GRi Sports 05 - 02 - 2003

Lion takes on the Oak in two Hearts’ affair

Twenty-one Stars to assemble

Burkhard outlines ambitious plan

Koufie calls for cooperation

PRESEC, EBENESCO retains trophies

Female karate team in the offing 

 

 

Lion takes on the Oak in two Hearts’ affair

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 05 March 2003 - The strength of the champion club, Accra Hearts of Oak would be put to a severe test on Thursday as the Phobians encounter the strength of division one league campaigners, Kpando Heart of Lions, in special friendly match at the Accra Sports Stadium.

 

The match is to serve as part of both teams preparation towards their respective competitive assignments. Hearts would use the match to test their preparedness for the last match of the first round of the LG Top Four Tourney, while Heart of Lions are sharpening their rough edges for the Sub Middle League which is yet to kick off.

 

A statement signed by Mr. Tommy Okine, chief Executive of Accra Hearts of Oak, said a flat rate of 5,000 and 10,000 would be charged at the gates.

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Twenty-one Stars to assemble

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 05 March 2003 - New Black Stars coach Burkhard Ziese, on Tuesday named 21 local players to form the nucleus of the team, as the nation gears up for a four-nation tournament in Tunisia from 28 - 30 March. He said the list would be reviewed week-after-week.

 

The German requested the invited players to report for camping at the Hospitality Centre at Tema Community 7, on Wednesday 5 March. Liberty Professionals, leads the pack of invited players with seven players followed by Hearts of Oak with five and the rest from Kotoko, Great Olympics and Obuasi Goldfields.

 

The players are Sammy Adjei, Wisdom Abbey, Kwabena Boafo, Bernard Don Bortey, Princeston Owusu-Ansah (Hearts), Emmanuel Addoquaye Papoe, Samuel Cudjoe, William Teiro, Daniel Yeboah, Jonathan Quartey, Nii Aryee Alex and George Yamoah, all of Liberty.

 

The rest are Micheal Asente, Issah Ahmed, Kwabena Dodzi (Olympics) Godfred Yeboah, Aziz Ansah, Stephen Owusu, Isaac Boakye (Kotoko) and Abubakari Kankani of Goldfields.

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Burkhard outlines ambitious plan

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 05 March 2003 - New Black Stars Coach Burkhard Ziese assumed office on Tuesday with a catalogue of at least 10 international friendly matches, aimed at pushing Ghana forward on the FIFA rankings from 59 to 30 and fifth on the African continent within 12 months.

           

The high profile matches includes Australia who recently beat England 3-1 in London and another European country yet to be named on April 2 and 7 June respectively. Sequel to this, an initial list of 21 local players has been penciled down by the coach together with his assistant, Isaac Paha, which would be reviewed week-after-week.

 

The German would however, be without his number two deputy Malik Jabir who tended in his resignation letter on Tuesday citing family pressures and his new job with Kumasi Asante Kotoko.

 

Aside this setback, the coach told a press conference that all was set for a good takeoff to give the nation a World Cup debut. He noted however, that the road would be rough against the backdrop that he would have to combine the job of the Black Stars and that of the Black Meteors.

 

Burkhard said in the case of a clash of programme, he would delegate his assistant to take charge of one of the teams. He said all relevant foreign-based players have been contacted except Alex Nyarko who is yet to be convinced to make a comeback.

 

The coach's immediate assignment is to prepare a squad for a four-nation tournament in Tunis, which include, African Champions', Cameroon and Algeria from March 28 through to 30th. It is the second "homecoming" for the coach who was booted out in 1992 after guiding the Black Stars to qualify for the African Nations Cup in Senegal the same year after years of absence at the African soccer fiesta.

 

He concluded the signing of a 10,000-dollar one-year renewable contract with the Ghana Football Association but not without a hitch. He contested the inclusion of a six-month probation period clause, which according to the German, is observed by those serving prison sentences in his home country.

