Police
cannot trace Kotoko ball-boy
Deadline
for invited players- George Amoako disagrees with Osam Duodo
Eighth “Route d'Accra” this month
James
Toney is new African middleweight champion
Thriller
in Kumasi as Hasaacas battle with Kotoko for 3-3
Olympics
survive against Liberty to maintain run
Fans
Happy with Olympics performance
Soccer
– Premier League results
Standings
of the Star Premier league
Accra
(Greater Accra) 15 October 2001 -There were shocking and startling revelations
when Tamale-based Class one referee, J. D. K. Essel appeared before the
Disciplinary Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Thursday
evening.
He told the
committee that Mr Mohammed Haruna, a top management member of Kumasi Asante
Kotoko, used the name of the President Mr J. A. Kufuor and Acting Chief
Justice, Justice Wiredu to threaten him to testify against Accra Hearts of Oak
in the Charles Taylor yellow card saga.
Referee
Essel revealed at the committee’s sitting that Haruna threatened him that his
actions would be closely monitored by President Kufuor, an ex-Board chairman,
and Justice Wiredu, so he should testify in Kotoko’s favour.
Essel also
told the committee how Mr Nyarko, a Kotoko’s deputy Accra representative,
approached him with ¢10 million cedis bribe to ensure the defeat of Hearts of
Oak and 5 million cedis for a draw in their match against Obuasi Goldfields.
The
Disciplinary committee also heard how Alhaji Mukali of Real Tamale United (RTU)
acting on behalf of another top Kotoko management member, Mr George Amoako,
induced Essel with a tempting parcel to again testify for Kotoko at the
committee’s sitting.
When Essel
was asked whether he could identify Amoako, he reportedly fished him among the
officials to back his claims. Mr Essel said he was persuaded by Ho-based Match
Commissioner, Afdzie to alter his report and replace the name of Jacob Nettey
in place of Charles Taylor, by the Match Commissioner.
Mr Afidzie
however denied the claim and stood his ground that he did not make any such
move as claimed by Essel. Following the revelations made by Referee Essel, the
committee could not give its ruling last Thursday but deferred it to Tuesday.
After the
meeting, the committee advised members of the two clubs and their lawyers not
to issue any statements on the issue but Kotoko’s official mouthpiece is
reported to have carried the story giving it a one-sided story which favoured
the team leaving the more serious ones such as the bribery allegations and the
use of President Kufuor and Ag Chief Justice to influence the outcome of the referee’s
testimony before the committee.
“You don’t.
throw stones when you live in a glass house”, noted a foreign journalist who
had followed the trend of affairs in Ghana soccer. Most of your people who are
parading as club administrators and talk about professionalism are joking, he
noted.
“I would
wish both the Office of the President and Chief Justice would investigate this
case before it is too late”, Mr Eric Baffour, a businessman noted. – Ghanaian
Chronicle.
GRi…/
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Sunyani
(Brong Ahafo) 15 October 2001 - The Sunyani Police are finding it very
difficult to effect the arrest of Issah Amadu, the Kotoko ball-boy who
disrupted the 18th week Star Premier League match between Tano Bofoakwa and
Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Sunyani Coronations Park, last September 9.
This
followed the lack of information about the whereabouts of Issah Amadu to enable
the police to trace him in Kumasi. A community Tribunal chaired by Mr Charles
Adjei-Wilson had ordered the police to arrest culprit after acquitting and
discharging Samuel Ofori-Gyasi who was arrested on a mistaken identity.
It is
recalled that, a video footage on the said match, established that, Issah Amadu
was the real culprit and not Ofori-Gyasi. From the footage, Issah is said to
have emerged from Kotoko’s bench in the 74th minute of the match, to hit the
forehead of referee Kwasi Ghartey of Cape Coast with a football, causing an
abrupt end to the match.
Superintendent
Salifu, Ashanti Regional Police Crime Officer, disclosed over the weekend that
the police are finding it very difficult to apprehend Issah since they do not
know his whereabouts. He also said there are speculations that irate funs of
Kotoko have driven him out of Kumasi for “letting the team down”.
