Herbert Mensah denies Embezzlement at Kotoko
secretariat
Premier division players can't play for
Black Starlets
Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2000
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) says it is preparing a regulation that would bar premier division players from featuring for the national Under - 17 side, the Black Starlets.
A source close to the GFA told "Times Sports" in Accra over the weekend, that the decision taken by the executive council of the FA is aimed checking the falsification of age of players featuring in the premier competition.
When passed, the regulation would render it ineligible for young players to transfer overseas for foreign contracts, especially members of the Black Starlets until they attain the required age.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Football Association (NFA), about a fortnight ago, debarred members of their under-17 national side, the Golden Eagles, from featuring for the professional division one clubs.
Meanwhile, the selection of players into the Black Starlets will start next month with the hosting of a colts tournament at Sunyani.
Selected players would then be moved to Winneba to prepare for an opening Africa U-17 championship qualifier against Sierra Leone. As part of the FA,s innovation, coaches Sulley Mohammed, coach of the Gomoa - Feteh - based soccer academy, Feyernood and Sly Tetteh of Liberty Professionals fame have been appointed to handle the Starlets.
"I guess it's about time we gave our young coaches the opportunity, especially in view of the huge gap between our experienced trainers and younger counterparts", Times Sports quoted the source to have said.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2000
Mr Herbert Mensah, Board Chairman
of Kumasi Asante Kotoko football club, has denied a newspaper publication that
49 million cedis has been embezzled at the Club's secretariat in Kumasi and described
the story, carried in Tuesday's edition of a bi-weekly sports newspaper,
"Graphic Sports, as "false and unfounded."
Mr Mensah, reacting to the story
in an interview on Choice FM, an Accra radio station on Tuesday, said the story
is an attempt to escalate the problems of the already troubled club and also as
a means of selling the paper
.
According to the story, one
Patrick in charge of the club's finances has subsequently been invited to Accra
in connection with investigations into the alleged theft.
Herbert's driver whose name was
given as Emmanuel is said to have demanded some money from Patrick who had been
spending lavishly of late, but was turned down by him. This resulted in
confrontation between the two during which Emmanuel is said to have let out on
Patrick's illegal deeds.
Mr Mensah denied that the paper
had tried to contact him before the publication and called for calm among
supporters of the club, adding; "I think perhaps I'm the most accessible
Chairman and for the reporter to have said he tried to contact me without
success was a lie.''
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2000
The Ghana Football Association
(GFA) is in touch with Ghanaian soccer international, Gerald Asamoah, to
beef-up the attacking machinery of the Black Stars in their 2002 World Cup
campaign.
Alhaji M. N. D. Jawula, Chairman
of the GFA, told the GNA in an interview in Accra on Monday that he had opened
discussions with the Karlsruhe player and expressed the hope that the final
decision on the player's willingness to feature for the Stars would be known on
his arrival in the country later this month.
Alhaji Jawula said skipper C. K. Akunnor
and his deputy Samuel Osei Kuffour have also spoken to the player in a bid to
make him rescind his earlier decision of not playing for the country but for
Germany.
Gerald Asamoah, apparently angered
after Italian Coach Giusseppe Dossena failed to feature him in an African
Nations Cup qualifier against Eritrea last year, subsequently decided to opt
for German citizenship.
"I personally spoke with him
last Friday and I will call him again this evening, to create the necessary
rapport," Alhaji Jawula said, adding that Emmanuel Duah, who plays for
Portuguese club Uniao Leira, would also be contacted because he is in top
shape.
On the issue of forming a local
Black Stars, the Chairman said, "we want the best for the country, it does
not really matter whether the player plays at home or abroad. The strength of
the Black Stars lies with the quality of players and not where they play."
Alhaji Jawula was optimistic that
for once, the Black Stars will make it to the Japan/Korea 2002 World Cup.
Ghana is grouped alongside
Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan and plays the first match on July 9,
in Sierra Leone. The top team qualifies for the World Cup.
Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2000
A controversial drawn decision given in the bout between former WBO Bantamweight Champion, Alfred 'Cobra' Kotey and Gideon Annor, has made Cobra to deplore boxing in Ghana and sworn never to fight in the country again.
Judge E.J.B. Osabutey scored the fight 97-97, Atta Abbey, 97-95 for Kotey while J.B. Owusu-Ansah scored 97-97, to leave the main match up of the six-bout dubbed 'Ogboo Night' without a winner.
The former World Boxing Organisation champion, after a three-year lay off surprised everybody including his own followers who prior to the 10 round, were sceptical of his chances against his much younger opponent but the former champion, easily the better of the two, combined experience, speed and power to dominate the fight, giving Annor several anxious moments.
At the end of the bout, the bizarre decision scored by the three judges was greeted with jeers and boos from fans who thronged the Kaneshie Complex.
Embittered Kotey said after the verdict had been announced that: "The Ghana Boxing Authority and promoters, Ambition Boxing Promotions, are behind Annor, and I was not surprised at all that the fight was declared a draw".
When asked about his next plan of action, he said he was going to have a sober reflection but added that it was likely that he will continue his long chequered carrier in the U.S.
The decision notwithstanding, the two boxers sold out one of the cleanest fights seen locally, leaving referee Shadrack Acquaye with very little work to do.
Annor, who initially was back-pedalling, managed to stand toe to toe with Kotey in till the fourth round. Kotey who seemed to enjoy that pattern of boxing let out his sting and by the sixth round had Annor's right eye half-closed with punches.
Desperate Annor managed to deliver some hefty punches but they were not enough to floor veteran Kotey as he used his rich experience very much to the frustration of Annor. Kotey's record stands at 30-3-1 with 14 of his 27 wins by way of knockout while Annor's record stands at 9-1-2.
In another closely fought contest Anyetei Laryea beat Abdul Malik Jabir to annex the vacant national bantamweight crown.
Judge Osabutey scored it 119-113, Fred Ghartey, 119-111 and Confident Hiagbe scored it 119-111 all in favour of Laryea.
In the African bantamweight Championship bout between up-and -coming Joseph Agbeko and bluffing Nigerian Ola Balogun, Agbeko won by a technical knockout 52 seconds in the second round of their scheduled 12 round fight. The Nigerian, until the fight had won 18 of his 19 fights with only a draw against no less a person than Ghana's Nana Yaw Konadu in an exhibition bout in 1998.
But the tall and lanky, 27-year-old Nigerian national champion admitted after the fight that he had not prepared very well for the fight and added that the one week notice given him contributed to his poor showing.
GRi../