GRi Sports Ghana 05 - 07 - 2001
Papa Owusu-Ankomah is Minister of Youth and
Sports
Ghana dominated the all-African clash
against Egypt in Cordoba.
Soccer-Liberty beat King Faisal by a lone
goal
How Black Stars avoided Liberian prostitutes
Record 200 register for Tema Open
Papa Owusu-Ankomah is Minister of Youth and
Sports
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 July 2001
President, J. A. Kufuor has appointed Papa Owusu-Ankomah, the Deputy Majority Leader, as the new Minister of Youth and Sports.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah, MP for Sekondi is 43 years old, a graduate of the University of Ghana, a lawyer and was called to the Bar in 1981.
Known widely for his calm and composed demeanour, Mr Owusu-Ankomah says he
aims to help the youth of Ghana realise their potential and thanked the President for the honour done him.
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Ghana dominated the all-African clash
against Egypt in Cordoba.
Cordoba (Argentina) 05 July 2001
Abass Inusah broke stubborn Egyptian resistance in the 83rd minute when he powered home a header from an Razak Ibrahim freekick.
A bizarre own goal from Egyptian defender Mohamed El Atrawy completed Ghana's win one minute from time.
A Ghanaian goalkick upfield was headed backwards by Egypt's Hussein Amin and El Atrawy, in trying to clear, lobbed the ball over his goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi and into the net from 25 metres.
El Atrawy had saved his team in the first half when he chested a John Mensah shot off the line with Sobhi beaten.
Sobhi repeatedly denied Ghana, who were runners-up to Brazil in 1993, in the second half, making a point-blank save to foil Michael Essien, then turning away a free kick by Sulley Muntari and an acrobatic effort by Derek Boateng.
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Soccer-Liberty beat King Faisal by a lone
goal
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 July 2001
A beautiful 40 metre swerving freekick in the 44th minute was all Liberty Professionals needed to send Kumasi based King Faisal back home empty handed as they beat them 1-0 in their seventh week Star Premier League match at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday.
Liberty's striking force of Kofi Deblah and Albert Neequaye were however worst culprits of the afternoon as they squandered several opportunities that would have let their side hit a cricket score.
However, a constant pressure mounted by Liberty paid off in the 44th minute when Seth Lamptey fetched them a freekick at 40 metres Moses Tetteh directed a shot beyond Faisal's Sampson Appiah for the match winner.
During the half time break, drama ensued when Alhaji Karim Grunsah, the charismatic owner of King Faisal, charged on class one referee Stephen Gyan Otto from Takoradi accusing him of being drunk and being biased to his team.
It took the timely intervention of the security personnel to restrain Alhaji from attacking the referee, Alhaji then redirected his anger at cameramen, who where filming the incident threatening to destroy their equipment if they did not stop.
The second half was more of a balanced encounter as Faisal raised their game in an attempt to equalise and this gave the defence men of Liberty some anxious moments.
In the 63rd minute, it took the timely intervention of Yusif Ansah to clear into safety a dangerous ball before onrushing Kwame Opoku could latch unto the ball for the equaliser.
In the 87th minute, Liberty looked to have scored their second gaol when Eric Arko's looping 50 metre shot hit the goal post and bounced off the goalline for referee Otoo to initially whistle for a goal. But upon protest from the Faisal players that the ball had not crossed the line, he consulted his number two assistant Referee B.B. Lumor from Accra, who agreed with the visitors.
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How Black Stars avoided Liberian
prostitutes
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 July 2001
The senior national soccer team, the Black Stars defied orders from the Liberian Football Association (LFA) to lodge into a hotel infested with prostitutes who were planted there to entice them into sexual practices that would divert their attention from the World Cup qualifier, which the Stars won last Sunday.
Mr Kudjo Fianoo, welfare officer of the Black Stars told the GNA Sports on their arrival from Monrovia that the LFA insisted on lodging them into Holiday Inn, instead of Hotel Boulevard which the Liberians had faxed to the team as their abode while in Liberia.
He said they were informed by Ghanaian resident in Monrovia that prostitutes had been planted at Holiday Inn to distract the team, so that the Lone Stars could have an easy ride which would guarantee their qualification to World Cup 2002.
The Welfare Officer said the Ghana Embassy staff in Monrovia also insisted they should not check into Holiday Inn since it was sub standard and would make the players vulnerable to sex workers and pose a health hazard to them.
Mr Fianoo said certain of the ploy of the Liberians, the team decided to stick to the contents of the fax they had received in Accra allocating Hotel Boulevard to them.
He said when they arrived at Boulevard in a convoy of four buses, which were hired by Ghanaians living in Monrovia, the LFA officials tried to physically prevent them from checking in as the General Secretary parked his car in the drive way to deny them access.
Mr Fainoo said Ghanaian supporters who kept faith with them, guided and guarded them throughout the night attempted carrying the car off the way and it was only then that the General Secretary bulged and drove away.
Another obstacle was the refusal of the hotel management to check them in.
In the words of the Welfare Officer, "they demanded a written undertaking from the Ghana Embassy officials when they intervened and promised to be responsible for our bills."
He said the timely intervention of the Senegalese match commissioner who requested to see the fax the Ghana Football Association (GFA) had received from the LFA and his subsequent inspection of the two hotels froze the diabolical plans of the Liberians as he insisted on the Stars checking in at Boulevard.
The Welfare officer said the team was suspicious of the Liberians and therefore went to Monrovia with their own food and water in order to shame rumour mongers who were making Ghanaians believe that the match had been sold.
He said the Black Stars remained focused and determined to win the match and it was evident in the manner they played, particularly in the second half when they drew rings around their opponents and hit the cross bar twice.
On the alleged attempted bribery of the Ghanaian defenders by the Liberian football icon, George Weah during the second half of the match, when the Liberians trailed the Ghanaians by a goal, Mr Fianoo said "the boys reported it but we were not on the field with them."
He however said he had course to believe it because though Weah promised to take some of the players out after the match he declined to respond to their call when he was spotted at Hotel Boulevard during the night.
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Record 200 register for Tema Open
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 July 2001
About 200 golfers, including Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Minister for Transport and Communications, have so far registered for this year's Tema Open golf championship scheduled for the Tema Country Golf Course from Friday, July 13 to Sunday, July 15.
Mr John Cobbinah, Captain of the Club, announcing this in Accra on Wednesday, said the three-day 36-hole scratch event, open to amateur and professional golfers throughout the country, is being jointly sponsored by Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) and Nestle Ghana Limited.
He said entry requirements for the Men's event is handicap 14 but those with handicap 18 may play off to handicap 14 while that of the Ladies is handicap 24.
Mr Cobbinah entreated all golfers to be punctual for the competition which has very attractive prizes at stake.
Mr Ron Helton, Managing Director of VALCO and Mr Andre Porchet, Managing Director of Nestle are some of the guests expected to grace the occasion.
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