GRi…/
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Accra
(Greater Accra Region) 15 October 2001-The National Head Coach, Mr Fred Osam
Duodo, has said any invited player who does not report to his camp on Thursday
October 18th should count himself out of his Mali 2002 plans.
However, Mr George Amoako, Director of
Administration and Finance of Kotoko, says, “As a club we believe in dialogue
and therefore insist that Mr Osam Duodo enters into an agreeable arrangement
with our technical staff. It is therefore surprising that he would suddenly
give an ultimatum and create the impression that Kotoko constitutes the
problem. Kotoko can’t be the problem; it is the way the system operates.
According
to him, players like Godwin Ablordey, Dan Acquah, Joe Hendricks, Osei Boateng
and Isaac Owusu (alias Ninja) appreciate the position of the management of the
club on the matter and are therefore not much worried about the possibility of
they not making it to Mali 2002.
Meanwhile,
it is believed that Osam Duodo will rely heavily on the services of
foreign-based professionals like Samuel Osei Kuffour, Stephen Appiah, Derek
Boateng, Razak Ibrahim, Peter Ofori-Quaye and Abukari Yakubu.
It is
however still not clear whether the likes of Kwame Ayew, Sam Johnson, C. K.
Akunnor and Odartey Lamptey will feature in Osam Duodo’s plans.
GRi…/
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Eighth “Route d'Accra” this month
Accra
(Greater Accra Region) 15 October 2001 - The eighth annual cycling competition
dubbed “Route d' Accra” would be held at Nima in Accra on October 27, this
year.
Eight teams
from Accra and two cyclists from each of the ten regions of the country would
compete in this year’s competition for attractive prizes.
Mr Alex
Adjei, Secretary of the Ghana Cycling Association, said on Friday that, the
competition has been shifted to Nima because of the inconveniences faced at Osu
last year which contributed to the low patronage by the public.
The
competition which is sponsored by Ghana France Co-operation, Cowbell,
Pepsi,
Wienco Fertilizers, Bic and Woodin is expected to feature among others, clubs
like All Stars, Fire Bonch and River Park (Accra).
GRi…/
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Accra
(Greater Accra Region) 15 October 2001- James "Hot Ice" Toney stopped
Nigerian Sunday King "Hammer" at the Kaneshie Sports Complex in the
early hours of Saturday to win the vacant African middleweight boxing title.
Midway into
the round, Sunday hit the canvas as he slipped on the retreat. When he got up,
he caught Toney in the face with a stinging right and tried to follow it up
with a double fisted attack, but the new champion recovered quickly and fired
three powerful rights to the face of the Nigerian and ended the round with some
accurate body shots.
The chase
continued in the second round with Toney clearly dictating the pace and
pummelling his opponent with straight left jabs to his face and anchoring them
with brutal body punches. Sunday stunned Toney with a powerful right to the
face but the champion hit back and rocked him with swift combination punches to
the head and midsection.
It was a
one-way traffic from round three as the Nigerian appeared scared of the power
in Toney's punches and decided to beat the retreat without throwing any
effective punches in the process.
In the
fifth, the pressure was too much for Hammer as Toney kept surging forward and
hammering him with sledges from all angles. The Nigerian went into a clinch to
avoid further punishment and when the referee broke them, he tried to target a
bomb but Toney held up his guard in an excellent defensive stance.
Then half
way through the sixth, Toney smashed a right canon into the face of Sunday and
followed it up with another to his midsection, dropping him in a neutral
corner.
The end
came dramatically as the Nigerian crumbled to the canvas in the sixth round and
was counted out by referee Joseph Annan.
On the
Prince and Baseline International Promotions Syndicate programme dubbed
"Ogya Night," Moubi Armstrong dethroned Ben Odamatten in a spectacular
fashion to become the national featherweight champion.
Moubi got a
unanimous verdict as judge Godfred Cobbina scored it 112-117 and judges
Confidence
Hiagbe and Fred Ghartey made it 113-118 and 113-117 respectively in his favour.
In the other
under-cards, Alfred Tetteh out-pointed Alarape Akeem over six rounds in a
middleweight bout while Malik Jabir, the National Super-Bantamweight Champion,
gained a fourth round technical knockout over Mohammed Laryea.
