GRi Sports Ghana 30 - 08 - 2001
Hearts Board release ˘7b to players
Joe Louis to miss rest of season
Real Tamale United calls for security
Kotoko, 10 others face Status Committee
Hearts Board release ˘7b to players
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 August 2001 - Champion Club of Ghana, Accra Hearts of Oak's playing body and technical bench may have missed playing among the elite of World Club soccer but have been compensated for their disappointment.
The Board of Directors of the Club has released an amount of $100,000 from a total of $750,000 paid to the Phobians by FIFA.
This is in partial fulfillment of the Board's pledge to pay the players and technical bench, on pro-rata basis, any amount received from FIFA as compensation for the postponement of the World Clubs Championship.
The actual amount due the playing body is $166,667 and they will thus receive the remaining $66,667 within six weeks.
In a statement signed by Ashford Tetteh Oku, the Board expressed the hope that the team will be motivated for the 2001 Star Premier League and other future assignments.
Accra Hearts of Oak and Egyptian Club side Zamalek FC would have been Africa's representatives at the second edition of he World Clubs Championship in Spain, which was however called off by FIFA for financial reasons.
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Joe Louis to miss rest of season
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 August 2001 - It's now been confirmed that Asante Kotoko's intelligent winger Joe Louis will miss the rest of the season following an injury he picked during the Kotoko/Adansiman outstanding Star Premier League match at the Kumasi sports stadium last Sunday.
The game was only 12 minutes old when an Adansiman defender viciously went for Louis' leg resulting in Louis being rushed off the pitch to the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. He resurfaced in a P.O. P.
Doctors confirmed the player badly fractured a bone that would need not less than 10 months to completely heal effectively ruling Louis out of action for the rest of the season.
Most Kotoko fans have expressed indignation at the fact that the player who caused the disaster did not even attract a yellow card.
Louis' absence is a terrible blow to Kotoko's championship aspirations as he had established himself as the most slippery winger, providing incisive crosses and creating decent opportunities for the attackers.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 30 August 2001 - Real Tamale United has appealed to the Ghana Football Association to ensure that maximum security is provided on Sunday September 2 when they meet Kumasi Asante Kotoko for the opening match of the second round league in Kumasi.
In a letter to the FA dated August 28, and signed by Mukaila Adam Nassam, vice-chairman of the club, RTU stated that reports reaching them indicated that a section of Kotoko fans have threatened to relate an alleged beating of Kotoko officials by RTU fans in Tamale in the first round.
“Significantly, Kotoko never complained to the GFA about the alleged assault”, the letter stated.
According to RTU, much as the intended reprisal action does not have the official sanction of Kotoko’s management, it is necessary to beef up security to prevent any tragedy that may either embarrass Kotoko or bring the game into disrepute.”
It would be recalled that following a rowdy behaviour by RTU fans in the first round match between the club and Kotoko, a three-match home ban was slapped on the former.
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Kotoko, 10 others face Status Committee
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 August 2001 - Kumasi Asante Kotoko’s Shamo Abbey and Nii Noi Dowouna formerly of Accra Great Olympics are among a group of 11 players scheduled to appear before the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Player Status Committee on Thursday.
A release signed by the acting General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association, Mr K. Ampem Darko, stated that the invitees are to report for various transfer and disciplinary issues between them to be trashed out.
Also invited are nine clubs. They include Kotoko, Olympics, Okwawu United, Asuom Kwaebibirem, Suhum Maxbees and Berekum Arsenals.
First division clubs who are also to report are Khalid Stars, Bayern Munich, Freedom Fighters.
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