'Home-takes-all' decision reversible only by congress - Clubs boss
Accra (Greater Accra) 04 January 2002 - The Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Thursday released a list of 26 players to commence camping in preparation towards a four-nation tournament in South Africa from January 20 to 27.
A statement signed by Mr Kofi Nsiah, General Secretary of the GFA said the selected players are to report at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday, January 4 to be conveyed to the Girls Guide Training School at Achimota in Accra where they will camp.
The tournament would also involve Denmark, Zimbabwe, Angola and host South Africa who have all confirmed their participation.
Meanwhile information gathered from the GFA indicate that plans are far advance by the organisers to make the competition a six-nation tournament to include reigning world under-20 champions Argentina.
The short listed players are Hassan Mohammed, Dan Oppong, Stephen Tetteh, George Eranio, Kwame Antwi, Bernard Don Bortey (Hearts) Maxwell Owusu Banahene, George Owu, John Cudjoe, Frank Turkson (Hasaacas) and Theodore Atsu
(Kwaebibirem).
Others are Lukeman, Abass Inusah (Sportive) Emmanuel Pappoe, Sulley Muntari (Liberty Professionals) John Painstil (Arsenals) Ibrahim Kluvi (RTU) Anas Mohammed, Godfred Yeboah (Kotoko) Alhassan Chibsah, Frank Osei (King Faisal)
Dodzi Kwabina (Olympics).
The rest are Daniel Coleman (Power), Rasid Avevor (Mamobi Youth) Ernest Adu (Dwarfs) Sam Okaidja (Topps) Baffour Gyimah (Bofoakwa) Francis Yankey (African Stars) James Owusu Ansah.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 04 January 2002 - Mr J.Y. Appiah, chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) has stated that the only avenue aggrieved clubs could use to change the host takes all policy is through the association's congress.
Speaking to GNA Sports on Thursday, Mr Appiah said the decision was taken at the congress of the association and it is binding on all clubs as it was a majority decision of the house.
Mr Appiah said the clubs making so much noise in the media have no cause to complain, adding that, "no amount of noise can reverse any decision, but only congress can".
He said the decision came about due to the numerous dubious strategies adopted by home clubs to cheat their guests and therefore the only way to check the evil trend was to come out with a policy that would make clubs to organise their home matches well in order to generate money.
Mr Appiah debunked the argument by certain clubs that their facilities are below standard saying that clubs like King Faisal, Liberty Professionals and Ghapoha do not earn the same amount of money Hearts and Kotoko get from their matches, hence there is no basis for any argument of poor facilities.
He said clubs, which make noise over the issue are the few ones who voted against the policy when it was being passed, adding that "majority carries the vote".
On referees, Mr Appiah said that the situation where referees' allowances were unduly delayed would be a thing of the past as plans are afoot to effect prompt payment of such stipends in order to encourage them and to boost their morale.
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No Bombers for Commonwealth games?
Accra (Greater Accra) 04 December 2002 - With barely six months to the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, it is becoming obvious that the nation’s amateur boxing team, the Black Bombers, might miss the games.
At the moment, the Bombers cannot boast of a standing team to represent the country at the world’s third most important competition after the Olympics and the World Championship Games.
According to the Graphic Sports, it’s investigations has revealed that the only boxers on the Bombers list are the Amidu Yakubu brothers.
The two boxers (Amidu Yakubu Snr. and Amidu Jnr.) whose ties of brotherhood have drawn them to the boxing circles are currently in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions respectively.
Interestingly, the major problem believed to be facing amateur boxing is lack of funds to organise a national competition to select boxers for the team.
It is evident that since the arrival of the Black Bombers from the Sydney Olympics, the team has virtually collapsed due to the exit of the boxers into professional boxing. The preparation of the team is currently at a standstill with no competition or activity
taking place.
Graphic Sports investigations to ascertain the level of preparations being undertaken to revamp the team for the Commonwealth Games show that the newlyformed Ghana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) is yet to execute competent boxers to join the Bombers.
According to sources close to the GABA, all the regional associations were mandated to organise individual competitions but their efforts proved futile due to lack of funds.