Joseph
Sarkodie stopped Mbele Kene from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the sixth
round of their lightweight fray.
The
Congolese was decked in the sixth and the ring doctor rushed into the ring even
before the referee had finished counting.
Brimah
Kamako won a unanimous decision over Ibrahim Marshal in a six-round catchweight
contest, as Ayittey Powers recorded a controversial 2-1 split result over
George Amuzu in a six-round Super-lightweight contest.
GRi…/
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Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 15 October 2001 - A 78th minute penalty enabled Kumasi Asante
Kotoko to draw 3-3 with Sekondi Hasaacas in their match played over the weekend
which has pushed Kotoko further away from their title dream this season.
Trailing
1-2 at half time, Hasaacas came back from recess to score two goals in the 57th
and 67th minutes respectively.
The
equalizer came from Ebow Mensah who had an easier task of pushing the ball into
the net after goalkeeper Osei Boateng had fumbled the ball to slip through his
hands for Mensah, who was lurking around, to slot it home.
Hasaacas's
third goal came through a free-kick taken just outside the Kotoko penalty box
by Emmanuel Okyere. Kotoko then raised the hopes of their supporters to carry
the day at home after their shocking 2-0 home defeat by Okwahu United two weeks
ago.
Joe Okyere
caught goalkeeper George Owu on the wrong foot in the eighth minute when his
long shot almost from the centre line, beat the goalkeeper
Then in the
21st minute, Michael Osei pushed Nana Frimpong's rebound into the net after he
(Nana Frimpong) had headed over the bar in the 14th minute.
After the
two goals, Hasaacas pulled out Paul Mensah for Salu Muntari just after Kotoko's
second goal while Richard Ladzekpo was booked in the 41st minute.
The change
paid off for the visitors as they pulled one back in the 44th minute through
Frank Turkson who caught goalkeeper Osei Boateng napping with a low drive from
outside the penalty box.
Hasaacas
followed the equaliser up with a brilliant free-kick in the 67th minute by
Emmanuel Okyere which sailed into the left hand corner of the net, leaving goalkeeper
Osei Boateng, stranded.
With defeat
staring them in the face, Kotoko threw everything into the game and Stephen
Oduro who moved anxiously into the Hasaacas goal area was brought down for the
resultant penalty kick which was converted by substitute Abedi Sarfo.
GRi…/
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Professionals
to draw goalless in their 23rd week Star Premier League encounter played at the
Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.
The draw,
which ensured Olympics maintain their unbeaten run since the start of the
second phase of the league came at a high cost, as substitute Jonathan Abieku,
who had come on in the 41st minute, was left unconscious after a collision with
another player.
Olympics
had to play the entire second half at a disadvantage as Abieku could not return
to the field after the incident.
Olympics
had exhausted their substitution earlier in the game by bringing on George
Essilfie and Dennis Odoom for injured Philip Kutsu and David Amoako
respectively before Abeiku's injury.
It was
Liberty who kicked off and immediately took the game to Olympics, creating two
early chances in the sixth and 15th minutes, which they wasted.
Urged on
by their fans, Olympics resorted to very robust tackles to contain the slippery
Liberty midfield led by David Boateng and that earned Numo Mahammed the first
caution in the 29th minute. But the referee could not stamp his authority on
the game as the dangerous tackles kept flying in from both teams.
Olympics
came out worse from the rough play as their players took the heavy brunt of the
knocks, compelling them to exhaust their substitutions before the end of the
first half.
The 'Wonder
Club' were forced to re-strategise for the second half, and they played a more
defensive game leaving only one player, Fatau Barnes on top of the attack and
packed their men in defence.
But in the
50th minute Olympics nearly took the lead, but the vigilance of Cudjoe Addo in
post for Liberty denied them when the goalie stretched to punch out a diving
header from Francis Martey.
From the
hour mark the match became a one-way traffic towards the Olympics goal area but
the defence of Essilfie and Mohammed remained resolute and warded off the
attack from Liberty.
In another
match played on Friday at the same venue, Tema Ghapoha beat Okwawu United by a
lone goal.
