Minister demands more commitment from professionals
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 22 November 2001 - King
Faisal kicked Liberty Professionals out of the knockout competition beating
them 2-0 in their quarterfinal match played in Kumasi on Wednesday.
King Faisal will therefore meet Obuasi Gold
Fields in one of the two semi-final matches. The other match will be between
Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs.
After wasting the numerous chances they created
in the first half during which they did most of the attacking, King Faisal
resumed the second half determined to carry the day and shot ahead in the 52nd
minute through Kwabena Opoku, who headed in teammate Chipsa Alhassan's cross.
The homesters pulled out Alhassan IIiasu for
Moses Boafo in the 60th minute to put more bite into their attack but it was
Liberty who came close to equalizing in the 65th minute. King Faisal's
goalkeepr Samuel Okyere however did well to deny them the opportunity as he
blocked the ball with his body for his defence to clear.
King Faisal increased the tempo of their game
and raised the tally to 2-0 in the 70th minute through striker Joe Agyemang.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 November 2001 - Having
been given the assurance that he would be no subordinate to any Caucasian
during the upcoming Africa Nations Cup in Mali, national headcoach Fred Osam
Duodu can now redirect his energies at how best to produce a winsome side.
Preparations for the tourney has not been the best but the experienced coach
stresses that will serve no distraction to his ambitions to cause an upset at
the tournament.
“Our preparations could have been better but
that is no reason to keep moaning and look for scapegoats. The horrific
incidents of May 9 played a major role in our late preparations. But for the
suspension of the league, the season would have been over by now to allow us
adequate preparation. That is nobody’s fault and I don’t think anybody’s
purpose would be served by searching for a scapegoat,” Osam told Africa Sports
in Accra last Sunday.
“If I can get six weeks of uninterrupted
training, I still believe we can make an impact in Mali,” Osam said. Asked
about Ghana’s group of Morocco, South Africa and Burkina Faso, coach Duodu said
he was not scared of any of them.
“Of course, I respect them, but how can I be
scared of them? He asked. Don’t write off Ghana yet. Those doing that could pay
for it. We are focused, are on course and will spring a big surprise in Mali,”
he said.
He concluded by saying that contrary to the
news making the rounds that he has already made his squad, the final list will
be out in January. “For now, the doors are still open”, he said.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 November 2001 - Real
Tamale United (RTU) has called on the Ghana Football Association to amend the
league table to reflect the correct trend of affairs in the league.
If, however, the FA cannot produce accurate
results and records, then a new body should be considered to handle such
issues, RTU has contended. In a release signed by their secretary, Abdul-Kadri
Ibrahim, RTU said the current league table making the rounds has vindicated
those who criticised the FA that it has no record keeping ethics.
The release said for the past two weeks, RTU
has been credited with a wrong points build-up, which has created the
impression that they are not doing well at all in the league. A record of
results of their matches indicated that the club has recorded eleven wins, five
draws and twelve losses so far in the twenty-eight week old league, amassing a
total of thirty-eight points.
RTU said out of this figure, they are
contesting six points at the Appeals and Disciplinary Committees. It said not
only did the FA fail to credit them with their correct points build-up, but
they have also been credited with only twenty nine-points without any explanation.
RTU has therefore, called on the GFA to rectify
the anomaly in order not to discourage their sponsors who may think they are
not performing and hence not worth the sponsorship.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 November 2001 - Mr
Abuga Pele, Minority Spokesman on Youth and Sports has stated that for the
country to regain its image in sports, particularly soccer, the authorities
have to define their objectives clearly and prosecute them conclusively through
concerted efforts.
The Minority Spokesman said sports development
in general is a planned activity based on sustained effort by all stakeholders,
including corporate organisations.
Speaking to the GNA Sports on Thursday, Mr Pele
said, the traditional way of organising sports in the country is not the best
and must change to conform to modern global trends which hinge on
commercialisation if sports is to move forward in this country.
He said a major reorientation, which would hype
the infusion of capital and the provision of necessary infrastructure, has to
occur to concretise a positive change.
Mr Pele who is also the Member of Parliament
for Chiana-Paga constituency said the issue of finance is paramount, yet its
availability would depend on the performance of our teams. This in turn depends
on sound management and planning, which should lay the basic foundation for a
successful take off.
The M.P. said the ad-hoc manner in which sports
is organised presently shows that attention is not always focused on long term
planning and priority setting and this would only keep the country where it is
rather than move it forward.
Mr Pele observed that countries, which have
planned carefully and set clear objectives, have progressed in various
disciplines of sports.
