King Faisal beat Liberty at Kumasi
Black Bombers positive of winning medals at Commonwealth Games
Laatekwei Hammond to fight Stephen Okine in mandatory defence
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 24 May 2002 - Two late goals by Bofoakwa in the 86th and 90th minutes earned the visitors a hard fought 2-2 drawn game against Power FC in their re-scheduled Premiere League match played at Koforidua Sports Stadium on Thursday.
Playing with determination, Power FC took the lead in the 25th minute through Nurudeen Raja whose shot through a forest of legs sailed into the net. The homesters kept their thin lead to end of the first half. Back from recess, Power FC pile up more pressure and increased the score in the 78th minute again through Raja who exploited a defensive blunder.
The Sunyani boys lifted their game but had to wait till the 86th minute to reduce the tally when Anthony Mintah converted a penalty awarded them after he had been fouled in the box. With only two minutes left for play, Bofoakwa threw everything into the game and levelled up through Kwaku Dua formally of Kotoko, who took on the entire Power defence and succeeded in outwitting them all to score the vital equaliser.
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Dawu (Eastern Region) 24 May 2002 - Maxbees on Thursday travelled to Dawu and came out with a point when they held Dawu Youngsters to 1-1drawn game in their rescheduled eight week Premier League match on Thursday.
Maxbees gave the early indication of the determination to carry the day when they raced into a third minute goal through Masawudu Mumuni. Dawu had to struggle until the 34th minute to pull even through Baba Sule.
Maxbees who were the better team on the day came close on several occasions when they slipped past the flat Dawu defence but poor shooting skipper Mark Tontoh threw away all the chances. In the 55th and 72nd minutes for example Tontoh managed to break through the off side trap of the home team and with only the goalkeeper to beat on the two occasions shot straight into his hands.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002 - Two late goals by Osei Bonsu enabled Okwawu United to pick all the three points at stake in their eight-week Premier League match played against Prestea Mine Stars at the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday.
Playing in front of a hand-full of spectators mostly supporters of Okwawu United, both sides started on a slow note and hardly created any scoring chance in the first half. The second half witnessed an improved game as Okwawu United created some chances. In the 61st minute a shot by Bonsu heading directly into the net but surprisingly his teammate Isaac Asante deflected the ball off target.
Okwawu maintained the pressure and brought on George Tutu for ineffective Okaija Thompson who had earlier in the second half replaced Paul Amponsah. The substitution paid off in the 74th minute when Bonsu applied his head to a long throw by Asare Nyarko to open the score.
Bonsu was once again on target four minutes later after Mine Stars defender Moro Alhassan mistimed a header which fell to the scorer to deliver a powerful volley into the net.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 23 May 2002 - League Champions Accra Hearts of Oak maintained their unbeaten record in this year's premier league when they added Brong-Ahafo United to their chain of victims in the eighth-week mid-week encounter at the Sunyani Coronation Park on Wednesday.
A goal in each half of the match, which was the top liner of the midweek's pairings, gave the Phobians a 2-0 victory over the national gala lords, B.A. United. The tension-packed match, which saw one of the heaviest attendances at the park in recent times had the home team exerting all their energy in the exchanges, but against the former African champions, they found things too hot to handle.
In the end it was experience that carried the day for Hearts. But if there was any player who did not find things easy throughout the 90-minute duration, it was Hearts' playmaker Charles Taylor. Taylor, who was the target of stern policing by his opponents up-front, on the few occasions that he was able to break away from his markers, disorganised the United’s defend with cheeky ease.
By 2 pm, the Coronation Park was filled to capacity and when Class One Referee Alhassan Brobbey of Mampong-Ashanti gave the nod for the match to begin, Hearts shocked the home team with a third minute goal. A pass from midfield found Charles Allotey, and without wasting time, the petit striker gave a long shot, of which goalkeeper Ransford Cudjoe had no remedy.
Sensing danger, the home team moved into attack but captain Charles Taylor and his boys would not give in. In the course of the exchanges, United's Charles Ampiah was shown the yellow card for rough play. Ishmael Fridos of United nearly levelled matters in the 12th minute but his shot narrowly missed the target.
That goal attempt gingered United up and they had the day's first cornerkick in the 13th minute but captain Alhaji Abass in an attempt to trap the ball handled it and wasted the opportunity. Striker Bernard Don Bortey registered his fourth goal in the league with an 89th minute strike, which brought the score line to 2-0 in favour of Hearts.
