GRi Sports Ghana
22 – 06 - 2001
Burkinabe
goalie anxious to play in Ghana
Okwawu
want match venues to be changed
Ouagadougou
(Burkina Faso) 22 June 2001
The senior
national team of Burkina Faso, the Stallions, spanked Accra Hearts of Oak 4-1
in a charity match on Wednesday at the 4th August Stadium, in aid of the
victims of the May 9, Accra Sports Stadium disaster.
Yameogo
scored a hat trick in the 12th minute, 70th minute and 89th minute while
Moumouni scored in the 14th minute to silence the vociferous Ghanaian
Supporters who carried Ghana national flag and sung praises of Hearts before
kickoff.
Hearts
consolation goal was netted by substitute Owusu Afriyie in the 88th minute.
Goalkeeper
Eben Dida accounted for the score line as he let in two cheap goals from
Yameogo. He miss-timed his forward men and fell as the young Burkina striker
struck the ball into the net for the opener while the second goal was a lob
from the center spot which sailed into the net as Dida looked on baffled.
Coach Jones
Attuquayefio attributed the loss to indiscipline on the parts of his players.
He said another factor which contributed to the high score line was the
inability of the team to train for three days.
The Vice
President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who led the team to Burkina, said in a post match
interview that it was just fair that the Burkinabe won the match as they had
lost to Kotoko in Ghana few weeks ago.
Mr
Paramanga Ernest Yonli led the Burkinabe delegation to the match while Mr Joe
Aggrey, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports accompanied the Vice President.
Attendance
at the 40,000 capacity Stadium very low. Line up: Eben Dida, Amankwa Mireku,
Jacob Nettey, Dan Quaye, Stephen Tetteh, Joe Ansah/Richard Nii Noi, Kenneth
Sarpong/Wisdom Abbey, Adja Tetteh, Charles Benson/Owusu Afriyie, George Eraino,
Emmanuel Adjoju/Awuley Quaye.
GRi…/
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 22 June 2001
Diarra
Ibrahim, the first choice goalkeeper of the Burkinabe senior national team, the
Stallions said he is in love with Ghanaian
football and would like to play in the Star Premier League.
In an
interview with the GNA in Ouagadougou on Thursday the goalie said he is a free
agent and his contract with any Ghanaian club interested to sign him on would
not be tied to the apron strings of Burkinabe team.
Diarra said
he returned to Burkina Faso after his contract expired with a leading club in
the United Arab Emirates and he decided not to play for any local club but to
seek a contract with a leading Ghanaian premiership club because of the high
standard of the Ghanaian league.
Diarra
named Accra Hearts of Oak, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Obuasi Goldfields and Liberty
Professionals as clubs he would like to join.
The goalie
said he is in excellent form and maintains the number spot in the Stallions line
up on the strength of that.
He was in
goal for the Stallions against Hearts of Oak and kept a clean sheet until he
was substituted in the second half by Soulama Abdoulaye, who plays for Turkish
club Denizlispor.
Diarra
captivated the spectators with some spectacular saves
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 22 June 2001
Soccer
Mountaineers, Okwawu United have appealed to the National Sports Council and
the Ghana Football Association to rescheduled the rest of their Star Premier
league matches for the Accra Sports Stadium instead of their home ground
Nkawkaw.
Dr. Felix
Frempong, Chairman of the Club told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on
Thursday that the current state of the Nkawkaw Park, makes it unsafe and
unprofitable for Okwawu to continue playing at that center.
"Parts
of the walls at the Kwakwa Park are broken, sits are not non-existence making
both fans and officials uncomfortable during matches.
Dr Frempong
who took over from Kwame Ofusu Banfo (Sikkins) before the start of the season
noted that since all stadiums and national Parks are under the care of the NSC, it would not be out of place if it
re-locates Okwawu, looking at the present precarious situation it finds itself
in.
He said
currently Accra Hearts of Oak and Great Olympics alternate the use of Stadium
on Sundays while Liberty are the only team that uses the facility on Saturdays
and said Okwawu could alternate with Liberty.
The Medical
doctor said even in times of clashes, NSC can shift matches involving Okwawu to
even Kumasi if need be.
He said it
is no fault of theirs to be at Nkwakwa where facilities could not be matched
with that of either Accra or Kumasi and that an attempt to deprive Okwawu of
using the Accra Stadium would be unfair.
The
Chairman said it is unfortunate that teams in the Eastern region in particular
have been deprived of a good playing pitch with adequate security.
Reacting to
the allegation that the club has failed to pay the NSC its 10 per cent share of
gate proceeds, Dr Frempong said the District Sports Development Officer does
not have the necessary facilities to develop the pitch.
He said
since Okwawu maintained the pitch and other facilities at the stadium and yet
received low gate proceeds, it becomes very difficult for the club to defray
the high cost of maintenance, let alone pay the NSC which duty it is to maintain
the pitch.
The
Chairman recollected an instance where the District Development Officer
presented a bill of 600,000 cedis for just clearing of weeds on the pitch.
"With
all these it would be very difficult to cater for these bills from the scanty
gate proceeds and still pay 10 per cent to NSC", he said.
"It's
not the desire of the club for things to happened this way, and I hope that
each one of us (Okwawu and NSC) would play its role effectively for a cordial
working relationship.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 22 June 2001
The
Management of Okwawu United F/C has protested vehemently against Obuasi
Goldfields for fielding an unqualified player during their fifth-week Star
Premier League the Obuasi Len Clay Sports Stadium last Sunday. Okwawu lost the
match 1-4.
In an
interview with the GNA Sports, Dr Felix Frempong, Chairman of Okwawu United
said their investigations have revealed that the player, Tony Baffoe, was
acquired by Goldfields through an irregular transfer procedure.
According
to Goldfields the player joined the club from their soccer academy which Dr
Frempong claims is incorrect.
He said,
the boy originally was with Vita colts clubs at Obuasi, and was later loaned to
MBC Soccer Academy, which was also based at Obuasi before moving to Legon.
Dr.
Frempong said since the player was on loan from Vita Club, the transfer rules
do not allow MBC to transfer the player without the permission of the mother
club.
"What
we want to prove when we go to the GFA player Status Committee is that the
player was illegally transferred", he said "Our case have been
strengthen by the fact that Vita club, the owners of the player have denied any
knowledge of Baffoe's joining Goldfields". he added.
GRi…/
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