Kennedy Agyepong upbeat for Kotoko
Black
Stars draw with Western Region
Ever
Greens beat Abibiman United in friendly
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 03 December 2002 -
After a hectic training session at their familiar base in Kumasi on Monday,
Fabulous Kumasi Asante Kotoko squeezed into a secret camp to put finishing
touches to what the players have solemnly declared is their destiny.
The Chief Executive of the club, Herbert Mensah, said on a Kumasi radio station
that the secret camping is to give the players the maximum concentration to
fine-tune themselves for the assault on WAC.
Attempts to talk to players and officials of Kotoko, according to the Graphic Sports proved futile. ‘No entry’
was the response from the guard at the gate when the Graphic Sports team sought
entry to the park. He gave no reason.
And as they trooped out, the only response from the players to a barrage of
questions was simple, and in a chorus : it is our destiny to make history on
Sunday. Perhaps the atmosphere created by the officials was to allow the
players and the technical team headed by German Ralf Zumdick to concentrate on
their workout.
As usual, the fans were there in their numbers. A German medical officer has
been flown in from Germany to work on the physical fitness of the players. It
is learnt that players like Michael Osei and Nana Arhin Duah who had some
doubts about their fitness have been declared fit to don the red jersey on
Sunday. The two players are key to Kotoko's ability to punch holes in the
defence of the Moroccans.
The team has undergone a serious training regimen since they returned from
Casablanca about two weeks ago after losing by a lone goal to WAC in the first
leg final match. The atmosphere in Kumasi is already charged as the countdown
to the grand finale of the Africa Cup Winners Cup begins.
Flags and buntings depicting the red and white colours of local idols are
flying on cars, kiosks, buildings and other corners of the City. And the fans
have predicted a 3-0 score line for Kotoko on Sunday. So when the 170 strong
contingent of players, officials and supporters of Wydad Athletic Club (WAC)
touches down on the soil of Kumasi this week, they should expect nothing from
the people but the raising of three fingers as a welcoming gesture.
From all indications there is going to be an invasion of Kumasi this weekend by
fans and other people who have something to do with football.
The Kotoko secretariat could not reveal the exact day the Moroccans who are
reported to be acclimatizing in Burkina Faso will arrive in Kumasi. A friend
from Northern Ghana told the Graphic
Sports at the weekend that the decision by the Moroccans to acclimatise in
Burkina Faso will not help them because the weather condition there is similar
to what pertains in Northern Ghana presently- cold.
But whether that assertion is true or not, indications are that a grudge battle
will be fought between the two clubs, looking at their pedigree in African
football and the statements coming out from the two expatriate coaches, Ralf
Zumdick for Kotoko and Oscar Fulone of WAC.
From all indications, this week is going to be all football in the Garden City
with the climax on Sunday when Asante Kotoko face WAC Casablanca for the
Mandela Cup. That first leg match, played on the rain-soaked 80,000 capacity
King Mohammed V stadium, saw Kotoko putting up a good show before losing by a
thin 1-0 margin.
But, the fans are optimistic that the players will turn things round this time.
Unlike the first leg which saw some empty stands at the stadium in Casablanca,
the Kumasi Stadium is expected to be filled to capacity, and there is the
likelihood that some fans will not even get the chance to enter the stadium.
Reports have it that about 200 seats at the VIP stand have been allocated to
CAF officials and other dignitaries. A record number of journalists (the number
though not disclosed) is also expected to cover the titanic match, according to
the Kotoko secretariat.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 December 2002 -
The former vice Chief Executive of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Kennedy Agyepong, has
expressed profound hope in the club’s ability to win the CAF Winners Cup on
Sunday.
He said as the country’s sole representatives in CAF continental competitions
this year, there is an obligation on Kotoko to do themselves and the whole
nation proud by winning the grand final against Morocco’s Wydad Athletic club
(WAC) at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.