The only
goal was scored by Amui Quaye in the 54th minute when he connected a cross from
skipper Alex Awauh.
GRi…/
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Accra
(Greater Accra region) 15 October 2001 - Undaunted Accra Great Olympics fans
have every reason to smile at the team's wonderful second round performance
which has moved them up the league table.
Some of the
fans interviewed after a draw match with Liberty Professionals in Accra on
Saturday, expressed joy and satisfaction at the club's outstanding performance
of late.
"The
team has improved tremendously, I think they had some managerial problems to
begin with which initially affected them, but I am glad they have gotten over
them and are back on track,” commented Mike Quaye, a staunch supporter of the
club.
He advised
the players to be more tactical in their approach and relax with the ball in
their subsequent matches.
Frank Nii
Addy, another ardent fan said the team's performance so far is good, and
described last Saturday's match as excellent, whiles appreciating the outcome
of proceedings.
He
cautioned the team to keep the new found spirit and unity intact, as a measure
to safeguard the interests and success of the team.
Mr Emmanuel
Osei, the Welfare Secretary, who described the team's recent performance as
encouraging, attributed the cause of the unimpressive performance of the team
at the start of the league, to indiscipline among the players.
He praised
coach Sarpong for his dedication to work and for instilling discipline among
the players.
GRi…/
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Obuasi
(Ashanti Region) 15 October 2001 - A
51st minute goal scored by Alhassan Awudu gave Adansiman a 1-0 victory over
their local rivals, Goldfields in their Star
Premier
League match at the Len Clay Stadium on Sunday.
After a
scoreless first half, Adansiman resumed the second half much more determined
and won the day with the 51st minute goal through Awudu who beat keeper Mike
Robertson with a volley.
In Tamale
(Northern Region), visiting King Faisal played a determined game to hold Real
Tamale United (RTU) to a 1-1 draw in their match played at the Tamale Kaladan
Park.
RTU took
the lead in the 31st minute through midfielder Abass Iddrisu. Abass who took
the ball from the centre circle, dribbled four King Faisal players on the run
and cheekily scored with the heel. RTU maintained the lead until the end of the
first half.
King Faisel
was a transformed side in the second half. They pinned RTU to their own half
and in the 75th minute, their efforts yielded dividends when inside right
Joseph Agyemang's 30 yard shot beat Majawu Issah in goal for RTU.
The
chairman of King Faisal Football Club, Alhaji Grunsah, who was very tensed up
decided not to watch the match and was rather listening to commentary at the
offices of the National Sports Council situated at the stadium.
At Koforidua (Eastern Region), visiting Brekum
Arsenals Football Club beat Koforidua-based Maxbees 2 - 0 in their encounter at
the Koforidua stadium.
After
wasting many goal scoring chances that came their way in the early stages of
the match, the Maxbees were shown how to score goals when the visitors shocked
them with the opener in the 44th minute through Francis Aggrey.
On
resumption, the home team mounted pressure on the visitors but again failed to
utilise the chances which came their way until Aggrey again increased the tally
to two in the 89th minute.
Both teams
made substitutions but this never brought any significant changes in the trend
of play.
At the
Accra Sports Stadium, Kwaebibirem United suffered yet another defeat when they
went down 2-0 at the hands of Champion club, Accra Hearts of Oak in their
encounter at the weekend.
Kwaebibirem,
who are deep in the relegation zone on 24 points disappointed their fans,
Hearts of Oak appeared to have dominated the both halves of the match.
With
beautiful moves and good passes, Hearts nearly took an early lead in the fourth
minute when a free kick taken by Emmanuel Adjogu missed narrowly.
Hearts
continued to dominate, giving their opponents no breathing space but wasted
scoring chances that came their way until the 35th minute when Addo gave a
cross to Osei Kuffour to score the opener.
The second
half was not different from the first as Hearts continued to dominate by
mounting pressure upon pressure on Kwaebibirem whose only two chances in the
47th and 75th minutes were blown away. Kuffour made it two for Hearts in the
63rd minute after receiving a pass from Amankwaa Mireku.
Both teams
made some changes in the second half with Kwaebibirem bringing on
Nuhu
Mohammed for Richard Yeboah in the 63rd minute while Charles Taylor also went
in for Emmanuel Adjogu in the 66th minute.
