League Action reports for week 13
Dawu shocks Okwawu with a 3-1 win
RTU in gallant win over Liberty
Bofoakwa share points with Faisal at home
Hearts in a crucial win at Obuasi
Hasaacas in surprise victory over Power F/C
Goal scorers after Week 13 matches
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 June 2002 - Dawu Youngsters, under the technical directorship of coach J. E. A. Sarpong, renowned for saving clubs from relegation, descended heavily on Accra and inflicted a shocking 3-1 defeat to Okwawu United in the 13th week Premier League match played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.
The feat, Dawu's first away victory in the league, came by way of a sterling first half performance which saw them race into a three goal lead to the bewilderment of their host who least expected such a performance from a team rooted at the bottom of the league table.
Dawu gave early indications of what they had in store for the home team when as early as the fifth minute, Eric Mbroh dribbled his way into a threatening position only to be brought down by Edward Acquaye for his (Eddie) first booking.
Mbroh was on hand again in the 12 minute, when he eluded the offside trap of Okwawu, beat on-rushing Sherif Adams in post but was selfish as he shot from a very acute angle, instead of laying on a pass, to waste an otherwise brave effort.
Against the run of play, Okwawu nearly took the lead in the 20th minute when Sumaila Iddrisu broke free from the left and fired a shot, which hit the woodwork with the rebound also going wasted. Dawu could however not be denied the opener which eventually did come in the 21st minute through Paul Ofori.
He raced past a flat Okwawu defence and chipped the ball over advancing Adams. The goal spurred Dawu on for more as Okwawu appeared to be stunned by the performance of the bottom-of-the-table team. Chronicle Kwame Amadu increased Dawu's tally in the 29th minute when he shot from an acute angle into the roof of the net to confirm their dominance.
Okwawu reacted to the second goal by bringing on goalkeeper Fatau Dauda and George Tutu for Adams and Kwasi Kyeremanteng in the 30th and 34th minutes respectively. The substitutions could not break Dawu's resolve as they added the third goal in the 38th minute through Ofori. He tapped into the net after Moro Martey had dribbled his way through a host a players to lay the ball on his path.
Okwawu exhausted their substitution in the 45th minute when they brought on Nii Ayi Welbeck for Iddirisu. In the second half, Okwawu reorganised themselves after some verbal abuse from their fans, but in their rush to reduce the goal deficit, became victims of offside traps of Dawu on numerous occasions.
The home team's task was made even harder in the 65th minute when Acquaye was given the matching off order for a second bookable offence for bringing down an Okwawu striker. Referee J. McCarthy, crowned his day of questionable decisions in the 70th minute a dubious penalty. He awarded a penalty kick to Okwawu after mistaking goalkeeper Sumaila Abdulla's beautiful save to be an offence on Okwawu a striker. Tutu later converted the kick for the consolation goal.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East Region) 17 June 2002 - Real Tamale United (RTU) put up a brave fight to collect the maximum three points from visiting Liberty Professionals when they beat them 2-1 in their premiere league match at Bolgatanga on Sunday.
The uncompromising match watched by a large crowd saw the visitors taking a fifth minute lead through Ablade Morgan when he exploited a defensive lapse and put the ball in the net of RTU.
Shocked by the early goal RTU however, managed to warm themselves into the game and initiated several raids in the goal area of the visitors. In the 10th minute, Mawe Mohammed nearly put them at par but his intelligent lob missed the target narrowly. Three minutes later, he atoned for his earlier misses when he neatly connected a pass from Hamza Mohammed to put the scores at one all. The goal gave them a new spirit to fight for more but neither they nor the Liberty boys were able to score again before half time.
Back from recess, Liberty redoubled their efforts but found the defence of the homeboys hard to break even though they were in control. As the match was heading for a draw, the RTU boys resorted to long balls which paid off as Hamza Mohammed received one such ball, run through the Liberty defence to deliver a killer which turned out to be the match winner in the 72nd minute.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 17 June 2002 - Wonder club Accra Great Olympics were forced by Berekum Arsenals to share the points in their match played at the Accra Sports Stadium, which ended one all.
After discovering their winning formulae in the league, Olympics started the game very determined to collect the three maximum points and made efforts in the early minutes to score but wasted their chances. The visitors drew the first blood through George Eranio in the 9th minute when he dribbled past Olympics defenders after collecting a pass from Eric Adu-Poku before putting the ball behind David Sharpe in post for Olympics.
