The Liberians are on a West
African tour to toughen themselves for the CAF competition while Hearts, used
the match to unveil their new signings and to fine tune for this year's
Champions League.
Massawudu Mumuni
formerly of Koforidua-based Maxbees shot the Phobians into the lead in the 34th minute when
he connected a re-bound shot after his colleague Ghani
Nasiru's goal-bound kick had been pushed into play by
goalkeeper Paul Mubah.
But even before his goal, Mumuni saw his fierce shot took a ricochet off the upright
from close range after a beautiful one-two with Ghani.
The Liberians proved that at least it was not for nothing, though that they
placed third at the end of their national league and within eight minutes,
pulled even thanks to striker Patrick Nimely's long
volley which caught goalkeeper Sammy Adjei flat-footed.
After the equaliser, the
Liberians who hitherto had withdrawn to the defence appeared to have gained
some confidence and occasionally threatened the Hearts goal area. It was during
one of such occasional surge that Abraham Karmo
delivered a low grounder that again, caught goalkeeper Adjie
off-guard in the 65th minute for the visitors second.
But Hearts fought back relentlessly
to at least register a draw but the bravery and good timing of Rasta-haired
goalkeeper Mubah denied the Phobians
of the equaliser. In fact he was given a standing ovation by the partisan crowd
when he dived to parry substitute Massawudu Yahaya's thunderbolt on the stroke of full time.
GRi…/
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 03
February 2003 - Francis Osei Kyeremateng (alias Abiola) of Franco Timbers, has threatened to drag Kumasi Asante Kotoko to court if the club fails to hand back to
him the building which have been used by the club as its secretariat over two
decades.
He said he was also seeking the recovery
of a reasonable rent over the past 22 years that Kotoko had occupied the
premises at Adum. A statement issued and signed on
behalf of Kyeremateng by Messrs J. Osei Bobbie and
K.A. Nsiah, his solicitors, and copied to the
Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, owner and spiritual
head of the club, said the continued housing of the Kotoko without any formal
tenancy agreement was a breach of the agreement he had with the club years ago.
The statement said soon after
the appointment of Yaw Bawuah as the Executive
Chairman of Kotoko in the 1980s, he approached Kyeremateng
to allow the club to use his premises for only six months and on return of the
late Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku
Ware II who had then travelled to the
The statement noted, however,
that the Bawuah's administration was replaced with Ofori Nuako's before the
six-month period. It said Kyeremateng consequently
contacted Ofori Nuako and
asked that the club vacated his premises but Mr Nuako
rendered an apology through Otumfuo Opoku Ware to him and told him that the club was yet to
find a permanent accommodation to serve as its secretariat.
The statement said Kyeremateng was further told that Kotoko was going through
financial difficulties and could therefore not immediately leave the premises.
It said after that, nothing concrete was heard until the Georgido
administration headed by George Aduse Poku, who also like his
predecessors, was indifferent to the plight of Kyeremateng.
The statement said when Herbert
Mensah took over the helm of affairs as the Chief Executive, Kyeremateng contacted him through his solicitors and
submitted a bill to him covering rent from 1981 but he (Herbert) did not mind
him.
It said rather, Herbert Mensah
told him (Kyeremateng) that he could go anywhere with
the case since he (Herbert) was not prepared to pay the rent nor vacate the
premises.
GRi…/
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A press release from the Asantehene's office signed by Kofi Owusu Boateng, personal secretary to Asantehene, said an Interim
Management Committee (IMC) will be put in place by Tuesday 04 February to run
the affairs of the club.
The release said Manhyia has in the meantime, directed Alhaji Yahaya, the team manager of Kotoko and his assistants to
take care of the welfare of the playing body until otherwise directed. It
appealed to the playing body, supporters and stakeholders of the club to remain
calm and stay focused.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03
February 2003 - The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has appealed to officials,
players and supporters of Brong Ahafo (B A) United to exercise restraint in the
current managerial rumpus in the team whiles the FA finds amicable solution to
remedy the situation.
A statement signed by the Kofi Nsaih, General Secretary of the GFA said the FA is very
much disturbed by the development and would soon send a high-powered delegation
to Sunyani to meet with all interest groups to ensure sanity prevails.
GRi…/
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Koforidua (Eastern Region)
Olympiakos gave a good account of
themselves making early incursions and pushing the ball deep into the Afienya goal area but on several occasions they failed to
put the ball behind the net.
Nartey the goal-scorer had a good
chance to increase the tally in the 70th minute for his side to two
when he received a through pass and beat his marker on the run but failed this
time round to beat Karim Salim
in post for Olympiakos.
Olympiakos greatest chance to pull the
equaliser came in the 74th minute when the attackers headed a corner
across the Afienya goal post with the Afienya goalie, John Adjetey totally beaten but the
defenders were alert and managed to clear the ball off the goal line to safety.
By their performance, Afienya have thus recorded their first victory after five
matches having drawn in four matches while the Ade
Coker boys also recorded their third loss after six matches with one draw and
two victories.
