Foreign-based stars show superiority over Hearts
Kotoko clash with Olympiakos in a fund raising match
Tepa appeals to sports ministry for completion of stadium
Dawu (Eastern Region) 30 May 2002 - Premier league side, Dawu Youngsters F/C’s poor showing in the current league has been attributed to financial constraints. “It is more of monetary issue than a technical problem,” Mr Seth Yeboah, Chairman of the club disclosed in an interview.
According to the man who brought the club from division three to the premiership, the current financial standing of the club is nothing to rite home about. Mr Yeboah said the club owes some of the players various sums of money ranging from a million cedis to ¢5 million.
Efforts to explain to issues to the players to exercise patience till the club honours its home matches against Hearts and Kotoko have not gone down well with the players. “The result is that the players are currently not motivated enough to perform, he added.
The Dawu boss further announced that, “it is the same financial problems that made us transfer our gem Awudu Adama to Hearts of Oak. We needed the money badly especially at the beginning of the season hence I had no option to yield to Hearts of Oak’s request for the player’s signature,” he explained. Adama, it was gathered, went under the hammer for ¢80 million out of which ¢50 million was used to put the team’s bus in good shape for the season.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 30 May 2002 - Overseas-based Ghanaian professionals on Wednesday confirmed their superiority over Accra Hearts of Oak when they defeated them 3-1 in an exciting friendly encounter between the current league leaders and the select professional side.
Hearts had earlier lost 0-1 to the same side on Sunday and were hoping to use this occasion to make amends. Parading experienced players like good-old Yaw Acheampong, Sam Johnson, goalkeeper Edward Ansah and complemented by the sublime skills of Derek Boateng, Ofori Quaye, Ishmael Addo, Emmanuel Osei Kuffour, Michael Essien among other, the professionals stunningly clicked like a team and proving every moment how dangerous they can be when let loose.
Ironically, Hearts were the first to draw blood after only five minutes into the 80-minute thriller with a tremendous distant-low drive from Adjah Tetteh which zoomed into the far right corner, leaving goalkeeper Ansah in wonderland. The early initiative stirred the devils in the professionals as they attacked in droves, creating a lot of anxious moments for the Hearts backline but they were let down by poor finishing.
As usual, goalkeeper Sammy Adjei was fantastic in the Hearts posts, pulling a lot of breath-taking saves of Derek Boateng and Ofori Quaye’s drives to end the half. With the injection of Robert Sabah, Amankwah Mireku and Edmund Copson to pump some more blood into the arteries of the professionals, they became almost unstoppable as Sabah found the net with a non-dropper in the 46th minute for the equaliser.
Dare-devil striker Ishmael Addo failed to connect an intelligent Peter Ofori Quaye’s cross but three minutes later, the former three-time goalking made amends as dribbled past the Hearts defence including goalie Sammy Adjei and slot home the professionals’ second goal.
With defeat looming large, Hearts coach Herbert Addo made a number of changes, bringing on Osumanu Amadu, Charles Allotey, Kenneth Sarpong and others but Egypt-based substitute goalie Abukari Tanko passed the test with distinction. Greek-based Ofori Quaye sealed the doom of the Phobians in the 78th minute with a classic non-drop drive that had the touch of an amazing finisher. It was a well-carved victory.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 30 May 2002 - Fabulous Kumasi Asante Kotoko, chasing its first professional Premier League title are scheduled to clash with A/C Olympiakos, a local first division club in a fund raising match towards the upkeep of the children of the late radio commentator, Joe Tetteh-Cofie. The match is fixed for the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday 7 June to coincide with his burial.
Joe Tetteh-Cofie, was killed in a motor accident at Amasaman, on the Accra-Kumasi road after running commentary on the Kotoko-Santos Cup Winners Cup match at the Kumasi Sports Stadium last month.
Mr Joseph Ade Coker, Chairman of Olympiakos told the GNA Sports in Accra on Wednesday that the two clubs reached an agreement on Wednesday over the venue and date for the match. He said proceeds from the encounter would be used in setting up an Educational fund to cater for the educational needs of Joe Tetteh-Cofie's three children.
Last Sunday, Olympiakos played Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs in a similar exercise but only a million cedis was realised. Out of that money, 600,000 cedis was given to Nelson Mensah, a former player of the Black Stars, who is now incapacitated and rest to Joe Tetteh-Cofie's family.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 30 May 2002 - Nana Edusei Atwewoi Ampem I, Paramount Chief of the Tepa Traditional Council, has appealed to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to assist the District Assembly complete a ¢3.1 billion stadium project for the Ahafo Ano North district.
He said the first phase of the project estimated at ¢1.1 billion was started under the previous government through the assistance of the District Assembly Common fund. Nana Atwewoi Ampem said the project has stalled because the assembly could only raise ¢500 million, which is woefully inadequate for the first phase. He said the region currently has no stadium and its completion would help in the development of sports in the region.
Mr Edward Osei Kwaku, Youth and Sports Minister, commended the chief and the District Assembly for the project and promised that the ministry would provide them with goal posts and the inner perimeter fence to ensure security during sporting activities. He assured them of his preparedness to help make the project a novelty one and urged them to do their best to wall the uncompleted stadium so that at least some monies could be realised during sporting activities.
Mr Osei Kwaku promised that he would visit the project site soon to access the extent work done and to help the ministry to know the next line of action. Mr Akwasi Adu Opoku, District Chief Executive of Tepa said the assembly would continue to help in its own way with their meagre funds at their disposal.
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