Adjei-Darko joins team, wins first game for Ghana
Row over Dossena’s transfer deal
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 July 2002 - Ghana's number two seed, Henry Adjei Darko has finally joined his colleagues in camp for the Euro Africa Zone Two Tennis play off against Armenia at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The player, who was reported to be playing hide and seek with Ghanaian tennis authorities was spotted at the hospitality centre of the stadium where the draws for the competition were made. His presence has rekindled the hopes of Ghanaian tennis lovers and who believe the young player could bring nostalgic memories reminiscent of the days of the Oforis and the Omaboes.
The tall, lanky "prodigal son" who is on an ITF scholarship programme in Kenya flew into the country last Sunday but has been evasive until the intervention of the Youth and Sports Minister, Edward Osei-Kwaku. Adjei-Darko was chauffeur driven to the stadium on Thursday in a light blue Opel Vectra by Mr Eddie Annan, a tennis official and was greeted with cheers by a sizeable number of tennis lovers, most of whom came from Osu in Accra.
He immediately plunged into a training session and played a singles match with Kwesi Ahenkora before the entire team retired to join officials for the draw. The player told the GNA Sports that he was ready to give off his best to "enhance my personal ego" and defend the national pride.
"I know a good performance in the Davis Cup can enhanced my own carrier, and I will make sure I live up to expectation," the young tennis star told the GNA Sports. Adjei-Darko plays the opening match for Ghana at 10:00 in the morning against Tsolak Gevorgyan. The second singles match will be between Ghana's number one seed Gunther Darkey and Harutian Sotian.
The Armenian number one seed Sazgis Sazgsian ranked 73 in the world could not make the trip whiles Ghana's most experienced player Frank Ofori failed to come because the Ghana Tennis Association failed to send him ticket to travel down to Accra. The tournament ends on Sunday. Meanwhile Henry Agyei-Darko and top-seed Gunther Darkey won convincingly for Ghana at the opening day of the tournament both in three straight wins.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 July 2002 - The case in which Neoplan Stars F/C are demanding the transfer fee of Osmanu Abdulai from former Black Stars coach, Giuseppe Dossena, took a dramatic twist this week when a Greater Accra division three side, Inter Millas F/C, emerged from the blue to claim ownership of the same player.
Inter Millas claimed Osmanu is their player and produced the Card A of the player and a covering letter from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Player Status Committee buttress their point. The letter affirming his floating status dated 14 December 1999 was signed by Mr K. Ampim-Darko, Deputy General Secretary of the GFA (technical) while the date of registration on the player’s card ‘A’ was 27 July 2000.
There was, however, a slight difference in the name of the player as it appeared on the Card in the letter, thereby raising further questions as to whether it is the same player or not. While the name on the Card read Osumanu Abdallah, the one in the letter was Osman Abdulai.
According to the management of Inter Millas, they petitioned FIFA sometime last year to intervene and determine the status of the player after they got wind that Osumanu had been registered by Italian Serie B side, Genoa. Graphic Sports investigations also revealed that the GFA had earlier issued an International Transfer Certificate (ITC) in respect of the player after the Italian FA had applied to request for the status of Osman.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Neoplan Stars, Mr Abbey Pobee, has asked the GFA to inform Genoa not to effect payment of the player’s transfer fee to any individual or club till the current tussle is finally resolved. Speaking to the Graphic Sports on Thursday, Mr Pobee indicated that he is now equipped with fresh information on the matter and expressed misgivings about the stance taken by the General Secretary of the GFA, Mr Kofi Nsiah, in respect of an earlier complaint on the issue.
Reacting to comments by Mr Nsiah in an Accra daily on Monday, which advised the public to be circumspect in dealing with allegations against the former Black Stars coach, Mr Pobee described that statement made by the FA scribed as unfortunate. According to him, he expected the FA General Secretary to take up the issue and pursue it to its logical conclusion rather than influence the public to keep mute on such a serious matter.
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