Olympics from this moment increased the pressure on their visitors in a bid to find the equaliser, but Joseph Tagoe, Amui Quaye and Andy Pomeyie could not made use of the chances that came their way. In the latter part of the first half, it started to rain but play continued which made the players to be ballooning the ball since the soggy nature of the pitch made it difficult for ball control.
At a point, referee Alhassan Brobbey from Asante-Mampong briefly discussed with his assistants as well as the match commissioner, Mr. P.K.A Essah whether the match should be called off but they agreed that it should go on. With one goal deficit, Olympics laboured for equaliser but their attempts are either thwarted by the nature of the pitch or at times by goalkeeper Justice Quarcoo who denied them coming on level terms.
Olympics search for the equaliser, materialised in the 80th minute when Winfred Dormon delivered a powerful that was returned by Arsenal’s rear men but Pomayie was around to reconnect home to give the Dade boys a relieving draw. The game attracted a red card when Arsenals goal getter, Eranio was expelled in the 85th minute for a retaliatory act on Philip Kutsu.
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 17 June 2002 - Visiting Kumasi King Faisal held Bofoakwa Tano to a 1-1 drawn game in their match played at the Sunyani Coronation Park. Half time score was 1-0 in favour of Bofoakwa Tano.
Playing under a new interim management committee after a vote of no-confidence passed in Ebo Mends' administration, the Bofoakwa boys with veteran "power-house" Kwasi Owusu as the IMC's acting coach, played better but squandered most of their goal scoring chances till the 15th minute when Kojo Owusu eventually fetched the leader.
It was the fault of goalkeeper Okyere Samuel of King Faisal, who misjudged a move by the Bofoakwa striker who slammed in a loose ball. From thence, it was an all Bofoakwa affair, but with King Faisal coming into the lime light occasionally. An interesting aspect of the match was when both teams commenced proceedings with 10 men each and played for pretty five minutes before bringing in their 11th players.
Even though Boadu Kennedy and Wilson Benjamin were on the team sheets of Bofoakwa and King Faisal respectively, they were surprisingly left out and did not start the match from the go. On resumption King Faisal played with renewed vigour and unlike the first half Wilson Benjamin, Abubakar Yahuza, Kwabena Boateng combined effectively in the early minutes of this half but poor anticipation by their strikers rob them of an early equaliser. The technical men of King Faisal replaced Agyemang with Ishak who equalised for King Faisal in the 79th minute.
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Obuasi (Ashanti Region) 17 June 2002 - A 75th minute goal by substitute Bernard Don Bortey powered Accra Hearts of Oak to a one nil victory over Obuasi Goldfields in their match played at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium. The defeat is the first to be suffered by the miners on their favourite Len Clay stadium while Hearts have succeeded in scaling through 13 matches without tasting a defeat or draw.
The match itself was without any entertaining moments as both teams played as if nothing was at stake. The drabness of the match especially the first half was further worsened by the rains, which set in during most part of the second half.
Goldfields however lifted up their game in the second half but against the run of play Don Bortey who came on for Kenneth Sarpong in the 57th minute scored for his side to throw their numerous supporters into a state of joy.
It was the homesters who wasted the first corner in the 7th minute but Hearts came close to scoring in the 15th minute when Charles Taylor who had a terribly bad day wasted the chance as he blew away a neat cross from Kwame Antwi. In the 35th minute, Hearts won a corner but Edmund Copson who was well positioned for the killer strike wasted the chance. The visitor's goalkeeper, Sammy Adjei thrilled the fans with superb goalkeeping in the 39th minute as he stretched himself to elastic limit to parry a powerful free-kick by Asare Boateng to prevent Goldfields from taking the lead.
Both teams completed their substitution in the second half but that failed to bring bite into the game until Don Bortey brought life into the stadium with his goal. Goldfields made frantic efforts to redeem the goal but their efforts came to nothing.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 17 June 2002 - Kumasi Asante Kotoko beat Brong Ahafo United 3-0 in their encounter at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. Kotoko took the lead in the 26th minute through Michael Osei's connecting header when Frank Osei's shot hit the post and bounced back into play.
