Sports Council pays tribute to Kwasi Kumah
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 March 2002 - Accra Hearts of Oak were given a rude awakening when they were made to fight back from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Liberty Professionals in their grand finale of the maiden GHALCA Top Four competition at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday.
The match which also served as a warmer for Hearts as they prepare to take on Stade Malien of Mali in their first round first leg of this year's Champions League elimination series witnessed some bizarre decisions by class one referee P.K Azizah from Tema.
He awarded two controversial spot kicks, one to each side and capped his unusual refereeing with a harsh sending off of Ablade Morgan of Liberty. Irate fans roared at the Ghana League Club officials, organisers of the match, and forced them to present the trophy to Hearts after they (GHALCA) had wanted to reschedule the match.
Hearts and Liberty occupied the first and second positions respectively on seven points each after the four-team league but instead of Hearts being presented with the trophy for its superior goals, GHALCA officials decided to pair the two for a decider apparently to raise money.
The vociferous Hearts fans insisted that since the club had originally won the league, there was no need for a replay. Liberty started the match on a strong note as they drew rings around the Phobians and were awarded a doubtful fourth minute penalty after referee Azizah misjudged Hassan Mohammed harmless tackle which was converted by Papa Arko.
Liberty did not relent after the goal as they continued to pile up pressure on Hearts whose midfield found it difficult to deal with the fast play of Liberty. Hearts found their rhythm and pushed forward in a bid to equalise but unfortunately created loopholes at the rear, which Liberty exploited in the 21st minute when Jonathan Quartey latched unto a ball to run for about 20 meters before slotting the ball beyond advancing goalkeeper James Nanor.
The match witnessed a second half revival for the Phobians as they took control of the game. Charles Taylor had the first chance in the 47th minute but over elaboration found his shot hitting the side net after he went past Cudjoe Addo in post for Liberty. Hearts were given a further boost in the 50th minute when Ablade Morgan who had just come on in the second half was shown the red card for high foot tackle on Hassan Mohammed to give Hearts a numerical advantage.
In the 67th minute, referee Azizah appeased Hearts fans with an equally controversial penalty, which was scored by Benard Don Bortey and Charles Taylor made amends for his earlier miss when he blasted home a pass from Adjah Tetteh in the 75th minute to pull level.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 March 2002 - Dave and Jackie Martins scored 47 points to win this year's Achimota Independence Day Golf competition played at the Achimota Golf Course on Wednesday.
The pair of J.K. Van Baaren and E. Vaaan Baaren placed second with 46 points while the pair of Bob Evans/Esther Amedzro was third with 45 points and Joseph Amoako and his partner, Fritts Degbe took the fourth position with 43 points. N. De Boer/Beatrice Hampton placed fifth with 42 points.
The one-day 18-hole stableford competition, which was sponsored by the Club attracted over 100 participants. It formed part of activities marking the 45th anniversary celebration of Ghana's Independence. Mr Gilbert Morgan, Captain of the Club praised the members for participating in the competition and urged them to strive hard to win more members for the Club.
GRi…/
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By Caesar Abagali
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 March 2002 - Ghana football is at the crossroads. It seems to have come up against a wall. There is a general feeling of helplessness and despair as both football administrators and beneficiaries look on without knowing exactly where to turn to and what to do to restore the country's football image. But this needn't be so.
Countries like Cameroon, Senegal, and Tunisia among others that are now in the limelight have gone through similar crisis before. Ghana therefore does not need to re-invent the wheel. The lessons are there to be learnt from the experiences of those countries.
If Ghanaians allow the experiences of those countries to impact on their potential and ingenuity it should be possible to retrace our steps to glory. The solution can be simple but it can also be complex, depending on the approach.
The most significant step is to acknowledge that our football is at the lowest ebb and that we are lagging behind many countries in Africa or even in the sub-region. If the present administrators didn't know this before, the last Cup of Nations in Mali offered ample proof of the situation in the country.
When this is accepted and we decide to pick back the pieces, then we would accept the fact that we would have to embark on a revolutionary re-organisation. It will be crucial in this effort to carry every Ghanaian along with us by seeking opinion from the general public and stakeholders.
