Goldfields drop valuable point at home
Hearts through with ‘Operation 15 Points’
Hasaacas shock Maxbees at Koforidua
League Scorers after fifth week matches
Charles Taylor leaves for Italy on Friday
Sunyani (Greater Accra) 09 May 2002 - A 79th minute beautiful goal scored by inside right Angelon Dedon enabled B.A. United on level with Asante Kotoko on 10 points through defeating visiting King Faisal 1-0 in their midweek premier league match played at the Sunyani Coronation Park on Wednesday.
It was a two-man combination in the vital area of the Kumasi boys, which Dedon finished off, putting the ball at the blind side of goalkeeper Nicholas Opoku Ware. Before the goal United wasted many scoring chances especially in the first session of the match.
The homesters continued to pile pressure on the visitors but they failed to translate their superiority into goals due to poor shooting at goal and good defensive work by the monarchs. The Sunyani boys however found the match winner in the 79th minute through Dedon.
GRi…/
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Obuasi (Ashanti Region) 09 May 2002 - At Obuasi, Goldfields struggled from a goal deficit to hold visiting Power F/C to a 1-1 drawn game in their match played at the Len Clay Stadium.
The match, which was characterised by poor officiating by a woman referee Benedicta Wormade from Hohoe generated into confusion in the last stages of the game as aggrieved supporters threw missiles onto the field holding up the match for well over six minutes. Referee Wormade did not only overlook glaring offences but failed to punish visibly punishable offences especially against the visiting team.
It was Power F/C who shot into the lead in the 6th minute when Raja Mohammed took advantage of a goalmouth action to beat Naim Shaibu in posts for the miners. Goldfields however, accepted the challenge and worked for the equaliser, which came in the 30th minute when John Quansah's sizzling header flew past Sani Mohammed.
Goldfields who have exhausted their stuff, which propelled them to whip highly fancied Asante Kotoko 3-1 in the third week encounter last week played as if nothing was at stake. With the supporters having nothing to cheer about they started to vent their anger on poor officiating resulting culminating in the throwing of offensive objects onto the field with some directed at the bench of the visitors.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2002 - Defending League champions, Accra Hearts of Oak, maintained their dreams of retaining the championship by crushing Berekum Arsenals by 3-0 to accumulate all 15 points from their first five matches played so far in the league.
The game, which started on a slow note, saw Arsenals coming close to scoring in the 3rd minute through Awuah Richard but the intervention of come-back goalie Sammy Adjei prevented his side from conceding the first goal. Hearts took up the challenge as Kwame Antwi's dangerous kick into the danger zone of Arsenals was beautifully saved by keeper Isaac Zogah in the 8th minute.
Two minutes later Frank Turkson failed to utilise an opportunity to open the scores as his shot was saved by the keeper. As the game gathered momentum both sides increased their tempo in an attempt to score with the visitors playing beautifully to the delight of fans but they could not make use of the chances that came their way.
Hearts however opened the scores in the 34th minute when Awuley Quaye Jnr delivered a non-drop thunderbolt, metres after the centre circle, which went straight into the net. Kenneth Sarpong beat an off-side in the 40th minute to increase the tally to two for Hearts before the break.
On resumption Hearts maintained their pressure but failed to score on numerous occasions with Awuley, Abbey, Turkson being the worst offenders. Hearts sealed the coffin on their opponents the 71st minute when Turkson's shot was punched by keeper Zogah only for Abbey to tap the ball into the net for the third goal. Hearts who could have had a goal harvest rather played to the delight of their fans with the minutes ticking away.
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Koforidua (Eastern Region) 09 May 2002 - Visiting Sekondi Hasaacas beat Suhum Maxbees 1-0 in their fifth week league match played at the Koforidua Stadium. Hasaacas fetched their solitary score in the 55th minute through substitute player Gariba Haruna who received a pass at the middle of the field during a counter attack and managed to juggle with the ball through the defence of Maxbees before shooting into straight into the net.
Earlier in the first half, the Sekondi boys dominated play and demonstrated their determination to carry the day when their right full back, Usif Issah surged forward on many occasions and released a powerful shots one of which beat goalkeeper Samuel Nartey in the post for Maxbees but the ball hit the cross bar and bounced back into play.
Maxbees who looked ordinary and did not show any strong determination to redeem the goal created many goal-scoring chances but lack of experience and poor imagination denied them the much-needed goals. Masawudu had good scoring chances in 44th. 69th and 89th minutes but wasted all the chances.
Hasaacas right halfback, Oblitey Mensah was sent off the field for committing a second bookable offence when he brought down Maxbees substitute player Clement Coffie during injury time.
GRi…/
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 09 May 2002 - Kumasi Asante Kotoko whipped Dawu Youngsters 5-2 in their match at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. Dawu took the field with all guns blazing and playing power soccer particularly in the first half and succeeded in holding Kotoko to a 2-2 scoreline at half time. But that was about all the challenge they could give as Kotoko tore them into pieces in the second half and banged in three more goals to clinch victory.