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Sekondi (Western Region) 23 May 2002 - Sekondi Hasaacas thrashed visiting Real Tamale United 3-0 in their eighth week Premier League match played at the Sekondi Gyandu Park on Wednesday.
Atta Yawson converted a controversial spot kick in the 63rd minute for the opener while Gariba Haruna made it two in the 82nd minute. Veteran striker John Ainoo completed the rout in the 86th minute with a perfect finish.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 23 May 2002 - Kumasi Asante Kotoko strengthened their claim to the premiership title this year after eight years in limbo with an emphatic 3-0 thumping of Accra Great Olympics in their eighth week match played at the Accra Sports Stadium.
In a match, which was played under a difficult rainy and windy condition, it was the visitors who mastered the soggy terrain early and scored the first goal through a Steven Oduro free kick taken from the edge of the box in the fourth minute. Kotoko dominated the early exchanges in the pouring rain and came close again in the fifth minute through newly signed Frank Osei who found himself in a scoring position but the former King Faisal goal poacher blasted the ball wide.
Olympics resurrected from the early set back with short passes in the midfield but found it difficult entering the defensive third of Kotoko. Against the run of play, Kotoko doubled their lead in the 23rd minute when Osei finished off a fast break from the right as he squeezed his shot under Theodore Atsu for the second goal.
The goal did not dampen the resolve of Olympics as they kept to their passing game with exciting young prospect Joe Tagoe feeding the attack, which was rather flat and easily checked by the Kotoko defence.
On resumption, Olympics continued from where they ended the first half and pumped the ball persistently into the half of Kotoko but again failed to threaten the rock solid Kotoko defence. Osei wiped off any hope of a come back by Olympics as he scored his second of the game and third for the Fabulous boys in the 57th minute when he drilled a long-range grounder which a fully stretched Atsu could not block. Osei's goal tally is now three from two matches.
From then on it was all Kotoko as they dominated from the midfield whiles Olympics appeared to have lost their competitive urge. But Kotoko could not translate their late dominance into a cricket score as they contended themselves with entertaining the crowd. Kotoko remain second on the standings with 19 points, five points behind defending champions, Accra Hearts of Oak.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 23 May 2002 - Alhaji Grunsah's King Faisal beat Liberty Professionals 1-0 in their premier league match played at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. Mercurial striker Abubakar Yahuza scored the only goal in the 66th minute with a thunderbolt shot which beat agile goalkeeper Owusu Banahene.
The first half ended in a goalless draw with Liberty dominating the exchanges. Leading goal king Papa Arko nearly found the opener for Liberty in the 16th minute but goalkeeper Samuel Okyere in Faisal post saved his shot. In the 33rd minute however, goalkeeper Banahene failed to make a first time save of a freekick taken by Yahuza and was pushed to corner with the resultant kick wasted.
Richard Adjei of Faisal was replaced with Abdul Samad in the 34th minute as Ishak Debrah of Faisal was shown the yellow card in the 42nd minute for dissent.
On resumption, Faisal took full control of the game and made series of raids but could not find the net. Liberty substituted Morgan Ablade for Papa Arko and Albert Neequaye for Quartey Jonathan when the going became tough in the 76th minute.
When the Tamale-based referee Roger Osabu's whistled for the end of the game, it incurred the displeasure of the Liberty boys because one of their players was close to scoring.
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Berekum (Brong Ahafo Region) 23 May 2002 - Former Hearts of Oak player, George Eranio, made a great debut for Berekum Arsenals when he scored a goal while Eric Adu Poku added another to give Arsenal a 2-1 victory over Goldfields on Wednesday.
Arsenal had to fight from a goal down in the 44th minute to clinch victory. Goldfields scored first when top striker, Frank Awuah, beat an offside trap to shoot home beautifully.
Another former Hearts star, Francis Bossman, picked a pass in the 65th minute and relayed it to Eranio to equalise with an intelligent shot. The home fans called for more goals and the players responded with some good football resulting in the winning goal in the 70th minute. It was Bossman who once again set up Adu Poku to shoot home the winner.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002 – Following is the scorers sheet of the Premiership after eighth week matches.
5 - Ernest Papa Arko (liberty)
4 - Amui Quaye (Olympics) Don Bortey (Hearts) Abubakar Yahuza (Faisal) Frank Awuah (Goldfields) Masawudu
Mumuni (Maxbees).
3 - Nana Frimpong, Godwin Ablordey, Frank Osei (Kotoko) Eric Adu Poku (Arsenals) Osei Bonsu (Okwawu) Raja
Mohammed (Power).
