Soccer-Butler admits Dwarfs owe GFA 20,000 dollars
Accra (Greater Accra), 15th November 99
Despite winning 4-0 against Thailand in their Group B opening match, Mexico could not be motivated enough to hold their own against Ghana’s Black Starlets who also drew one all with Spain.
In the end, four sparkling goals from the Starlets without reply did not only succeed to tame the Mexicans but also paid dividends to the 19 million Ghanaians who kept vigil back home to watch the twinkle twinkle little stars put up a high class act in far away New Zealand.
It was one match which the Ghanaians, who seemed to have recovered from the wears of a long travel, played with aggression. From the blast of the whistle they created loopholes in the Mexicans defence and could have been three goals up before the break if strikers Ishmael Addo and Bernard Botey had been a little precise with their kicks. In the seventh minute, Starlets Nathaniel Lamptey surged upfront from midfield outwitting everybody that came his way. He then linked Ishmael Addo who was within scoring range but the 1999 Premier League goalking uncharacteristically messed up. 10 minutes later Botey also fumbled with a good chance.
The Mexicans from then turned the heat on and Ghanaians breathed a sigh of relief when Mexican captain Ricardo Sanchez’s curling lob dropped behind the Starlets defence only for Yered Yanez to shoot wide. Forward, Hector Vallego was unlucky not score three minutes later when he shot wide from close range.
Ghana however stamped their authority on the game from then on and snatched the lead in the 39th minute when Lamptey redirected a free-kick taken by Ibrahim Razak into the net. They were still on the offensive when the referee blew his whistle to end the first half.
Eleven minutes into the second half Ibrahim Attiku raced into the opponents 18, guarded the ball past two defenders before sending a piercing grounder into the Mexicans net for Ghana’s second goal. The Mexicans after this goal tried to play defensive to avoid an avalanche of goals but they could not stop Attiku and Lamptey from netting two more goals to secure Ghana's ticket in the next round.
For the records Ibrahim Attiku has scored three goals and Nathaniel Lamptey, two to give Ghana’s total haul of five with one against.
Spain whitewashed whipping boys, Thailand 6-0 to top the group with superior a goals aggregate. Spain and Ghana share four points each after drawing in their opening match.
A crucial decider shall be waged on Tuesday between Spain and Mexico as the winner qualifies for the next stage of the competition. The Central Americans have three points.
Ghana should go in for a goal haul against Thailand to put them ahead and keep them at Napier whose crowd was becoming friendly.
GRi
Soccer-Stars beat Egypt 2-1
Accra (Greater Accra) 15th November 99
The senior national team, the Black Stars stormed the Egyptian capital on Friday to dish out a painful 2 - 1 defeat over the Pharouhs of Egypt.
It was one match which the Stars looked poised for victory as the telepathic run between Kwame Ayew and Yaw Preko made it difficult for the rear men of the homesters to contain the Stars attack.
Not surprising, it was one of such adventures that saw Ayew netting for the Ghanaians in the 44th minute after Preko had done the spade work.
The Egyptians managed to pull even early in the second half but a brilliant dummy work by Emmanuel Osei Kuffour saw him laying a pass to Augustine Arhinful which the Boavista striker rifled in to give the Ghanaians a win that should boost their confidence as they prepare for next Africa cup of nations with Ghana is co-hosting with Nigeria.
GRi
Soccer-Butler admits Dwarfs owe GFA 20,000 dollars
Accra (Greater Accra), 15th November 99
Nana Sam Brew Butler, Chairman of Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs admitted before the International Player Transfer Commission on Friday that his club owes the Ghana Football Association (GFA) 20,000 dollars.
The amount is the balance of 30,000 dollars that the club should have paid to the GFA, as its 10 per cent share of the transfer fee of Richard Ackon from Dwarfs to Staebek, a Norwegian club in 1998. The player was transferred for 300,000 dollars.
Testifying before the Commission, Nana Butler, the immediate past chairman of the FA, said Dwarfs made an initial payment of 10,000 dollars because the money was received in instalments.
He said he withheld payment of the other instalments because the GFA was owing him at the time as a result of certain payments he made for the Association while in office as chairman but which accounts are yet to be reconciled.
Nana Butler also confessed that Dwarfs and Tops International F/C, a second division club in Accra, have to pay the GFA a balance of 4,250 dollars in connection with Micheal Cofie's transfer to Holland.
He denied an earlier assertion by a representative of Tops that Dwarfs had deducted the GFA's percentage of 8,500 dollars from Tops' share.
Nana Butler was also not able to produce receipts of players Dwarfs have so far transferred but promised to settle any outstanding debts owed to the GFA and the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) as soon as possible.
He denied a fax message from Willie Bekoe from his Belgium base alleging that he (Butler) owes him 10,000 dollars of his signing on fee.
He said Bekoe was transferred to Cercle Brugges for two years as a minor without Dwarfs benefiting or the player earning any signing on fee because the club was prepared to negotiate with Dwarfs after a two-year period of observation.
"After the first year, when he excelled, the club president, George Inglebert coerced him into signing a five-year contract without our knowledge out of which we were paid 100,000 so I don't see why he is demanding that money from us", Nana Butler said.
Meanwhile, Feyernoord of Holland have agreed to pay Patrick Allotey his 30,000 dollars signing on fee when he was transferred in 1995.
Mr. Justice Sule Gbadegbe, Chairman of the Commission, disclosed that Allotey had informed him he had already received 10,000 dollars from the club who said they will lodge the rest of the amount with the Commission.
Mr. Kofi Opare Addo, spokesman for Feyernoord, said the club takes it as a responsibility to settle the debts since Allotey is still their player and efforts to trace the whereabouts of the previous money has proved futile.
Great Corinthians F/C, who were demanding 20 per cent of Allotey's transfer from Gag Roos to Holland, have agreed to split any amount that Gag Roos would get from any future contract signed between Allotey and Feyenoord, on a 50-50 basis.
At the sitting on Friday, Mr. Justice Sule Gbadegbe, advised the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to set up a legal division.
He said the division could help prevent some of the discrepancies in the contract of players signed between local and foreign clubs, agents and players, especially minors.
In a discussion with Nana Butler, Chairman of the Executive Council of GFA, Mr Justice Gbadegbe said minors are not to be transferred on contract of more than three years.
He urged the GFA to make the laws of Ghana and the Association's, regulations binding on all player agents who come into the country to scout for player as is done in other countries.
"If we allow them to come and operate in the country based on only FIFA rules, then they would always cheat and exploit our clubs and players, who sometimes do not know the legal implications of the contracts that they sign".
Mr. Justice Gbadegbe said by having a separate legal entity, which would not be involved in the day-to-day administration of the Association, the conflict of interest that arises from GFA decisions on certain clubs would cease.
GRi