James Tonney fights for African title on Friday
A member of the management team of Bofoakwa Tano, Mr. Takyi Arhin, has
dropped a bombshell that some officials of Ghana's two most glamorous clubs,
Fabulous Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak attempted to influence their 18th
and 20th weeks Star Premier league matches respectively at the
Coronation Park.
"They came with huge sums of money to convince us to play it soft
against them but we rejected the monies," Mr. Arhin alleged on Drive
Sports, a Radio BAR sports programme at Sunyani last Tuesday. The
Bofoakwa-Kotoko match ended abruptly in the 74th minute while their
match against Hearts ended in a 1-1 draw.
Mr. Arhin, who was on the programme to react to an allegation in an
Accra daily last Tuesday that Bofoakwa supporters were planning a demonstration
in protest against the manner management "sold" their match to
Arsenals at Berekum on September 30, declared that Bofoakwa would never throw
any match to any team for any reason.
"If we wanted to sell any match we would have gone in for Kotoko
and Hearts who brought huge sums of money and not a poor club like
Arsenals," Mr. Arhin alleged. He consequently refuted the allegation that
some management member collected monies from Arsenals.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 October 2001 - Three high-profile Ghanaian
coaches not mentioned in Ben Koufie's selection of national team handlers have
rallied behind the FA Chairman's soccer recovery plans in a remarkable show of
solidarity. The three coaches are Mr. Jones Attuquayefio, Mr. E.K. Afranie and
Mr. P.S.K. Paha.
In separate interviews with the Graphic Sports, the three were full of
support for Mr. Kuofie's desire to empower Ghanaian coaches and treated their
own exlusion as secondary.
On his part, Mr. Attuquayefio said since there is an unresolved
conflict over money between him and the FA, it would have been illogical to
include him in Mr. Koufie's selection. That position was further buttressed by
Mr. Koufie in a separate chat last Wednesday when he described Jones as the
best coach in Africa "whether we like it or not".
He however referred to the outstanding issue and promised that it would
soon be resolved for Jones to take his rightful place among the technical team.
Still relishing in the strong bond, which was developed in the 60's
when Jones was a player and Mr. Kuofie, his coach, the African Coach of the
Year welcomed the current arrangement as "an opportunity for all Ghanaian
coaches to rally behind Ben Koufie to prove that we can do it".
P.S.K. Paha, former coach of the Black Queens, and head coach for
Takoradi Ghatel Ladies, said he bears no hard feelings against the FA for
excluding him from the technical bench of the national women's team.
He said since he does not claim to have the ultimate and exclusive
knowledge of expertise in women's soccer, he has no bone to pick with the GFA
over the appointment of Rev. Osei Kofi as head coach of the Black Queens.
Coach Paha said he has confidence in the soccer controlling body under
Ben Koufie and therefore respects their decision. He, however, stressed that
the guidelines for any decision should be premised on the improvement and
upgrading of standards in Ghana football.
According to coach Paha who is also the head coach of Sekondi Hassacas,
his prayer is that the five-year development plan spelt out by the FA would be
successfully implemented. He said the development exercise is an on-going one
and Ghanaians and soccer loving fans should exercise patience and contribute
their quota to the development of soccer in the country.
The ex-Black Stars skipper said the involvement of some ex-national
stars on the technical bench of six national soccer teams is laudable and
pointed out that the move is long over-due since most soccer nations are
utilizing their ex-stars to their advantage.
On his part, Coach E.K. Afranie said he is prepared to work in any
defined role given him to his best in order to achieve results. Afranie, who is
now a member of the FA's Technical Committee preferred to comment on specifics
only after he has been fully briefed.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 October 2001 - Mexico is the latest country to
be added to the list of stop-overs for the senior national soccer team, Black
Stars, in their preparation for the Africa Nations Cup (CAN) 2002 tournament in
Mali in January.
The friendly between the two nations is scheduled for Mexico City on
December 19, which is ten clear days before their engagement against Spain in
another friendly.
These revelations were made to The Ghanaian Times by sources close to the FA on Thursday.
In between the two friendlies, the Black Stars will be in Mali as guest
of the Malian Football Association to play their Malian counterparts in a game
to officially outdoor one of the four stadiums built for the CAN 2002 event.
From the Spain engagement, the Black Stars will trek to Egypt to take
on the Pharaohs before landing in Accra to prepare for the final leg of their
international friendlies against Togo on a home and away basis.
