Ghana demands points after abrupt end of match

South Africa moves on while Nigeria stumble

Bench warrant for Kotoko coach

I don't know the contract sum of player, club chairman tells commission

Ghana has demanded the three points in their match against Cameroun last Sunday, which ended four minutes to time owing to poor visibility

The match an Olympic qualifier between Ghana's Black Meteors and the Young Eagles of Cameroun was 2- 2 at when the referee ended it because darkness had set in and visibility was poor.

In the protest letter FIFA, the world football governing body, Alhaji MND Jawula, Ghana’s FA boss, quoted paragraph 5 of article 7 under chapter 4 of FIFA’s regulations to support Ghana’s claim.

The article states, "If, through the fault of any association, a match cannot take place or be played in its entirety, the FIFA organising committee for the football tournament shall declare the match to be forfeited (awarding victory and the resultant three points to the opposing team, as well as the score of 3-0 if the opposing team has already achieved a score in excess of 3-0 or more) or shall exclude the team from the competition".

Alhaji Jawula said, the failure of the match to travel the full distance must be blamed on the Camerounians who delayed in starting of the match for about one hour.

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South Africa’s Amaglug-glug walloped their Guinean counterparts 3-1 at home to brighten their chances of qualifying for the Sydney 2000 Olympics from Group B which also has Ghana and Cameroun.

The win put the South Africans on equal terms with Cameroun who also have four points but top the table with superior goal aggregate. Ghana is third with two points while Guinea is bottom with no point after two matches.

Nigeria were surprised by Zimbabwe who beat them 2-1 to maintain their lead in Group A with six points.

Benjamin Mwaruwari headed past Nigeria’s goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba in the 56^th and 63^rd minutes to put Zimbabwe two goals up before the Nigerians pulled one back.

Angola won 3-1 against Uganda at home to collect the maximum three points at stake in the other Group A match.

Gilberto 79^th, 87^th and Chinho 27^th minutes scored for Angola while Spunya netted for Uganda in the 46^th minute.

Cote d’Ivoire’s Young Elephants scored a massive 4-1 home victory against Morocco to push them to the top of Group C with four points. Two goals in each half made victory certain for the Ivorians who used virtually an ASEC youth side for the match.

Results of the Egypt-Tunisia match is yet to be known.

Standings of the teams

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Kumasi (Ashanti), 3^rd November 99

A Kumasi Circuit Tribunal has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Aboubakar Ouattara, head coach of Kumasi Asante Kotoko for failing to appear in court yesterday.

Ouattara, granted 15m cedis bail with one surety on Friday on a charge of defrauding by false pretences, was not in court when the case was called.

Mr. A.K Amankwa, counsel for the Ouattara told the Tribunal he could not locate the accused who had promised to pay the amount on November 12.

Ouattara has been accused by two 'ball boys' of Kotoko of collecting $2,000 each from them with the promise to include them on the team list of officials of the team for a tour Germany.

After collecting the money Ouattara failed to honour his promised the boys caused his arrest on the eve of the team's departure for Germany.

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Accra (Greater Accra), 3^rd November 99

Mr. Yaw La Danso, Chairman of Powerlines Colts club on Wednesday told the Gbadegbe Commission that he did not know the contract sum of Godfred Adoube's transfer to Switzerland even though it was his club that transferred him.

Testifying before the Commission probing the international transfer of players, Mr. Danso, who could not also tell the exact amount he received as transfer fee, admitted that 3,500 dollars was paid to the Ghana Football Association as its 10 per cent share which suggests that the contract sum was 35,000 dollars.

"The transfer deal was brokered by one Togolese, Nana Kwame Pokou Dogblah but I don't know who paid the money to the GFA so I suggest that Mr. Dogblah be called to testify"

Mr. Danso, however, tendered into evidence a letter dated June 1994 from the Swiss club informing him that the club was paying him 3,000 dollars being the final instalment of Adoube's transfer fee in connection with the contract signed in January 1994.

The Commission then demanded the contract document but Mr. Danso said he had not seen a copy of it himself and suggested to the Commission to get in touch with the Swiss club for a copy, which it agreed to do.

This issue came up after Mr. James Akomeah, executive chairman of Madina Real Republicans had lodged a complaint before the Commission that at the time Mr. Danso transferred Adoube, the player was with Republicans and not Powerlines.

Mr. Akomeah said after his club had signed on Adoube from Powerlines, he did not only become truant but also continued to play for his former club, adding that as a result he wrote to Mr. Danso to keep off the player but to no avail.

"Later I got know that he had been transferred to Europe so I investigated and realised that Powerlines had received 11,000 dollars from the transfer so I demanded our share from Mr. Danso since the player belonged to us."

Mr. Akomeah said Mr. Danso promised to give him part of the money when he received the final instalment but he refused to do so after Mr. Dan Agushey, then Greater Accra Regional Minister, had intervened.

Mr. Danso insisted that Adoube belonged to Powerlines at the time he was transferred because he still has the player's 'Card A' in his possession.

The Commission did not accept his claim on the grounds that in those days clubs could secure the services of players by convincing them to sign for them on the registration forms without demanding the 'Card A' from their former clubs.

The case was adjourned to Tuesday, November Nine.

Earlier, Mr. Walter Esposito, Managing Director of Akosombo Textiles Limited, said Nii Barnor, a player of Powerlines whom he sent to Switzerland and Germany in 1996 and 1997 respectively, did not attract any transfer fee because he was an amateur.

He said contrary to allegations made by Mr. Danso that he had transferred his player without his knowledge, "I have met with Mr. Danso on many occasions and explained to him that the boy is an amateur and that he would attract transfer fees when he reaches non-amateur status according to FIFA regulations."

Mr. Esposito said he only got involved in the transfer negotiations after Nii Barnor 's family and one Alhaji Inusah came to plead for his assistance in the player's transfer to Europe.

"I got in touch with Opoku Nti, ex-Kotoko player in Switzerland and he got a juvenile side of a fourth division club for him but Nii Barnor got a knee injury so when his visa expired, I asked him to come back".

He said after the player had recuperated, he had discussions with Tony Yeboah in Germany and he managed to get a fifth division club for Nii Barnor in Germany, again as an amateur.

" I told Mr. Danso about this and promised that though I did not want a penny of any contract the boy would secure in future, I would make sure Powerlines get the full transfer fees when Nii Barnor becomes a professional".

Mr. Esposito said the player, who has still not been able to attain a professional contract because of his knee injuries, would be returning to Ghana in December.

After accepting what Mr Esposition had said, the Commission assured Mr. Danso that Nii Barnor would still belong to Powerlines when he comes back.

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