These are contained in a goodwill message to Kotoko as the clock winds down
towards the showdown. Mr Agyepong, known affectionately as “champion” among the
playing body, urged them to stay focused throughout the whole 90 minutes and
play to their maximum strength.
“Remember that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene and the father of our great
club, needs the Cup Winners Cup. Your management needs it, you the players need
it, Asanteman needs it, and last, but not the least, Ghana needs it”, he
exhorted them.
Agyepong noted that Kotoko are on the threshold of making history again by
winning the Cup Winners Cup to crown the four-year rebuilding process. “Kotoko
need to become the new Africa champions at this crucial moment of our great
club. This is the goal which almost four years of rebuilding process set out to
achieve”, he said.
Agyepong promised the players handsome winning bonus, saying he still remains a
“true loyal and dedicated supporter of our great club.” He urged the players to
emulate the old generation of the club who won the African clubs champions Cup
on two occasions by becoming the first Ghanaian club to Cup Winners Cup.
GRi…/
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Black
Stars draw with Western Region
Sekondi (Western) 03
December 2002 - The National Soccer team, the Black Stars, were held to a
goalless drawn game by a selected side from the Western Region in a trial match
played at the Sekondi Gyandu Park on Sunday. The Black Stars played without
most of the big names in Hearts of Oak and as well as the foreign based stars.
The Western Region
selected side dominated play from the start to the end of the match but poor
shooting robbed tyhem of the needed goals. The Black Stars conceded three
yellow cards while Bala Tigani was shown the red card in the 89th
minute.
In an interview,
caretaker coach E.K. Afranie, said the trial match is the fourth in a series
arranged for the Stars to build up the capacity of the players. He said the
Black Stars have so far won once and drew three times. Coach Afranie said the
matches would expose the players and also help unearth new ones for both the
junior division, the Black Meteors and the Black Stars.
GRi…/
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Ever
Greens beat Abibiman United in friendly
Nsawam (Eastern
Region) 03 December 2002 - Darmang Ever Greens beat Abibiman United of
Okyerekrom 2-1 in a friendly football match played at Mamedede Public Park,
near Nsawam, on Sunday to climax the AIDS Day celebration.
Yaw Among scored the
first goal in the 35th minute through a corner kick while Abibiman United
equalised through Zito Ibrahim in the 57th minute of the second half
in a goal-mouth melee. Ever Greens became the heroes when skipper Adusei scored
the winning goal at the dying minutes of the game from a header.
GRi…/
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Cape Coast (Central
Region) 03 December 2002 - A goal scored by outside right, Henry Dickson in the
85th minute enabled Venomous Vipers to beat Oguaa United 2-1 in
their second division league match played at the Cape Coast sport stadium on
Sunday.
Players of United,
had before the match vowed to halt the winning spree of Vipers and therefore
matched them squarely in the first scoreless half. The man who was responsible
for vipers hard won victory was inside right Dickson who scored both goals.
Vipers, made a number
of changes on resumption to beef up their team and this enabled them to dictate the pace of the game, and in
the 65th minute, Dickson opened the scoring for his side.
Oguaa United hit back
strongly and following incessant attacks a hard pressed defender of vipers in
an attempt to clear a ball from the danger zone handled the ball in the 70th
minute. The resultant penalty was cleverly utilized by centre forward, Anthony Amoo
for the equalizer. The game became balanced and when things pointed to a draw,
Dickson scored the match winner in the 85th minute.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 December 2002 -
The management of Landmark Promotions Syndicate has appealed to rival
supporters of welterweight boxer Joshua Clottey and super welterweight Ayittey
Powers to exercise restraint before, during and after next Friday’s catchweight
contest at the Globe Cinema Hall.
This follows reports of troubles and
sporadic clashes between supporters of the two boxers in Bukom, the melting
point of Ghana boxing, last Saturday and Sunday. What began as a normal
argument over who would win the tension-packed fight on Friday turned into
nasty running battles between factions from Clottey’s Sakumo Tsonshi and
Powers’ Cassava House at an outdooring party in Bukom last Saturday.
