Soccer-Oly and Hearts split points
The league table: Hearts maintain top spot
Accra : Olympics -- Two (2) Hearts Two (2)
Koforidua: Power -- Nil (0) Kotoko - One (1)
Kumasi : Faisal -- One (1) Hasaacas Nil (0)
Tamale : RTU -- One (1) Okwahu - Nil (0)
Sunyani : Bofoakwa -- One (1) Dwarfs -- One (1)
Accra (Saturday): Liberty One (1) Goldfields Nil (0)
Tema : GHAPOHA Two (2) Dawu One (0)
Swedru : All Blacks - Three (3) Afienya Nil (0)
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Soccer-Oly and Hearts split points
Champion club, Accra Hearts of Oak's dream of avenging a 0-1 defeat by city rivals Great Olympics in the first round of the ABC Golden Lager premier football league was dashed as they struggled to draw 2-2 with Oly in their tension-packed match at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Newly-signed on Kwame Ali struck twice in the fourth and 16th minutes for Oly to unsettle the Phobians. He nearly had a hat-trick on the stroke of the first half but headed off target from close range.
Oly lost control of the game soon after kick-off when Hearts' Emmanuel Adjogu intercepted a pass and raced with the ball into Oly's vital area but he fumbled in front of goal.
While Hearts were still in control of the game, Oly's midfielder Billy Sulley collected a loose ball from the centre circle, side stepped his markers, and laid on a good pass for Ali to place the ball into the far right corner of the post, beating international goalkeeper Sammy Adjei.
That early goal unsettled and confused the Hearts' defence as they started to commit serious blunders.
Oly kept their cool with Sulley foiling most of the dangerous midfield moves by the Phobians. In the 16th minute Sulley sent a long pass to Ali in the Hearts penalty area.
Ali over-powered defender Sani Wahab in a mid-air tussle and saw his first attempt at goal deflecting on the body of goalkeeper Adjei but he managed to fire the rebound into the roof of the net for Oly's second goal.
Hearts quickly replaced goalkeeper Adjei who has not been active after the World under-20 soccer championship in Nigeria with Eben Dida.
In the 22nd minute, Oly's central defender Philip Kutsu scooped striker Joe Fameyeh's goal-bound shot from the goal-line but he could not do the same six minutes later as Dan Quaye's long drive went off his body into the net for
Hearts first goal.
Osumanu Amadu levelled up for Hearts in the 38th minute when he collected Fameyeh's through ball and delivered a left-footer shot into the roof.
Oly brought on Amui Quaye and Razak Pimpong for Samuel Monnie and injured Sulley at the commencement of the second half while Hearts sent in "Wonder boy" Ishmael Addo for Amadu.
After that explosive first half, many fans thought they were in to witness a more exciting second half full of fire works but the beauty of the game was marred by unpopular decisions by referee T.R.K Attifu of Tarkwa.
One of such decisions was in the 79th minute when referee Attifu showed Oly's substitute Ian Acquah the red card just three minutes after he had come on for Wisdom Abbey. Acquah had unintentionally hit Hearts Emmanuel Osei Kuffour in the face during a struggle for the ball.
Referee Attifu initially left Acquah unpunished but after he had been confronted by Hearts skipper Jacob Nettey, he called Acquah and surprisingly showed him the card.
But Hearts could not capitalise on their numerical advantage to win the day.
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Return to top Hasaacas fall in Kumasi
Kumasi: King Faisal beat Sekondi Hasaacas 1-0 in their match played at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.
Hasaacas, inspired by former international star Kofi Abbrey, put Faisal under pressure after kick-off. Faisal wrested the attack from the Hasmal boys but failed to take the lead in the11th minute when Ben Wilson missed the target from close range. Also in the 24th minute Nuru Ahmed twisted the defence of Hasaacas but his finish-off was saved by goalkeeper Maxwell Owusu.
Faisal forced corner-kicks in the 25th, 26th, 28th and 32nd minutes as Hasaacas reeled under stabbing raids but the homesters could not score.
They managed to take the lead after the break when striker Kwadwo Anane headed past goalkeeper Owusu in a goal-mouth action in the 51st minute.
Three minutes later, Anane's header to a cross from midfielder Nana Frimpong hit the wood-work but the rebound was cleared by the hard-pressed Hasaacas defence.