He cited the national soccer team of Senegal,
the Lions, whose performance in the last Nation's Cup co-hosted by Ghana and
Nigeria was clearly purposive even though they failed to lift the cup.
The Deputy Minority Ranking Member said
Senegal's qualification to the World Cup after their impressive run in the
Nations Cup is the result of sustained prosecution of their long-term
objectives.
The MP identified other problems that militate
against the progress of the Black Stars as selection of players through the age
group competitions, the quality of coaches appointed to the team and the level
of motivation before matches.
He said if the problems are not tackled
vigorously the Black Stars aim of winning the Nations Cup in Mali would be a
mirage and participation in a World Cup would remain a dream.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 November 2001 - Mr
Godfrey Cobblah, a Ghanaian World Boxing Council (WBC) referee / judge has
conducted a training programme for Angolan boxing officials in Luanda.
Mr Cobblah schooled 15 participants in modern
scoring methods in a bid to raise the standard of officiating in that country.
Speaking to the GNA Sports on his arrival from
Luanda, the boxing referee who earned his WBC badge in Mexico last year said
the course was under the auspices of Mr Osvaldo Lolo do Nascimento, an Angolan
boxing promoter of international repute who operates under the name of Cafima
Boxing Promotions.
He said he took participants through
theoretical and practical segments and felt fulfilled by the appreciation the
orginisers and participants showed during the two-day seminar.
Mr Cobblah also had the opportunity to be on
the Angolan National Radio to discuss the technicalities in officiating boxing
matches.
The WBC judge said he has also been invited to
attend the 39th WBC Convention slated for Pattaye, Thailand from December 2 to
8.
He said contrary to views expressed by some
people in Ghanaian boxing circles about the low standard of officiating in the
country, Ghanaian boxing officials are held in very high esteem in other
countries on the continent and in the WBC fraternity.
Two other Ghanaians, Mr. Eddie Pappoe and Mr.
Robert Sackey also hold current WBC badges as judge and referee / judge
respectively. Ghanaian boxing officials were recently criticised by Mr.
Emmanuel Teiko Tagoe, chief trainer of the Black Panthers Boxing Club for poor
interpretation of the rules, leading to many controversial decisions.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 November 2001 - Mr.
Edward Osei-Kweku, Minister of Youth and Sports has hinted that a substantive
Chief Executive would, within the next six months, be appointed for the
National Sports Council.
Speaking to GNA Sports in an interview on
Wdnesday, he said he is not happy with the situation where of a Chief Executive
will be in an acting position four years saying this is not proper.
He explained that anybody in an acting position
should either be confirmed within six months or asked to leave if he is not
able to make his mark.
Mr. Osei- Kweku said his administration would
not interfere in the affairs of the council but will only offer advice and
guidelines when necessary.
He said however that it is the responsibility
of the ministry to know what pertains at the council and would therefore ensure
that he is given briefings regularly on the day-to-day administration at the
council.
On hooliganism in soccer, Mr. Osei-Kweku said
his administration would take measure to ensure discipline among spectators at
all stadiums in the country.
He said for discipline to prevail certain
structures like inner perimeters must be in place at all stadiums to prevent
crowd invasion which results in hooliganism.
Mr. Osei- Kweku stressed that his
administration will adopt a strict approach to curbing hooliganism warning that
any fan found to have frowned upon the law must be dealt with accordingly.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 November 2001 - Mr
Edward Osei-Kwaku, Minister of Youth and Sports said on Wednesday that he would
appeal to the conscience of Ghanaian soccer professionals in Europe to be more committed
when they don the national colours.
The minister said by so doing the Black Stars
would regain their pole position in African football and possibly win the
African Cup of Nations in Mali next year.
He was speaking at a meeting with the Parliamentary
Select Committee on Youth and Sports who called on him to deliberate on
problems facing the ministry and how to find solutions to them.
Mr Osei-Kwaku said the players who are doing
well in Europe must be made to realize that they owe the nation "an obligation
to pay their dues" since their success could be traced to the grooming
they had while featuring for the national youth teams.
He said when the foreign legion gets to camp
and blend with the local professionals, who have been in camp for six weeks
already, Ghana would have a very strong team to challenge for honours if only
they would "die a little for the country."
The minister said though his ministry would not
interfere in the affairs of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) they would not
sit down aloof and watch things done haphazardly, adding that "the GFA has
no autonomy from the ministry."
He said it is the duty of the ministry to
formulate policies and ensure that its agencies, departments and other
affiliates implement them.
On other
sporting disciplines, Mr. Osei-Kwaku said it is necessary to give the so called
lesser sports equal attention as some of them have the potential of bringing
honours to the country.
GRi…/
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