Though no injuries were reported, the troubles extended to Sunday with about a
dozen youths taunting each other at the Sea View Hotel near Mantse Agbonaa.
Reacting to the incidents, Anthony Kermah, Chief Executive of Landmark
Promotions, appealed to the supporters to eschew violence and tolerate each
other’s view in the spirit of good sportsmanship. As the troubles spilled over
into the streets, the two fighters confined themselves to the rigid discipline
of their respective gyms, polishing up for the show time.
And while Joshua prefers absolute silence ahead of the event, Ayittey Powers
continues with his verbal assault. Last Saturday on an Accra radio programme,
he treated his opponent with respect but said it is time for the Africa
welterweight champion to get beaten.
Ayittey Powers is keen on punishing Joshua
Clottey for comments attributed to Clottey after Powers had been given a highly
controversial verdict in a fight last month against Beninois Victor Kpodenou.
Joshua Clottey was reported to have said
publicly that the decision was bad and that Kpodenou won the fight. After a
review, the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) reversed the decision in favour of the
Beninois. Another highly-anticipated fight will match Malik Jabir against
Kumasi-based Ben Tutu in a featherweight challenge contest.
The rest of the bouts are: James Toney vs Jean Thomas of Cote d’ Ivoire; Ange
Adjaho vs Sarfo Tyson; Abdulai Amindu vs Elol Cyrile; Philip Kotey vs Ishmael
Tetteh; Alex Brew vs Akuetteh Mosquito and Alfred Odai vs Mustapha Appiah.
GRi…/
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Ministry
to rebuild Kumasi hostel
Kumasi (Greater
Accra) 03 December 2002 - The Ministry of Youth and Sports is to rebuild the
National Sports Council (NSC) hostel in Kumasi at an estimated cost of ¢1.75bn
for it to be used in camping national teams.
Edward Osei-Kwaku,
the sector minister, announced this when he addressed members of Keep Fit Clubs
Association after an AIDS awareness walk on Sunday. Fifteen Keep Fit Clubs took
part in the 10-kilometre walk. They were put into four groups and walked from
different directions to the Kumasi sports stadium.
The Youth and Sports
Minister said the rehabilitation of the hostel, which is in bad shape would
have cost three billion cedis as compared to the cost of building a new one at
¢1.75bn. Osei-Kwaku said an international size lawn tennis court is currently
under construction at the Kumasi sports stadium and that when completed major
international tennis competitions such as the Davis Cup would be held in Kumasi
to break the monopoly of Accra.
He said a
multi-purpose lawn tennis courts to cater for local tournaments will also be
built alongside the current one now under construction while a sports complex
to be used for other sports disciplines and a swimming pool would also be built.
Osei-Kwaku said AIDS was a killer and therefore urged sportsmen and women to
keep away from actions and behaviours that would lead to contracting the
disease, adding "it is more frightening than death".
The Youth and Sports
Minister commended the Keep Fit Clubs for organising the walk and said one can
get a sound mind in a sound body only through exercises. He presented ¢2m and
six footballs to the association with the promise to add nine more footballs so
that each club would have a football.
Dr Opoku Adusei of
the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), who educated the clubs on AIDS, said
people still did not believe that the disease was real and said this is one of
the factors responsible for its spread.
A medical doctor
resident in the United States of America, Dr Adu Oppong, who was greatly
impressed by the participation of eight-year-old Maama Amma Safoah, a pupil of
Kings International School and a member of the Social Keep Fit Club, gave her
¢50,000.
Major Kwasi Kyei
Bosomtwi (rtd), President of the association, commended the Youth and Sports
Minister for responding to their call at short notice and also expressed
appreciation to the members for turning out in their numbers to participate in
the event.
GRi…/
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