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Koufie calls for cooperation

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 05 March 2003 - Ben Koufie, Chairman of the Ghana Football Association, (GFA) on Tuesday called for co-operation from all stakeholders in football to ensure the success of the new Black Stars coach Bukhard Ziese.

 

Speaking at a Press conference to introduce the new Black Stars coach, Koufie said the road to success would not be an easy one and there is the need to provide the required atmosphere for the coach to work.

 

Koufie said even though there is a clause in the contract which allows the coach or the GFA to back out if any party is not satisfied, there would not be any back out since the they are ready to give the coach the free hand to build a winsome team for the nation.

 

"We are going to provide the needed atmosphere for the coach to enable him give us the results we require, that is to qualify the nation to the 2004 Nations Cup and the 2006 World Cup", the GFA chairman stated.

 

He said there is no reason why the nation would not stick to the new coach since the ultimate aim of the nation is to make representation at the 2006 World Cup to be staged in Germany. Koufie said the 2004 Nations Cup would be used as platform for the future adding that in the event of a failure "that would not be the end of the road for the nation".

 

In response Ziese said there is the need for a good relationship between the GFA, the press, officials and coaches of all premier league clubs for the nation to succeed in her quest to take part in the 2004 and 2006 World Cup. Coach Ziese said his task is to place the nation at respectable position in the FIFA ranking and put Ghana among the best five in Africa. The coach assured all that he would do his best to qualify the nation for the two impending international assignments.

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PRESEC, EBENESCO retains trophies

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 05 March 2003 - The Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (PRESEC), Legon last Friday, defeated their male colleagues from Osu, Presbyterian Boys and Girls Secondary School by a lone goal to win the boys division of the Greater Accra Second Cycle Schools Hockey Competition at the National Hockey Pitch in Accra.

 

PRESEC managed to reach the finals, by trouncing Tema Secondary School (TEMASCO) 3-0 in the first match, drew 2-2, with PRESEC and went on to beat Ebenezer Secondary School (EBENESCO) 3-1 in a tough semi finals duel.

 

EBENESCO picked the third place by beating Accra Academy 1-0 in the third placed match. In the girls division, EBENESCO retained their trophy by beating Accra Girls Secondary School 1-0 on penalties, after a pulsating goalless drawn game.

 

In the preliminaries, EBENESCO beat TEMASCO 1-0, whipped Labone Secondary 2-0 before accounting for Chemu Secondary School 1-0 in the semi finals to qualify for the finals. Chemu Secondary School beat Labone Secondary School 3-2 on penalties to win the third place.

 

At the end of the competition, Newman Kwadede of PRESEC, Legon and Naomi Tetteh were adjudged male and female players of the competition respectively. Master Leslie Banor scored four goals to emerge goal king and Elizabeth Aboagye banged in three goals to win the goal queen award.

 

All the award winners were presented with hockey sticks and balls, while the all the participating teams were given six hockey balls each.

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Female karate team in the offing

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 05 March 2003 - Rita Ahadzi, Ghana senior female Karateka has declared her intention of forming the first female national karate team in the country.

 

She told the GNA Sports that at her Gym that "it is my wish to form the first ever national karate team in the country and the sub-region if I am given the chance". Ahadzi who has learnt the art for 11 years said the art could be used to promote the standard of Ghanaian movies if introduced in the industry.

 

On how the art can be used to promote the industry, she said "if China, India, Japan, Spain and the United States have been able to project their image using martial arts in their films then why not our motherland Ghana", she questioned.

 

The 22-year old first degree black-belter and winner of many medals in international competitions, said comparing the quality of films like the police officer to other local movies which contain superstition and too much drama one can clearly predict how martial arts can help project the nations image in film production.

 

She however appealed to NGO's and other organisations interested in promoting karate especially that of females, to come to her aid by helping her to form the female karate team. Ahadzi said due to lack of funds she could not participate in an International Shoktan Karate International Friendly contest recently.

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