Another problem that has impeded the early reconstitution of the Black Bombers, according to the source, is the late reconstitution of the association.
The source intimated that most of the members of the newly constituted association are new and need some time to study the system, adding that the former members also relaxed because they had prior knowledge that they were going to be changed.
The source emphasised that as a result of lack of official and private sponsorship due to the perception that boxing’s popularity has gone down, the nation’s contingent might go to the Commonwealth Games without the Black Bombers.
Meanwhile, the new members of the GABA are set to meet next Tuesday to draw a programme that is expected to salvage the Bombers from collapse.
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Accra (Greater Accra) - The National Middle League for promotion of clubs from Division One League (DOL) to the Premier division kicks off next week with Ade Coker’s Ac Olympiakos firmly in contention for honours.
This follows the Ghana Football Association’s endorsement of a plea by Olympiakos to replace Mighty Jets who had withdrawn from the competition.
By GFA rules and regulations on the DOL Middle League, six teams-the winners and the runners-up-that qualify from the three zones would take part in the competition.
AC Olympiakos who missed the boat chanced upon the withdrawal of Mighty Jets who placed second and asked to be the substitute team from the zone to make up the number.
However, since it had never happened before, the DOL could not give its outright ruling and referred the issue to the GFA, which took the decision on Wednesday.
According to the GFA, it took its decision in the light of its own regulation, and since Mighty Jets were runners-up in their zone but have withdrawn from the competition, the third-placed team should replace Mighty Jets.
AC Olympiakos, which placed third in the same zone as Mighty Jets thus replace the second-place team that had withdrawn from the competition.
But whiles Olympiakos may be celebrating their victory, Mighty Jets are well aware of the consequences of the action they took. The GFA has banned them from any competitive event organised by the GFA for three years with effect from the next season. The ban, according the GFA, is in accordance with its rules and regulations.
With the GFA’s final decision out, the competition is expected to take off next Saturday, unless another case, which came up abruptly during the week in which defeated Sekondi Eleven Wise lodged a protest against Zone B victors, Prestea Mine Stars, is not immediately resolved.
And if it is, then there is certainly going to be a more stiff competition which is likely to produce a lot of thrills and excitement as the six qualified teams - Mine Stars, Mpohor Iron Fighters, B.A United, Yeji Stars, Power FC and AC Olympiakos- are all determined to make it to the premiership.
Of course, having been lucky to join the boat for promotion into the elite game AC Olympiakos may justifiably fight hard to make it to the premiership as they seem not to be affected by the perennial financial problems that force most sides to fall out at that stage.
However, the return of three former elite clubs, B.A United, Yeji Stars and Power FC should generate enough excitement for soccer fans.
Even though they could not sustain their stay in the premiership (Yeji were demoted in 1996/7, B.A United in 1999 and Power FC in 2000) these three teams know what it is to be up there, hence their strive to get back in there.
But with only two straight places available and the third to be decided in a play-off against Tema Ghapoha who escaped outright relegation from the premiership by a hair’s breath, the competition would not be for the ill-prepared.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 04 January 2002 - Amidst the uncertainty over the state of his thigh injury, Ghanaian international Samuel Osei Kuffour flew out of the country to seek the green light from his Germany physician, yet confident of playing in his third Nations Cup.
This faith was further buoyed 24 hours earlier after the Bayern Munich star held what was described as fruitful discussions on telephone with coach Osam Duodu in Cairo-their first direct contact since Kuffour arrived in Accra two weeks ago, to smoothen their strained relationship and deliberate on the Stars’ programme.
The thigh injury, sustained in mid-December, has kept Kuffour out of three Bundesliga games until the German winter break. And during the stormy days when the defender’s future in the national team looked uncertain, he adhered religiously to a training regimen, which he said was prescribed by his return to match-fitness.
Kuffour expects to be given the green light to enable him join the Stars after their return from Egypt for their final leg of their preparation.
There are also question marks over the fitness of AC Parma’s Stephen Appiah (Muscle injury), Sturm Graz striker Charles Amoah (toe) and Olympiakos forward Peter Ofori-Quaye (knee), but they are all expected to be given chances to justify themselves after being excused from the Stars’ rigorous training in order to expedite their recuperation.
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