Essel and Affizie banned for life
Okwawu United FC gets 75 million cedis support
Accra
(Greater Accra Region) – 18 October 2001 - The Sports Writers Association of
Ghana (SWAG) is to go to the polls on Saturday, November 3, 2001 to elect
officers to steer its affairs for the next four years.
A
statement signed by Mr Emmanuel Amoako, General Secretary said only fully
paid-up members would be eligible to stand elections or exercise their
franchise.
The
statement said Mr Harry Mouzalas, Chief Editor at the Ghana News Agency (GNA)
has been appointed the electoral commissioner and members vying for various
positions are expected to file their nominations with him by the close of day
on Wednesday October 31 2001.
The
seven executive positions to be filled include President, Vice-President,
General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Treasurer and two executive
members.
Those
interested in contesting the elections would be required to pay a
non-refundable deposit of 50,000 cedis for the position of president, 30,000
cedis for vice-president and 20,000 cedis each for the remaining positions.
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Accra
(Greater Accra Region) 18 October 2001 – Information gathered indicates that
the Ghana Football Association is considering the possibility of hiring the
services of a foreign coach from Europe to beef up the technical bench of the
senior national soccer team, the Black Stars.
Among
the list of countries whose nationals are being considered for the job are
three-time world champions, Germany and current world and European as well as
Confederations Cup champions, France.
A
source close to the FA hinted that the primary objective of acquiring the
services of an experienced coach would be to help in the preparation of the
Black Stars for the qualifying series of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
The
choice of nationality of the coach is not borne out of vacuum, but out of the
fact that Germany and France remain formidable sides or have produced some very
good materials in the coaching field.
Germany
for instance boasts of Franz Berkenbeau, 1990 World Cup winning coach; Berti
Vogts Hitzfeld, who is also described as an alchemist; Bukhard Ziese, who
steered the affairs of the Black Stars level in 1990 and 1991, and Otto Pfister
Rehagel among others.
France,
on the other hand, has not been the favourite ground for poaching expatriate
coaches for Ghanaian teams. However, the sudden rise of the World Champions to
international glory might be the real motivation for considering a coach from
that country. – Evening News
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Accra
(Greater Accra Region) 18 October 2001 - Referee J. D. K. Essel and Match
Commissioner G. M. Affizie, who officiated the Hearts- Goldfields league match
in Accra, which recorded the controversial Charles Taylor affair, have been
banned for life.
The
Ghana Football Association Disciplinary Committee, which handed out the
punishment on Wednesday 17 October 2001, also dismissed the protest filed by
Kumasi Asante Kotoko challenging the eligibility of Charles Taylor in their
19th week league match played at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.
Although
Kotoko won 2-0, they filed a protest on the grounds that Taylor had received a
yellow card in their mid-week game with Goldfields, which, therefore, made him
eligible to play against Kotoko.
The
widely publicised case attained scandalous proportions when it was revealed
during the Disciplinary Committee’s hearing that, the match officials conspired
to quash Taylor’s caution and instead credited it to his team-mate Jacob
Nettey.
Chief
among the reasons for dismissing the protest was the conflicting allegations
made by Messrs Essel and Affizie, which could not be corroborated. The
committee established that Taylor was cautioned in the match but Referee Essel
and Match Commissioner Affizie conspired to alter the records and attribute the
caution to the Nettey.
Referee
Essel said that the match commissioner coerced him to effect the substitution
as a result of influences by an unnamed Hearts official but Mr Affizie denied
this. Their evidence, the commission contends, could only lead to suspicion but
not implicating any Hearts official of misdemeanour.
Nevertheless,
the football regulatory body will further investigate allegations by Essel that
Kotoko’s deputy representative, Kojo Nyarko, made overtures to him in an
attempt to influence the result of the game.
– Daily Graphic
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Accra
(Greater Accra Region) 18 October 2001 - J. B. Danquah, Accra Great Olympics
goal poacher, is holding the wonder club to ransom, demanding a full payment of
his enticement fee or “advice himself”.
He
has refused to attend the club’s meetings for the last couple of days and
subsequently boycotted Olympic’s last league tie with Liberty Professionals at
the Accra Sports Stadium.
According
to Mr Bob Fleischer-Djoleto, a member of Great Olympics Interim Management
Committee (IMC), J. B. has been paid 8 million cedis out of 15 million cedis
enticement fee. He further stated, “ The number of matches he has played does
not merit his demands, though he has proven his striking pedigree beyond
doubt”.
Against
that disturbing background however, the 45 million priced striker was last
weekend asked to leave for his Kumasi base, while a decision is taken on his
future with the club but conversations with the player suggests that management
of the club might enter into a refreshing deal with him. – Ghanaian Times
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Accra
(Greater Accra Region) 18 October 2001 - The Division One League (DOL) board
with the consent of the Ghana Football Association has granted Takoradi-based
Bafana Bafana Football Club the permission to register five more players for
the soccer season.
Mr
Douglas Djarbeng, chairman of DOL disclosed this in an interview in Accra on
Wednesday, 17 October 2001. Bafana Bafana FC lost three of its players, a
driver and a supporter of the club on their way home after honouring a league
match against Cape Coast Vipers, in a motor accident at the outskirts of
Sekondi in the Western Region.
The
DOL boss announced that the club is expected to take the opportunity to fill
the vacancy to enable them to honour their very last zonal match against Iron
Fighters, which was declared outstanding due to the accident. He said the sub-middle league for the other
zones will kick-off on October 27 2001.
– Ghanaian Times
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Accra
(Greater Accra Region) 18 October 2001 - Ken Botchway, the new coach of bottom
club Kwaebibirem United, has vowed to do everything possible to redeem the
sunken image of the Club and move it from the relegation zone.
Speaking
in an interview in Accra on Wednesday 17 October 2001, the coach who took over
affairs of the club about two weeks ago, however admitted that it was not going
to be an easy task.
“I
want to save the team from the brink of collapse and move it to a better
position on the league table, that is the job of every good coach", he
said.
Elaborating
on some of the team's problems, the coach said indiscipline was affecting the
performance of the team. He said most of the players are from second and third
divisional clubs who lacked exposure and experience to play in the premiership.
Coach
Botchway suggested the change of venue from Asuom to either Asamankese or
Akwatia to enable the team attract the needed crowd for its matches.
He
promised to do all that it takes to enable the team win the rest of their
matches be it home or away admitting that, their encounters ahead are really
tough.
Kwaebibirem
United are lying at the bottom of the league table with 24 points with seven
matches left to end the league season.
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Accra
(Greater Accra Region) 18 October 2001 - The Director of Midwest Company
Limited, representative of Armitage Shanks (UK), Mr Mike Twum-Barimah, has
donated football kits and cash worth 75 million cedis to Okwawu United Football
Club.
The
items consist of 30 pairs of boots, a set of hoses and two sets of jerseys in
the club’s colours totalling 55 million cedis, and a cheque for 20 million
cedis.
Mr
Twum-Barimah, a former chairman of the club, noted that the gesture is to
honour the plea from the current Board Chairman, Dr Felix K. Frimpong, to
assist the players to deliver good results.
He
said the gesture was made possible with assistance from SM Export of Germany.
He promised more of such donations in future, and further called on the good
people of Kwahu in the Eastern region to contribute meaningfully towards the
development of the club. - Daily Graphic
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