From then on, Faisal stamped their authority on the match as they attacked in bursts with Hasaacas struggling to keep pace with the game.
Hasaacas staged a last minute rally but failed to level up in the 87th minute when substitute Ebo Smith shot off target after goalkeeper Sampson Appiah had been displaced.
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Sunyani : Bofoakwa Tano were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs in their match at the Sunyani Coronation Park.
Both teams plunged into serious business from the kick-off with Bofoakwa slightly on top.
Dwarfs managed to force the tide in their favour mid-way inside the first half but they could not find the net, ending the first half scoreless.
The two teams resumed the second half with determination but it was Bofoakwa who scored the opening goal in the 57th minute through Damba Mohammed.
Dwarfs accepted the challenge and came close to scoring on a number of occasions but the Bofoakwa defence proved unyielding.
In the 80th minute, substitute Walter Mensah cancelled Bofoakwa's lead when he headed the ball into the net from Joe Sam's free-kick.
Three minutes later, Bofoakwa had all the opportunity to restore their lead when they were awarded a penalty after a Dwarfs' defender had handled the ball in the box.
But Kwame Antwi, who elected himself to effect the kick, shot into the hands of the Dwarfs goalie.
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Tamale : A 10-man Real Tamale United (RTU) pipped Okwawu United 1-0 in their match played at the Tamale Kaladan Park.
The game, which started on a fast note with both teams determined to carry the day, degenerated into rough play and referee Alhassan Brobbey from Ashanti Mampong had it tough stamping his authority.
In the 40th minute, he sent off RTU's Ibrahim Kulvi for a second bookable offence.
Okwawu from then on capitalised on their numerical advantage and attacked from all angles but the RTU defence managed to contain them till the end of the first half.
Back from the break, RTU played a much-improved game and made several incursions into their opponents vital area.
It was through one of such moves that their playmaker, Stephen Oduro managed to score the only goal of the match in the 60th minute.
He received a pass from Hamza Mohammed, went through the Okwawu's defence with ease and shot the ball past goalkeeper Mauzu Okono.
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Koforidua: Kumasi Asante Kotoko beat Power F/C 1-0 in their match played at the Koforidua park.
Kotoko scored the only goal in the 83rd minute through substitute Awudu Adama who connected home Prince Adu Poku's corner kick.
The first half was quite eventful but produced no goal as the two sides wasted the numerous chances that they created.
Power goalkeeper, Humphrey Amoah pulled off great saves as from Nicholas Addo and Adu Poku's shots.
Power mounted a last-minute pressure on Kotoko but Paul Alhassan wasted an 86th minute opportunity to score.
At Tema, Ghapoha F/C beat Dawu Youngsters 2-1 and at Agona Swedru, All Blacks defeated Afienya United 3-0
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The league table: Hearts maintain top spot
Ghana Premier League---Latest Positions (20th Week Fixtures )
18th July, 1999
Team Locale/Region P W D L F A Pts GD
Hearts Accra, Gt. Accra 20 13 4 3 39 16 43 +23
Goldfields Obuasi, Ashanti 20 12 0 8 23 15 36 +8
Dwarfs Cape Coast, Central 20 10 4 6 27 22 34 +6
Hasaacas Sekondi, Western 20 9 6 4 23 14 33 +9
Olympics Accra, Gt. Accra 20 9 6 5 22 18 33 +4
Kotoko Kumasi, Ashanti 20 11 3 6 28 21 33 +7
RTU Tamale, Northern 20 9 3 8 26 22 30 +4
Okwawu Nkawkaw, Eastern 20 8 2 10 20 20 26 0
Liberty Accra, Gt. Accra 20 8 2 9 19 21 26 -2
Power F/C Koforidua, Eastern 20 7 4 9 16 20 25 -4
Faisal Kumasi, Ashanti 20 7 6 7 21 19 24 +1
Bofoakwa Sunyani, Brong 20 7 2 11 15 27 23 -12
Ahafo Dawu Dawu, Eastern 20 4 10 7 20 24 21 -4
All Blacks Swedru, Central 20 6 5 9 22 25 20 -3
GHAPOHA Tema, Gt. Accra 20 4 8 8 13 24 19 -11
Afienya Afienya, Gt. Accra 20 1 4 14 9 39 7 -30
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