Boxing-Odoom would not last the
distance - Narh
Defending
champions Cameroon preserved their 100 per cent record at the African Nations
Cup in Sikasso with a 3-0 win over Togo in their final Group C match.
The
Indomitable Lions, who had already led the group after taking maximum points in
the first two games, made it three wins out of three, thanks to second half
goals from Lucien Mettomo, Samuel Eto’o Fils and Solomon Olembe.
The
first came after the 52 minutes. A lovely cross by Geremi Njitap was swept in
from the right flank, and the Manchester City defender arrived on the back post
to sidefoot home on the half volley.
Real
Mallorca’s African Player of the year candidate Samuel Eto’o made sure of
Cameroon’s third win at the Babemba Traore Stadium 10 minutes from time,
tapping a Patrick Mboma pass for an easy finish.
The
last came on the 89th minute when Marseille midfielder Olembe
Olembe, a second half substitute, met a cross from Eto’o on the right with a
crisp finish from sixth yards. Cameroon will meet the second placed side from
Group D, expected to be either Egypt or Zambia, in next Monday’s quarterfinals.
In
Kayes, DR Congo pulled their best performance so far at the tournament to
annihilate Cote d’Ivoire 3-1 and push themselves through to the 1/8th
stage of the competition which will be against Senegal.
Yves
Yuvuladio opened the floodgates in the 27th, followed by goals from
Shabani Nonda in the 67th and Papa Kimoto in the 81st
minutes. However, Kandia Traore scored a late consolation goal in the 89th
minute to ensure the elephants do not go home without scoring.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 30 January 2002 - Power
FC held AC Olympiakos to a 1-1 draw at the weekend at the Accra Sports Stadium
to place third on the league table of the national middle league thus
qualifying for a play-off against premier league strugglers, Ghapoha FC, to
determine who plays in next year's Star premier league.
A.C. Olympiakos who needed a win at all cost in
the game snatched the opener in the 4th minute when Ayitey Botchway crossed a
ball outside the 18 yard box over the head of the defence of Power for Awal
Abukari to nod the ball past goalkeeper Fred Ollenu.
The goal gingered Power to lift up their game
and made some dangerous incursions into the half of Olympiakos but they could
not utilise the chances that came their way.
In the 37th minute Justice Appiah took on the
defence of Olympiakos, tore them apart before laying a pass for Mohamed Bello
to deliver a pile driver into the net of Olympiakos for the equaliser.
The game since then moved from one side to the
other until the whistle went for the end of the first half.
In the second half Olympiakos with the
determination to win raided the area of Power including hitting the cross bar
in the 51st minute but try as they did they could not raise the tally leaving
the scoreline at one all.
Power, who were third placed with their seven
points in the six-team round robin thus play Tema Ghapoha to determine which
club join the elite premier division next season. B.A. United and Prestea Mines
Stars have already qualified.
GRi…/
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 30 January 2002 - Nana
Bosoma Asor-Nkranwiri, Omanhene of Sunyani Traditional Area on Sunday commended
the executive committee, players and entire supporters of Brong-Ahafo United
Football Club for their joint efforts in ensuring the qualification of the club
to participate in the premier league this season.
He made the commendation when the executives,
players and jubilant supporters of the club paid a courtesy call on him at the
palace to thank the Omanhene and his elders for the club's achievement in the
just-ended national middle league competition.
United, who made unsuccessful attempt in the
past to stage a come-back campaign in the elite soccer after relegation in the
last league season, have gladdened the hearts of all their numerous supporters
for passing through this year's promotion league unscathed.
Out of the five matches in the national Middle
League competition, United won four and drew one, thus topping the competition
alongside Mines Stars, whom they beat 3-1 in Kumasi on Saturday.
Nana Asor-Nkrawiri said he and his traditional
chiefs had been following matches of the club since the commencement of the
middle league with prayers to God and 'nananom abosom'. The final success of
the club in the race is therefore a matter of course, he said.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 30 January 2002 - Two
former players of the national team, the Black Stars, Emmanuel Anue Kofie and
Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, have called for the involvement of soccer coaches in
policy formulation pertaining to football in order to reshape the future of the
game in the country.
They told GNA Sports in Accra that for sometime
now, Ghanaian coaches have had limited say in policies intended to reshape the
development of soccer. Mr Kofie, kept the posts for the Stars between 1966 and
1969, played for the national academicals team, Accra Great Olympics and later
Kumasi Asante Kotoko, before moving to New York Cosmos in the USA.
He is currently the Athlete Counsellor and
Recruiter for Essex County College and also the head-coach of Newport Technical
High School, all in the US. Mr Kofi said it is not good enough for coaches to
be left out of the decision making process only to be told to implement such
policies.
He regretted that some players do not respect
local coaches saying if such coaches are given the right orientation and
encouragement they could handle the Black Stars to recapture the country's
glorious past in soccer.
"In this world of high technology, coaches
need to be sent abroad for refresher courses to be abreast with modern
trends." On his plans for Ghana soccer, Mr Kofie said he is currently in
touch with the sports authorities on the role he could play in reshaping the
country's soccer.
Tracing the history of coaching in Ghana, Jones
Attuquayefio, coach of Accra Hearts of Oak, said the first three coaches of the
national team were George Einslay, Shoberg and Ember.
He said later, the late Mr Ohene Djan, then Director
of Sports, thought it wise for the old players to take over the team and
consequently sent 11 of them abroad for coaching courses.
"Among them were Mr C. K. Gyamfi and Ben
Koufie, the current FA Chairman, who were then attached to local clubs on their
return and later the national teams. "They, together with those who were
turned out from the Winneba Sports College in the 60's were employed by the
National Sport Council and were the only group allowed to handle national
teams".
He said this situation was discontinued and the
coaches were shut out from any of the national teams until Sam Arday broke the
myth on his return from Germany after a coaching course and won many laurels
with Accra Great Olympics and Okwawu United.
Coach Attuquayefio commended the GFA for its
new policy to give old members of the National team the opportunity to handle
the Black Stars but cautioned that this should not be wholesale.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 30 January 2002 -
Commonwealth gold medallist, Raymond Narh, has predicted and early end in his
National, West Africa and African Super-featherweight championship fight
against the champion, Smith Odoom, fixed for February 22.
The bout dubbed "Put up or Shut up"
would take place at the Accra Sports Stadium. "I have for long been
searching for this opportunity to put Odoom in his own class but he keeps
avoiding me and now that the chance has come, I am in no mood to spare
him" Narh told the GNA Sports on Tuesday.
He said he would have been earning big money by
now in London but I am around because of this fight and therefore "I 'm
not leaving any stone unturned to ensure victory."
Narh said he is going into the fight because he
believes the title is his and that it would be the catalyst to attract more
fights to end his recent fight drought, which has kept him dormant.
He said he would be disappointed if Odoom
refused to fight him at the last hour in view of the preparation he has put
into the fight. Narh said after the fight he would travel to London to take on
some fights before coming back to Ghana to put up a challenge for the
Commonwealth Super Featherweight title, which he expressed confident of
winning.
The fight which is under the Prince and
Baseline promotion would see the winner taking home ¢10 million as each camp
has put down a bet of five million cedis, The loser goes home empty handed
according to the agreements signed by the two camps.
GRi…/
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