Nana Arhin Duah made it 2-0 for the porcupine warriors in the 45th minute with a 25-metre shot. Stephen Oduro beat two defenders in a row and laid on a perfect pass for the striker to score. Skipper Gorden Ablordey sealed the doom of the visitors scoring from a sport kick in the 84th minute when a defender of United handled the ball in his penalty box. B.A. tried to find a consolation goal but the defence of Kotoko stood firm until the end of the game.
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Koforidua (Eastern Region) 17 June 2002 - Visiting Sekondi Hasaacas beat Power F/C 2-0 in their match played at the Koforidua Park. Hasaacas took the lead in the ninth minute through their midfielder Richard Afriyie. The early goal unsettled the Power boys who lost control of the match and became a pale shadow of themselves.
Hasaacas increased their tally to two in the 50th minute when Mutari Salu latched unto a through pass and cleverly lobbed it over goalkeeper, Eric Amponsah. Power found it difficult to penetrate the defensive network Hasmal but try as they did they could not surmount the visitors defence till the final whistle.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 17 June 2002 - Leading goal scorers in the Premiership After the 13th week matches.
9 - Charles Taylor (Hearts)
6 - Amui Quaye (Olympics) Don Bortey (Hearts)
5 - Ernest Papa Arko (liberty) Frank Awuah (Goldfields) Frank Osei (Kotoko) Osei Bonsu (Okwawu) Nana Arhin Duah, Godwin Ablordey (Kotoko)
4 - Abubakar Yahuza, Kwabena Boateng (Faisal) Masawudu Mumuni (Maxbees) Nana Frimpong, Stephen Oduro (Kotoko) Joseph Adjei (RTU) Paul Ofori (Dawu)
3 - Eric Adu Poku (Arsenals) Raja Nurudeen (Power) Kenneth Sarpong (Hearts) Bawa Mohammed (BA United) Eric Mbroh (Dawu) Gariba Haruna (Hasaacas)
2 - Wisdom Abbey, Awudu Adama, Charles Allotey, Frank Turkson (Hearts) Prince Yeboah, Kwasi Mensah (Mines Stars) Joe Okyere, Michael Osei (Kotoko) Issah Ahmed (Dawu) Kwabina Opoku, Joe Agyman (Faisal) William Tiero, Alfred Nii Larbi, John Paintsil (Liberty) Kwaku Duah, Charles Benson (Bofoakwa) Ofosu Amoah (Goldfields) Justice Appiah, Dennis Odum (Power) Isaac Asante (Okwawu) Addai Owusu (B A United) Charles Asamoah (Hasaacas) Frank Awuah, George Eranio (Arsenals), Hamza Mohammed (RTU)
1 - Laryea Kingston, Awuley Quaye, Adjah Tetteh (Hearts) Joe Louis, Joe Sam, Shila Alhassan, Michael Osei (Kotoko) Kenneth Ababio, Issah Rahman, Dauda Siedu, John Quansah, Asare Boateng, Aminu Musa, Solomon Laryea, Alfred Arthur
(Goldfields) Paa Joe Kuma, James Amartey, John Cudjoe, Mensah Pomeney, Joe Tagoe, David Sharpe, Sumaila Iddrisu, Winfred Dormon (Olympics) Andrew Antwi, Osman Sakora, Angelon Dedon, Bawa Mohammed, Lawrence Kenyah (BA United) Ben Wilson, Ishaack Debrah (Faisal) Eddy Acquaye, Daniel Babayara, George Tutu
(Okwawu) Issah Shaibu (Maxbees) Samuel Owusu, Awal Mohammed, Sefa Boateng (Power) Mutalib Abdul, Mohammed Inusah, Atta Yawson, John Ainoo, Maxwell Kensah, Ebo Mensah (Hasaacas) Albert Ayikade, Mohammed Baker, Alhassan Weah, Alhassan Habib, Bobby Rahman, Kwame Acheapong (RTU) Kennedy Ayew, Issaka
Tanko, Kelvin Asamoah (Mines Stars) Tahiru Abulai, Kofi Asiedu, Anthony Mintah, Kojo Poku, Kojo Owusu (Bofoakwa) Kamara Dauda, Paul Otu, Samuel Bakai, Baba Sule, Kwame Amadu (Dawu) Kwame Adjei, Seth Antwi, (Arsenals) Ablade Morgan (liberty), Richard Afriyie, Mutari Salu (Hasaacas)
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