Power, Mine Stars clash tomorrow
Segou (Mali) 22 January 2002 - Ghana's Black Stars started their campaign at the 23rd African Cup of Nations at the Amary Daou Stadium with a barren draw against the Atlas Lions of Morocco.
The Stars had the best chance of the game on the 90th minute when Alex Techie Mensah sneaked through the Moroccan off side trap and came face to face with the goalkeeper but shot wide.
Though the Ghanaians appeared to have more possession, it was the Moroccans who brought out the best of Ghana’s goalie Sammy Adjei as he had to pull out a couple of dramatic saves to save his side.
In the 24th minute Adjei was alert enough to stop a point-blank shot from Zarouali Hicham while the Black Stars barely survived when the Moroccans caught them on the counter on three occasions during the last ten minutes of the first half.
Michael Essien, Emmanuel Duah, Baffour Djan and Isaac Boakye all took turns to shoot over the bar in desperation, denying the Moroccan goalkeeper Roumani Akran a real taste of the action
Princeton Owusu Ansah who was playing at an unusual left back position was visibly uncomfortable and coach Osam Duodu pulled him out for George Blay in the 51st minute.
Soon after the substitution, Safri Youssef powered a header into the hands of Sammy Adjei who pumped the ball upfront, creating a chance for Boakye. But the striker failed to connect.
The Stars tried on many occasions but could not provide the final pass that would have wrecked the Moroccans as Nurudeen Naybet and Fahmi Abdellah remained attentive and blocked the opening at the rear.
In the 76th minute Samuel Osei Kuffour set the stadium agog with a superlative performance when he thwarted a Moroccan counter attack and turned two attackers inside out before clearing his line.
In the last seven minutes there was a catalogue of misses by the Ghanaians as Duah shot wide and Techie Mensah froze at the best opportunity of the match.
Coach Osam Duodu attributed the draw to the slow pace of the Stars build up and promised to address it before the next match. He said there were many wasted chances because his boys lost concentration while in the box of their opponents.
He assured Ghanaians that the Stars would survive the group stage and enter the quarterfinals. “The group is wide open as everybody is on one point. We are just starting and I believe the best is yet to come from my team,” the coach added.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 January 2002 - Accra, the commercial capital of the country went dead after Monday's barren 0-0 match between the youthful Black Stars and the Atlas Lions of Morocco in their group B match played in the Malian city of Segou.
Few patches of enthusiastic soccer fans gathered in front of their houses and workers joined in the debate at lorry stations on the performance of the inexperienced Black Stars.
The Stars, mostly graduates of the last under-20 World Youth Championship lacked the killing instinct when it mattered most and this was manifested on the stroke of full time when substitute Techie Mensah fired off target with only the Moroccan goalkeeper to beat.
A cross-section of Ghanaians later in the evening during a TV sports programme called for the inclusion of Ghana's goalking Ishmael Addo and his Hearts of Oak's team-mate Emmanuel Osei Kuffour in their next match against South Africa on Thursday.
A lot more fans were not bothered, for they had predicted, even before the tournament started in Mali, that the right calibre of players had not been called to camp.
Kwame Nsiah, a second year student of the University of Ghana said Ghanaians must stop blaming the boys for their lacklustre performance, "they were only reproducing what they had rehearsed".
A group of young men at Banana Inn, in Accra, gathered in front of a newspaper vendor to debate the match. They lampooned the veteran coach Fred Osam Duodu for his match strategy and selection.
They were of the view that if players like Dereck Boateng, Ishmael Addo and Osei Kuffour had been part of Monday's game, they could have converted at least one of the numerous chances that were squandered.
The BBC on Tuesday morning, described the Ghana-Morocco match as the worst in the four-day old tournament scheduled to end in February 10 and tipped minnows Burkina Faso and South Africa to qualify from the group.
GNA has also gathered that most Ghanaians are no longer enthused about the Black Stars against the backdrop that the team was being groomed for the 2006 World Cup.
CAF said last Thursday it would use the Cup of Nations to select Africa’s candidates that would represent Africa in the World Cup, beginning in 2006. Ghana-South Africa second group match is schedule to kick off at 1600 GMT on Thursday.
GRi…/
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Segou (Mali) 22 January 2002 - Hours after helping his side to a pulsating goalless drawn game with Morocco, Ghana’s brightest spot, Sammy Kuffour received the sack from the Cup of Nations tournament when he was asked to pack bag and baggage home for what Ghanaian officials termed as indiscipline.
Reports trickling in from the games village, monitored on radio, indicate that Kuffour left Sagou on Tuesday morning accompanied by the Black Stars welfare officer, Kojo Fianoo, to Bamako enroute to Ghana.
Kuffour allegedly has been flouting rules in camp and had shown great disrespect to the Ghana’s Sports Minister, Mr Edward Osei Kwaku, which was bad example to the younger players.
GRi…/
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Segou (Mali) 22 January 2002 - Players of the senior national team, the Black Stars, were in no mood for a serious game hours before they took to the field against Morocco.
Sources revealed that there were serious disputes raging in the Stars’ camp among players over room allocation. As at last Sunday, the weary officials, were struggling to resolve the problems.
A member of the South African delegation staying opposite the Black Stars’ village said they were stunned to see younger players having heated argument with Coach Fred Osam Duodu.
Significantly, the row erupted when the players had kitted themselves hoarse and refused to be calm. Osam Duodu could not control the situation and the players rudely abandoned the training.
The training programme was subsequently cancelled and shortly afterwards, they were seen in ordinary clothing. Rather strangely, Coach Osam Duodu was seen telling journalists who quizzed him over the reported row that the cancellation of the training was to give his players enough rest for Monday’s game. He refused to comment on the incident.
Observers believe that the whole psyche of the team had been wrecked which affected the game of the Stars.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 January 2002 - The search for places in next season’s premiership continues with another round of exciting exchanges when the national division one middle league action takes centre stage tomorrow at the respective venues.
Though, Prestea Mine Stars and B.A. United are on top of the competition with seven points apiece, it is still not clear as to which teams will get the nod for the two automatic places.
Former premier division campaigners, Power F/C are fiercely chasing the two front runners with six points, having atoned for their woeful defeat in the very first match. They defeated Iron Fighters 2-0 and accounted for Yeji Stars 4-1.
For pre-competition favourites, A.C. Olympiakos’, their match against Mine Stars was a replica of their first outing against Yeji Stars when Ade Coker’s boys had to succumb an early lead and then struggle to a 4-4 draw at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.
When the competition enters into its penultimate round of matches tomorrow, real cracking duels will be witnessed as the upshots of the respective encounters will go a long way to determine the fate of the teams as far as their qualification is concerned.
But the most enthralling match will be at the Cape Coast Siwdu Park where joint league leaders, Mine Stars lock horns with strong contenders, Power F/C. With only a point separating the two sides, the victor will surely be in a good stead to join the premier league this season.
At the Dawu Park, B.A. United will have a great opportunity to move on top of the table when they take on fellow Brong Ahafo campaigners, Yeji Stars. Stars, having claimed the whipping boys status, have nothing at stake in this game, thus paving the way for United’s easy run.
Desperate A.C. Olympiakos will go all out to tackle Mpohor Iron Fighters at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. Still confident of making it to the premiership, Olympiakos are determined to put up a spirited performance to annex the maximum points.
However, Iron Fighters have proved a stubborn side and should they repeat the unyielding character they displayed in their previous tie against B.A. United, then Olympiakos will definitely be in trouble.
GRi…/
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