Opoku-Ware prevented Hasmal from increasing the tally after Mohammed's opener with excellent reflexes.
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Nkawkaw (Eastern Region) 13 August 2001
Soccer Mountaineers Okwawu United made amends of their recent poor showings when they whipped Berekum Arsenals 3-0 in their first round final Star league matches at the Nkawkaw Park.
Okwawu snatched the opener in the 10th minute when Matthew Konadu's 25-metre free kick zoomed into the net with goalkeeper Ben Odumaze completely beaten. Okwawu should have increased the score after the goal but they wasted three scoring chances in the 20th, 34th and 37th minutes due to erratic shooting upfront.
After the recess, Arsenals stepped up their game but could not stand the might of the aggressive strikers of Okwawu.
The homesters made it 2-0 in the 60th minute after Johnson Eklu finished off Alfred Larbi's pass.
Substitute Kwesi Keremanteng increased the tally to three with a low grounder to beat substitute keeper Joe Agyemang.
The visitor's woes were worsened in 73rd minute when Kumasi-based class one referee Mohammed Mustafa gave the matching orders to skipper John Penstil decent.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2001
Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of Youth and Sports, has expresses confidence in the ability of the Ghanaian Youth to rise above the problems of today to play effective role as future leader.
He said a message signed by Mr Kofi Aggrey, Pubic Relations Officer of the ministry on the occasion of the International Youth Day.
The Minister praised the good work of organisations that have helped raised awareness of the youth and their willingness to work together for the good of society.
"By and large, you have done remarkable in standing firm in the face of all the ills that have threatened this nation's development," he said.
Papa Ankomah however, expressed regret at the unsatisfactory conditions under which some youth live and said, government is determined to give necessary attention to enable them grow into responsible self-reliant citizens.
He congratulated youth from all over the country on the International Youth Day and urged them to take the principles of good living seriously especially on the debilitating effect of HIV/AIDS in order to bring honour to God, themselves, parents and the nation.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2001
Four Ghanaian coaches including, Deputy head coach of the Black Stars, Francis Oti Akenteng are scheduled to leave the country in September for Denmark for a two-week top class-coaching course.
The others are Ebo Mends and Bright Obeng, chairman and coach respectively of Bofoakwa and Kwame Amoako, helmsman of the Osei Kyeretwe Secondary School
(OKESS) soccer team in the Asanti Region.
Mr Patrick Aidoo, Vice President of the Global Soccer Coaches Developers Association of Ghana (GSCDA), of which the four coaches are members, told the GNA Sports at the lunch of the association's constitution in Accra that two each would be attached to separate clubs in the Northern and Southern Leagues of Denmark.
He said the coaches are attending the course as part of an exchange programme with a sister association that country.
Mr Aidoo said earlier in the year, two resource persons from Denmark were in the country to organise a coaching course for some selected Ghanaian coaches to upgrade their knowledge in the profession.
The association, which aims at bridging the gap between Ghanaian coaches and administrators and their Scandinavian counterparts, sponsored two referees - Peter Yaovi and Justice K. Agbeko (members) and an administrator to the US under a similar programme.
Mr Aidoo said plans are afoot to invite two top-level coaches from Denmark under the programme as resource persons for another course soon at the Winneba Sports College.
He said his outfit would soon opened a branch of the Intercollegiate Association based of the United States, involved in the improvement of skills of referees worldwide.
The GSCDA formed recently aims at cooperating with the Ghana Football Association and other relevant bodies in the development and promotion of football in the country.
The association headed by head coach of the Black Stars, Fred Osam Duodu is also to foster the exchange of ideas and experience in soccer by organising debates, lectures, seminar, symposia, conferences, courses among others to redesign ways of helping the nation to reclaim the top spot as the "powerhouse" of Africa soccer.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2001
Brigadier George Brock, Acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council (NSC) has said that the country is not ready to host the African Under-17 baseball tournament scheduled to kick-start in September because of short-notice and financial difficulties.
Speaking to the GNA Sports in Accra, Brigadier Brock said he received the letter giving Ghana the mandate to host the event about three weeks ago, adding "this is not good enough because it has not been factored into our calendar for the year".
"I was surprise when I first got the information from the Vice president's office that Ghana has been awarded the right to host such an international tournament involving about eight nations at such a short notice", Brigadier Brock said.
He said knowing what it takes to host tournament, he does not think the nation is ready to host such an event and added "anyone who accepts to host such event does so it at his our risk".
Brigadier Brock said hosting the tournament would be a logistical nightmare because there is no standard baseball pitch to be used, with just a month to go.
He said even though he has been told that the participating countries would pay some fees, it would still not be enough to pay for their hotel bills, feeding and internal transportation.
"More so, I do not know the preparation of the national under-17 team, and remember that we also need to prepare the team adequately to make an impact. Can we do all these in one month?, Brigadier Brock asked
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