2 - Frank Turkson, Charles Taylor, Kenneth Sarpong (Hearts) Bawa Mohammed (BA United) Kwasi Mensah (Mines Stars) Joe Okyere, Nana Arhin Duah, Stephen Oduro (Kotoko) Issah Ahmed, Eric Mbroah (Dawu) Joe Agyman, Kwabina Boateng (Faisal) Alfred Nii Larbi (Liberty) Kwaku Duah, Charles Benson (Bofoakwa) Gariba Haruna (Hasaacas).
1 - Laryea Kingston, Awudu Adama, Awuley Quaye, Wisdom Abbey, Charles Allotey (Hearts) Michael Osei, Joe Louis, Joe Sam (Kotoko) Kenneth Ababio, Issah Rahman, Ofosu Amoah, Dauda Seidu, John Quansah (Goldfields) James Amartey, John Cudjoe (Olympics) Andrew Antwi, Osman Sakora, Angelon Dedon, Bawa Mohammed (BA United) Kwabina Opoku (Faisal) Eddy Acquah, Isaac Asante (Okwawu) Issah Shaibu (Maxbees) Samuel Owusu, Dennis Odum (Power) Mutalib Abdul, Mohammed Inusah, Atta Yawson, John Ainoo, Maxwell Kensah (Hasaacas) Albert Ayikade, Mohammed Baker, Joseph Adjei, Alhassan Weah, Alhassan Habib, Hamza Mohammed, Bobby Rahman (RTU) Kennedy Ayew (Mines Stars) Tahiru Abulai, Kofi Asiedu, Anthony Mintah (Bofoakwa) Kamara Dauda, Paul Otu, Samuel Bakai, Paul Ofori, Baba Sule (Dawu) Kwame Adjei, Seth Antwi, George Eranio (Arsenals) William Tiero, John Paintsil (liberty).
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002 - The new Black Stars coach, Millan Zivadinovic, is expected to arrive from his Yugoslav based on June two to finalise contractual agreement with officials of the Ghana football Association (GFA) and possibly assume full responsibility as helmsman of the team.
Officials of the GFA have sent copies of his contract document to him for study and for him to append his signature, a source at the GFA Secretariat told the GNA Sports in Accra on Thursday.
The source said the GFA boss, Ben Koufie delivered the contractual documents to the coach himself during the Ghana-Slovania match, where Mr Koufie was able to reach a compromise with him over certain issues pertaining to his condition of service. The GFA is offering 8,000 dollars a month and a signing on fee of 10,000 dollars, which many connoisseurs believe is rather low on the "market".
The coach is also entitled to other unnamed benefits, which have been incorporated in the two-year renewable contract.
Zivadinovic's arrival is likely to coincide with that of the GFA boss, Ben Koufie and his General Secretary, Kofi Nsiah who are scheduled to arrive from the FIFA congress in Japan on June two.
Coach Zivadinovic was chosen after three foreign coaches were short-listed including current Kotoko English coach Ian Porterfield. He is the second expatriate coach in two years after the reigns of Italian Guissepe Dossena. Zivadinovic has had stints with the national teams of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and his home country, Yugoslavia.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002 - Mr Edward Osei-Kwaku, Minister of Youth and Sports, has given the assurance that as much as possible the ministry would encourage football clubs that qualify to play in Africa to seek private sponsorship to lessen their burden. He said following the Ministry's inadequate budgetary allocation it had always had to resort to private sponsorship of the national teams to complement Government's efforts.
Mr Osei-Kwaku was answering a question asked by Mr Joseph Tsatsu Agbenu, NDC-Afram Plains North, as to what financial assistance the Ministry was giving the football clubs that qualified to play in Africa this year. He said the Ministry among others takes care of the preparation of the national tams in competitive and friendly assignments and mentioned Kentis Kit, which sponsored the national Under-20 team to the World Championship held in Argentina in 2001 and Adidas Kit which sponsored the Black Stars for the CAN 2002 held in Mali this year.
Mr Agbenu asked the Minister whether gates proceeds accruing from matches could not be used to sponsor the clubs participation. The Minister said what was realised was not enough to meet the expenses involved after various deductions. Mr Mike Gizo, NDC for Shai-Osudoku asked what efforts the Ministry was making to enable the national team gain experience from the World Cup slated for this year.