Dawu took the lead in the 23rd minute through former Kotoko defender Samuel Bakai through a long range after capitalising on a defensive blunder. Kotoko replied immediately and three minutes later, Nana Frimpong equalised with a splendid goal lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Sumaila Abdullah who had moved forward.
Stephen Oduro, who played a good game scored Kotoko's second goal in the 28th minute. He beat the Dawu defence to Nana Frimpong's header to put the ball beyond the reach of the goalkeeper. This goal did not dampen the fighting spirit of Dawu who carried the game to Kotoko and in the 37th minute snatched the equaliser from Bakai's freekick, which beat goalkeeper Osei Boateng.
Ho-based referee F.K. Fudzi nearly lost control of the game as he allowed it to degenerate into robust play but he later stamped his authority on the game when in the 41st minute he sent Dawu's Malik Gago off the field for rough play thereby reducing their numerical strength.
Kotoko resumed the second half after replacing Joe Sam with Fuseini Adams and raised their tally to three in the 56th minute through Nana Frimpong from Stephen Oduro's corner kick. From then on Kotoko never looked back as Dawu looked tired having exhausted their energies in the first half and allowed Kotoko to bang in their fourth goal in the 62nd minute when substitute Joe Okyere rose above the Dawu defence to head in Stephen Oduro's corner kick. Joe Okyere fetched Kotoko's fifth goal in the 88th minute.
At Bolgatanga, the match between Real Tamale United and Accra Great Olympics scheduled for Bolgatanga was rained-off. The match, expected to be one of RTU's toughest encounters at home, is expected to be honoured on Thursday.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 May 2002 - Liberty Professionals registered their second successive victory at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday when they beat Okwawu United by a lone goal to move to the second spot in the Premier League on nine points.
Liberty's second position could however be short lived, pending the full complement of other league matches on Wednesday.
The start of the game was delayed for some minutes when Fatau Dauda in post for Okwawu wearing a jersey of similar colour to those of their opponents refused to change into another outfit. This caused some confusion but finally the goalie was prevailed upon and he changed.
When the game finally started after a minute's silence for the victims of the 9 May tragedy, which claimed 126 lives, Okwawu who won last year's encounter, controlled the early stages of the game and pushed their men forward in a bid to score. After being made to go through some anxious moment, Liberty replied in an emphatic manner as they opened the scoring in the sixth minute through John Paintsil who dribbled his way past George Tutu at the centre of the Okwawu defence and placed the ball beyond advancing Dauda.
Okwawu's resolve appeared not shaken by the early setback as they continued to dictate the pace of the events but found it difficult to break through the defence of Liberty and were compelled to resort to long range shooting, which on most occasions, went wayward.
Against the run of play, Liberty nearly doubled their lead through Paintsil once again when he benefited from a defensive blunder from Umaru Yakubu but his shot was saved by Dauda. The mountaineers came close to equalising in the 29th minute, when an Osei Bonsu’s freekick from the edge of the box just whisked pass the goal post.
Liberty, who on most occasions were on the back foot resorted to hard tackles and skipper Addoquaye Pappoe was shown the first yellow card of the match in the 40th minute for dangerous tackle on Asare Nyarko.
The second half was not much different from the first as Okwawu controlled the game and camped Liberty in their own area, leaving the leaders to play on the break. In one of the breaks Liberty managed to put the ball into the net through Paintsil but referee G.K. Zorve from Kumasi ruled it offside.
Liberty introduced David Boateng for Paintsil with 19 minutes remaining and the youngster brought more urgency into their attack. Within a minute of coming on Boateng was involved in a quick interchange of passes which freed Ernest Papa Arko but the league's leading scorer shot directly into the hands of Dauda in post for Okwawu even though he had a clear sight on goal.
Okwawu's game plan changed in the 77th minute when referee Zorve misjudged and penalised Duada for handling a back pass in their box when indeed the ball came off the foot of a Liberty player. Okwawu players protested vehemently and that resulted in a red card to Edward Acquah whiles the resultant kick was wasted. With a numerical advantage, Liberty pushed forward but could not increase the tally as they wasted chance after chance.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2002 - Leading goal scorers in the Premiership after the fourth week matches played on Wednesday.