In order to revive football in the country, there seems to be only two options, among others, that can take us out of the woods. We require a fundamental change that could cleanse football administration while those presently at the helm must be made to appreciate what they hold in trust for the people to be able to change their present modus operandi, which is not yielding the desired results.
The second option looks very Herculean. It is about changing people's perception, which is rather very difficult to do. To effect any fundamental change, it requires putting in place certain national processes. There must be discussion fora in which all stakeholders, irrespective of political, ethnic or club leaning would participate.
Like an economy, sports in general and football in particular need a serious fundamental appraisal in the area of management. This re-examination should be done by-politicians, journalists, technocrats and administrators of sports and footballers alike. The purpose of this re-appraisal would be to foster one unity of purpose on how to push the game ahead.
Fundamental questions have to be asked even if there are no answers to all of them. We must have past experience bearing on the way we administer football and this must be made to benefit all. We need a national blue print for football development in the country.
We must have our subjective factors designed to accommodate those externalities that impact on the local scene both favourably and negatively. This is particularly in the area of the rules governing the game, transfer of players, marketing of players, releasing players and the power play around CAF.
What is required is an aggressive re-orientation of management style initiated and developed by Ghanaians with commitment. At this stage the best we can achieve is to minimise the problems and gradually move up to attain the level required for football development.
Any step is worth the effort. If the current trend were allowed to continue our football would remain in the doldrums as was evident in the just ended Cup of Nations in Mali. Another factor that has to be seriously tackled is financing.
Since the private sector is not very strong and not directly involved in sports, the burden would have to remain on government for a long time to come. This burden needn't be entirely limited to the small budget, which is being competed for by many sectors.
External factors would have to be considered. This can only be possible within a regulatory framework and a conducive environment. Bilateral relationships would have to be aggressively established to support government budget in a way that can impact on our football.
The issue of finance is crucial and yet it depends on performance which intend depends on effective management and planning. But an effective planning and workable policy can lay the foundation for the necessary take off. The ad hoc manner in which sports is organised in the country would only serve to keep us where we are.
Countries that have achieved results did so through careful planning and clear setting of objectives. The National team of Senegal is a clear example. There is the need to identify clearly the problems that militate against the progress of the Black Stars, isolate these problems carefully and tackle them vigorously.
A few of these problems include selection of players into the National Team. The type of players selected into juvenile teams, our relations with the foreign players and motivation of the teams. Others that are of prime importance include; selection of a coach for the national team, the type of league we have in the country, preparation of the national teams towards major competitions.
The FA and its management staff as well as the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Executive council have to be properly managed. Mention must also be made of the type of referees that officiate our matches. In this way we would realise, within a short time, that football in the country would be uplifted to higher heights.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 March 2002 – Veteran sports administrator, Mr Kwasi Kumah, is reported dead at Ho. Kumah was a one time Volta Region representative on the Central Organisation of Sports (COS) during the Ohene Djan and Francis Selormey era as directors of sports.
Mr Kumah who was 73 years old would be buried on Saturday, March 9 at Klefe near Ho. A tribute to his memory by the National Sports Council released to the press on Tuesday said at his age one is tempted to see nothing unexpected about the death of Mr Kwasi Kumah in modern times since he has after all clocked the Biblical three scores and ten years.
"However to those of us at the NSC headquarters in Accra, the death of Mr Kumah is a shattering blow because our current restructuring involves the mobilisation of old tested hands in sports administration in the country.
Until his death the name Kwasi Kumah has featured constantly in recommendation among sources of counselling based on past experience. If therefore there is one single death that merit the description of irreplaceable in our unique world of sports administration, with football bias in the Volta Region, Mr Kumah is the one".
The tribute also said Mr Kumah was one man whose involvement in sports administration began before Ghana achieved political independence. He operated in all administrations, whether he shared political views of the government of the day or not. Thus he was always in the thick of affairs and emerged with credit during the nearly over four decades that he dabbled in sports administration.
Mr Kumah rose from a humble supporter of a colts clubs to be the founding member of two great premier league clubs and also to become vice chairman of the executive of the National Football Association. Mr Kumah who was a strong pillar behind the formation of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) had the late H.P Nyamitei, S.K Manu and Lawton Ackah-Yensu as his peers.
GRi…/
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