According to information, the F/A continues to receive invitations for
international friendlies but had to opt out in view of the closeness of the
2002 event and the adverse effects on the players from too many trials.
The head of the technical team, Coach Fred Osam Duodu, said the real
assessment of the team’s training move into top gear at the close of the
domestic league.
He disclosed that, his group of foreign-based players are expected to
join the team latest by December 20.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 October - Awudu Adama, the latest invitee to
the Black Stars camp has vowed to win a regular shirt in the final team for the
Cup of African Nations (CAN) 2002 which will be hosted by Mali early next year.
In an exclusive interview with the GNA Sports on Friday, the stocky
striker who plays for Dawu Youngsters said he began the current season with a
resolve to attract the attention of national team selectors and win a place in
the Black Stars for the continental championship.
"I am happy that Allah has answered my prayers and I shall do
every thing to retain my position in the team and represent Ghana, not only in
the Nations Cup but also in subsequent matches, particularly in the 2006 World
Cup qualifiers in Germany."
He said he began the season with the greatest determination to excel
and was happy to have led the scorers chart in the first three quarters of the
first round but regretted that he had to concede the leadership to Ishmael Addo
because of a groin injury he sustained midway through the round.
Awudu Adama who is second on the scorers chart with 10 goals said he is
a disciplined player and would work hard to suit into the game plans of coach
Osam Duodu and prove his mettle when he wins a starting shirt in the Black
Stars line up.
He warned Addo to be careful of his leadership position because he has
recovered and was poised to reclaim the top spot from him.
"Goals are what separate a good team from a bad one and I believe
I have the knack for goals and the strength, to withstand the tackles from all
good defenders on the continent.
"My conditioning is fantastic and sometimes I think the national
team is denied goals by the lack of strength of our attackers. The
Cameroonians, the Nigerians and the South Africans have strong defenders who
easily shove our attackers off the ball when they have opportunities to
score."
He said he would not chicken out of manly contests to the disadvantage
of the Black Stars but rather, he would like to die a little on the field in
order to see the team succeed. "I want to go all out and help the team to
win the African Cup again after 20 years and after that I will seek greener
pastures in Europe. I have my eyes on France, Germany and Belgium and I want to
distinguish myself in Mali and get the attention of the scouts. "The
ultimate is a professional career in Europe and Mali certainly, will be the
launching pad," he added.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 October 2001 - Women Soccer, which has
suffered complete rejection since its introduction in the country 10 years ago
would at last breath a sigh of relief, thanks to the vision of the new
management of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
The FA has planned to put some structures in place to bring women
soccer to the accepted standard just as their male counterparts. "Women
soccer should have been on a better platform by now, the problem of teams being
assembled hurriedly for international assignment would be a thing of the past.'
Speaking to the GNA sports on Friday, Mr. Ben Kouffie, chairman of the
GFA said women soccer is part and parcel of a five-year development programme
to restructure the game.
Mr. Kouffie said for start, an under-17 team which would form the base
of the senior team would be formed adding that selection exercise would be
undertaken throughout the country pick players.
He said regional league season would be introduced from which the
under-17 squad would be formed. The current under-19 talented players would be
moved up to make up to take over from the over-aged players since the country
has already been registered for the 2003 women's world championship.
Abedi Ayew Pele, member of the GFA and Ghana's soccer ambassador said
women soccer should be encouraged because it is something that the world soccer
governing body, FIFA itself, supports.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 October 2001 - The Prince and Baseline
Promotions' spectacular boxing showdown lined up for the Kaneshie Sports
Complex on Friday will definitely live up to its billing and ignite the
new-found traditional arena in spite of a few setback which rocked the bill
along the line.
The fight, originally slated for Accra a week ago had to be postponed for a week due to a few hitches.
Interestingly, Nigeria's middleweight king and Commonwealth-rated Sunny
King had a very funny feeling when he sneaked into the country last week with
his trainer only to hear of the postponement of his African Boxing Union (ABU)
title fight with Ghana's James Toney.
For him, he initially thought that was a ploy simple to wear him down
psychologically. But later events have proved otherwise as they have rather
been blessed with some adequate time to really adjust themselves better for the
fight.
What, however, remains a mystery is whether that could be a safeguard
against the devastating "bombs" of James Toney which have so far seen
all his opponents through the short route.
With the Nigerian promising to decision his Ghanaian opponent, the
evening will certainly give fans lots of thrills and excitement.
GRi…/
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