Dawu
Youngsters on Sunday put up a good fight to beat visiting Bofoakwa 4-2 after
going down one nil in the first half.
Bofoakwa
took the lead in the 28th minute through centre forward, Clovis Kambou.
Dawu
equalised in the 54th minute through substitute Awudu Adama who came in to
replace Prince Adu-Poku.
Dawu
increased their tally to two through right half back Ahmed Issah who headed
home a corner kick taken from the left flank in the 57th minute.
The
celebration by the Dawu supporters had not ended when the centre half back of
Bofoakwa, John Cudjoe joined his attackers and took advantage of a
misunderstanding among the Dawu defenders to blast the ball home for the equaliser
in the 62nd minute.
After the
equaliser, Bofoakwa players increased the pressure on their hosts and during
one of such attacks in the 72nd minute Dawu played on the break and sent a long
pass to Adama who beat his marker and blasted a shot towards goal. The ball hit
the upright and bounced back into play for inside right Eric Mbroh to fire it
into the net for the third goal for his side.
Two minutes
later, Dawu's Chronicles Amadu sent a pass to Mbroah who dashed deep to the
left flank before sending a good cross into the penalty box of Bofoakwa for
Adama to head home for Dawu's forth goal.
GRi…/
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Accra
(Greater Accra Region) 15 October 2001 - Some results of the Premier National
League played at the various centres over the weekend are as follows:
Accra
(Friday):- Hearts of
Oak..Two(2) Kwabebrim.....Nil (0)
Accra
(Saturday) Great
Olympics..Zero(0) Liberty
Professionals..Zero(0)
Kumasi
(Ashanti):- Asante
Kotoko..Three(3) Hasaacas......Three
(3)
Tema
(Greater Accra):-Ghapoha One (1)
Okwahu United: Zero (0)
Obuasi
(Asahnti):- Adansiman ..One
(1) Goldfields ....Zero (0)
Koforidua
(Eastern):- Arsenal two (2) Maxbees...Zero (0)
GRi…/
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Accra
(Greater Accra Region) 15 October 2001 - Table after 23rd week matches between
Ghapoha/Okwawu and Liberty/Olympics played on Saturday at The Accra Sports
Stadium.
The table
also includes the revised table after Kotoko were declared losers in their
botched match against Bofoakwa played on Sept 9 at the Sunyani Coronation Park.
Kotoko are
to lose three points from their accumulated haul and also the three points and
three goals from the match in question to Bofoakwa.
The table
is tabulated under a number of matches played, won, drawn and lost with goals
for and against.
Home Away
P W
D L F A P
W D L F A
...Pts GD
Hearts 12 12 0 0
32 4 11 5 4
2 13 9 55 +32
Kotoko 12 10 1 1
21 4 11 5 2
4 9 10 45 +21
Goldfields 12
8 2 2 22 6
10 3 1 6 8
11 36 +13
Dawu 11 7 1 3
16 6 12 3 2
7 12 18 33 +1
Bofoakwa 12
8 4 0 21 6
11 0 4 7 3
15 32 +3
Hasaacas 12 8 2 2
15 8 11 1 3
7 9 17 32 -1
Arsenals 11 7 3 1
12 5 12 2 1
9 6 24 31 -11
RTU 11 8 3 0
15 2 12 0 2
10 4 21 29 -5
Liberty 11 4 3 4
15 11 11 3 4
5 11 15 28 0
Ghapoha 12 6 4 2
10 5 11 1 3
7 3 10 28 -1
Olympics 11 4 3 4
12 10 12 2 6
4 7 9 27 0
Okwawu 11 5 2 3 14 10 11
2 4 5 10 18
27 -4
King
Faisal 11 5
5 1 12 5 12
1 3 8 3 16
26 -7
Adansiman 11
5 3 3 13 11
12 2 2 8 8
21 26 -11
Maxbees 11 6 3 2 15 12 12
1 1 10 7 31
25 -21
Kwaebibirem 12
5 3 3 13 11
12 1 2 9 7
15 24 -9
GRi…/
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