Mr Osei-Kwaku said a top class coach was in the process of being engaged to handle the Black Stars and so far there were indications that with proper co-ordination and support the new coach could ensure that the country qualified in all its national assignments. Mrs Edith Hazel, NDC-Evalue-Gwira, asked the Minister whether in previous times football clubs were assisted with sponsorship to participate in competitions.
The Minister said as far as 1976, self-sponsorship had been introduced into the country and whatever profit that was accrued went to the clubs but it was obvious that at present the clubs were facing more financial demands due to the high air fares. Mr Osei-Kwaku said there was the need for the clubs to be able to market themselves well to get the needed assistance to compete in the various competitions.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu Osei, NPP-Old Tafo Suame, asked how much had been accrued from the Sports lotto, which was introduced some time ago. The Minister said the figure was not readily available but added that the money was meant for sports development and not for individual clubs.
Mr Abu-bakar Saddique Boniface, Ind. Salaga, asked whether there were plans to assist clubs to float shares on the Stock Exchange and the Minister said none of the clubs was financially sound to be on the Exchange since it was big businesses that could do so. When Mr Samuel Adu-Yeboah, NDC-Agona East, asked about the relationship between the Ghana Football Association and the Ministry, the Minister said there were cordial and smooth relationship between them.
Mr Osei-Kwaku said the Ministry was a policy making institution and had a complimentary role with the GFA while the Black Stars as the property of the Government had to be supported to ensure that it participated in all competitions.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002 - The prospect of the Black Bombers, Ghana's Boxing team, winning medals at the forth-coming Commonwealth Games in Manchester in August this year, is very high, Mr Eddy Duplan, Chairman of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA), told the GNA Sports in Accra on Thursday.
He said the level of commitment and dedication of the present crop of Black Bombers made to have high hopes for the team adding that the sky would be the limit in Manchester. The young boxers are not only crafty in their fields, but have been given formal education in English language to enhance their performance and communication skills in the sport.
"Now our boxers can communicated decently in English as well as sing and say the national anthems and render the national pledge without any difficulty, Mr Duplan said. The boxers would be involved in an international friendly tournament with their counterparts from Benin the Car Park of the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday.
The Chairman said the Bombers are expected to move to Benin for a return encounter before taking on possibly Togo and other Francophone West African countries in a similar exercise. He said the team is not taking on any of the English speaking West African countries because they are likely meet each other at the games hence its not advisable to fight them now.
Mr Duplan, said the team would break camp and reassemble in the third week of June, to fine-tune before the games, where Ghana would be competing in eight weight divisions. The categories are Flyweight, Light Flyweight, Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middle and Heavy weights.
Ghana won one gold medal at the last Commonwealth Games held in Malaysia in the Feather weight division through Raymond Narh, current National and West African Super featherweight champion.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002 - The hide and seek tactics which has become the trade mark of some Ghanaian national boxing champions would soon be halted as the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) has ordered mandatory defences in certain weight categories with June ending as the deadline.
Mr Justus Agbeko, General Secretary of the GBA said the decision is to fill vacant positions in some divisions and to present long serving champions with worthy challengers to test their championship status. Significantly, the match up in the super lightweight division between titleholder Laatekwei Hammond and prime contender, Stephen Okine is a banker that would ferry boxing fans to the arena.
Minutes after the game Okine had pummelled Sergeant Moro Tijani of the Ghana Armed Forces over 12 rounds in a non-title fight early in the month, he threw an open challenge to Hammond to stake his title against him and promised the crowd that he would whip him to annex the belt. The mandatory defence would therefore determine who is who in the division.
In the welterweight class, champion Joshua Okine has been billed to fight Ago Ashong in a compulsory defence. Joshua who has persistently thrown public challenges to his namesake and African Boxing Union (ABU) champion, Joshua Clottey for the latter's title would use his fight against Ashong as a warm up for the big one.
Okine told the GNA Sports that he preferred a contest with Clottey for the African belt to the defence of his national title, adding that though his main aim is to go forward, he would not run away from any fight while Clottey remains evasive. Joshua Okine and Laatekwei Hammond won their titles on 27 July 2001 and have not defended them since then. Joseph Sarkodie and Ben Ankrah are to meet in a final eliminator with the winner challenging Ben Neequaye for the latter's national lightweight title.
The vacant national flyweight title would be at stake when Osumanu Terry meets Anyomi Savundra in a match of the 'small men,' while Badu Sumaila who snatched the title from Asamoah Wilson has been given up to December to defend the title against either the former champion who is rated first, or Galley Cudjoe, the number two contender.
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