GRi…/
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Koforidua (Eastern Region)
The Mariners took the lead in
the 51st minute when overlapping defender, Baba Amardo,
joined the attack to slot in the opener. Seventeen minutes later, Mariners',
Richard Okyere received a pass from a colleague,
raced with it and side stepped his marker before placing the ball at the blind
side of goalkeeper Ibrahim Osmanu for the second.
Mariners moved up into top gear
after the two goals and could have increased the tally but Warriors' defenders
thwarted top marksman Okyere's attempts at goal. The
Warriors' went into complete recession after the break and could hardly
threaten the Mariners. Great Mariners have drawn just one match and have won
remaining five in the six-week old league.
GRi…/
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Tema (Greater Accra) 03 February
2003 - Banana Inn-based Stay Cool Professionals, on Saturday, added Volta
Warriors to their victims when they trounced them 4-0 in their seventh-week
Division One league match at the Tema Sport Stadium.
Stay Cool took control of the
game from the blast of the whistle, made some early incursions into the vital
area of their opponent but fluffed some good chances that came their way.
In the 31st minute,
Stay Cool's David Kabu scored a perfect goal from a
free kick but was disallowed for reasons that were unclear; but three minutes
later, Samuel Ensemafa netted the opening to end the
first half.
Nine minutes after recess,
Asamoah Mensah made it two for Stay Cool with a simple tapping of the ball
after an incisive pass from the right wing. After those two goals, Stay Cool
were just unstoppable, in the 57th minute, Ensemafa
scored his personal second and third for his side after racing to place the
ball at the blind side of the goalie.
Emmanuel Nii
Adu sealed off the doom for the Warriors' on the
stroke of full time when he sliced the ball into the net.
GRi…/
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Obuasi (Ashanti Region)
The said titanic match ended
midway in the second half when the referee could not continue handling the game
because of an injury he received following an attack on him by irate soccer
fans lead by Collins Darko of Cornerstones.
In a petition addressed to the
DOL Board chairman and signed by K. Barimah
Acheampong, the club secretary, Adansiman is claiming
that since it was Collins Darko of Corners who initiated the attack on the
referee it was obvious that Corners were responsible for the abrupt end of the
match.
"Adansiman
is hereby petitioning the DOL Board on the misconduct of
The petition explained the
incident occurred when a Corners' attacker who was in a
good position to score was hotly
challenged by a defender while his cracker was parried to corner by Adansiman goalkeeper.
"The Corners attacker immediately
rushed on the referee requesting that he had been fouled and therefore needed a
penalty," it said. At this same time, the other players, their technical
bench and supporters joined and surrounded the referee.
The petition added that the
supporters of corners, many of whom were from Bibiani
heckled and assaulted the referee and before the security personnel could come
to his aid, "a big cut had been opened on the bridge of the nose and blood
oozed profusely".
Adansiman also condemned the behaviour of
Corners officials and supporters for causing many hold-ups during the match
before the abrupt end. "From the above, it is clear that players,
officials ad supporters of Cornerstone caused the abrupt end of the games and
should therefore suffer the appropriate sanctions while were are strengthened
by Article 33:1 (d), Article 34: 1 (a) and 4 of the GFA regulations to demand
the three points and three goals", the petitioned stressed.
GRi…/
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Region)
Gyempeh was addressing members of the
Regional Branch of Old Footballers Association at the Association's end-of-year
get-together at Sunyani on Wednesday. He said the relevance of the association
should be manifested in their members bringing their rich experiences to bear
on the game in the
region.
Stephen Asante,
Vice-President of the Association advised members to regularly pay their
monthly and other dues to enable the association carry out its sports
development programmes.
Asante who was the general captain of
B.A. United until in the 1980s when he retired from active soccer said it was
the wish of the Executives that the Association rose up to become one of the
well-organised groupings of old players in the country.
He urged old footballers in the
other parts of the Region to organise themselves and to form similar
Associations to help unearth talents in their areas.
Nana Barnie
junior, a Patron and one of the pioneer members of the Association which was
formed in 1988, appealed to the executive body to streamline the administrative
procedure on the guidelines of registration of new members.
Nana Barnie
junior, who apart from playing for B.A. United also featured for the national
senior team, the Black Stars was, not happy with the random manner in which
members were registered without their putting in application letters.
George Allorgle,
an old player of B.A. United said the Brong Ahafo branch of the association was
formed just around the same period as that of Sekondi
but " we are still marking time while others are
making positive contribution to the game in their regions."
Among those who attended the
meeting was Mr Kwasi Owusu, a Bofoakwa
Tano's leading player and onetime captain of the
Black Stars who is known in soccer circle as "Power House" because of
his bulldozing style of play.
GRi…/
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Rabat (Morocco) 03 February 2003
- The Moroccan soccer federation is set to sign Frenchman Philippe Troussier as head coach for all their national teams,
according to a senior federation official on Thursday.
The official said that both
sides had reach an agreement and official decision
would be made next week. Troussier, who led
The official said the plan was
part of a restructuring strategy "to reinvigorate national soccer".
GRi…/
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