5 - Ernest Papa Arko (liberty)
3 - Abubakar Yahuza (Faisal) Nana Frimpong (Kotoko)
2 - Amui Quaye (Olympics), Frank Turkson (Hearts) Bawa Mohammed (BA United) Kwasi Mensah (Mines Stars) Joe
Okyere (Kotoko) Eric Mbroah (Dawu)
1 - Charles Taylor, Laryea Kingston, Don Bortey, Awudu Adama, Awuley Quaye Jnr, Kenneth Sarpong, Wisdom Abbey (Hearts) Godwin Ablordey, Micheal Osei, Nana Arhin Duah, Joe Louis, Joe Sam, Godwin Ablordey, Stephen Oduro (Kotoko) Kenneth Ababio, Issah Rahman, Ofosu Amoah, Frank Awuah, Dauda Siedu, John Quansah (Goldfields) James Amartey (Olympics) Andrew Antwi, Osman Sakora, Angelon Dedon (BA United) Joe Agyman SNR, Kwabina Opoku, Joe Agyman (Faisal) Osei Bonsu, Eddy Acquah (Okwawu) Issah Shaibu, Masawudu Mumuni (Maxbees) Samuel Owusu, Dennis Odum, Raja Mohammed (Power) Mutalib Abdul, Mohammed Inusah, Gariba Haruna (Hasaacas) Albert Ayikade, Mohammed Baker, Joseph Adjei (RTU) Kennedy Ayew (Mines Stars) Tahiru Abulai, Kwaku Duah, Kofi Asiedu (Bofoakwa) Kamara Dauda, Paul Otu, Issah Ahmed, Samuel Bakai (Dawu), Eric Adu Poku (Arsenals) Alfred Nii Larbi, John Painstil (liberty)
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Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2002 - Charles Taylor, the mercurial playmaker of champion club Accra Hearts of Oak departs Accra on Friday to Italy for trials with some first division teams. Mr Thomas Okine, Acting Chief Executive of Hearts told the GNA Sports that all arrangements have been completed for the player to play justifiers and if he impresses the Italians, he would either be sold or loaned to interested clubs.
The Acting Chief Executive said though Taylor is relevant to the championship ambitions of the Ghanaian champions, requests have come from Europe and Hearts would not like to scuttle the professional ambition of the young player.
Charles was voted the Most Exciting Player of the year 2001 by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) but was surprisingly dropped from the Black Stars for the 2002 African Cup of Nations in Mali by caretaker coach, Fred Osam Duodu. His exclusion generated a lot of media criticism and most fans accused Duodu of fluffing Ghana's chances in Mali as they regarded Taylor as the player who could hold the ball and create openings in opponents' defence for the strikers to make hay.
Lately, Charles has become the bad boy of Ghana football with the spate of red cards he has attracted. During the top four tournament, which was organised by the Ghana League Clubs Association (GALCA) for the beast placed teams during the off season, he bagged two red cards in two successive matches, making some football followers vindicate coach Duodu for dropping him.
In the five week old premiership, Taylor was the first player to attract an outright red card for an off the ball retaliatory offence when Hearts played city rivals, Great Olympics in a third week match. Consequently, the skilful playmaker is now serving a four-match suspension.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2002 - The Accra Sports Stadium would be set ablaze by thrilling boxing encounters on Friday night as boxers line up to either repeat their dominance over the opponents or revenge defeats inflicted on them by their opponents.
The night dubbed "Repeat or Revenge" being staged by Ultimate and Management promotion syndicate is the fourth boxing bout to be staged this year after bills like "Night of No Return", Put Up or Shut Up and the anchor tournament of "Steel and Iron" staged at the Trade Fair Centre. Though Friday's is the fourth of the year, it is the maiden promotion of the Ultimate and Management promotion and they have vowed to surpass all other packages so far staged, hence the likes of James Toney, Anyetei Laryea, Stephen Okai and Moro Tijani have been contracted for the night.
The main bout of the night is the much awaited ‘repeat and revenge’ bout between Stephen "Ataa Gyata" Okai the ex champion and Moro Tijani, the pride of the Armed Forces for the vacant National and West Africa Super Lightweight belt. When the two boxers met last year Okai defeated Tijani to win the title and his fans expect him to repeat the dose while the armed forces sergeant is determined to revenge his defeat and snatch the title.
Tijani, the southpaw slugger who has not had any fight for some time now for want of opponents told the GNA Sports that there is no way he is going to lose again to his opponent, adding that he would definitely win in order to attract more fights.
In the National and West Africa bantamweight championship Anyetei Laryea known in boxing circles as the "chameleon" would sort things out with Anyomi Savondra a.k.a. Rebel Leader for the title at stake. In this fight, which seems to favour the chameleon because of his impressive fight record, his opponent whose background as a member of the Akotoku Boxing Academy, which is noted for producing great boxers would certainly provide a worthy challenge and keep fans on the edges of their seats. For Sumaila Badu and Asamoah Wilson, no one is in a position to predict the outcome of the fight in their 12 round National and West Africa Super flyweight championship as they appear equally matched.
"Hot ice" James Toney would seek to maintain his consistency as he aims at going in for the Commonwealth title in the near future. Toney would be facing another Beninoise contender Sodjinou Philbert the African Boxing Council Champion in a ten round contest middleweight contest. Toney, the aspiring world champion also vowed to add his opponent to his long list of victims.
He said in interview with the GNA sports that though the information he has shows that the Benninnoise is also strong, he believes in his ability to outwit him. Toney indicated that, he has prepared well for the fight as he does with all other fights, adding that he is determined to bring honours to the nation. In three other non-title fights, Alfred Tetteh of Bukom Club faces Aminu Turkson in an eight round catch weight contest while Daniel Sackey of Black Panthers would settle with Joe Addo of Ashaiman in a six round supper middleweight contest.
Abdulai Aminu of Fit Square Club meets Romet "D" of Benin in another eight round International Super featherweight fray. All roads therefore lead to the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday Night for the fights which would either a revenge or a repeat of
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