Star Premier League results and standings
Executive council dismisses bribery allegations
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 November 2001 - Results and standings of the Star Premier League after 27th week matches were honoured at the week ending November 11.
Results of 27th week matches
Accra: Hearts 0 Olympics 0 Nkawkaw: Okwahu 2 Adansiman 0
Obuasi: Goldfield 2 Dawu 0 Tamale: RTU 3 Maxbees 0
Asuom: K'bibirem 0 Hasaacas 0 Accra: Liberty 3 Bofoakwa 1
Accra: Ghapoha 1 Faisal 1 Kumasi: Kotoko 1 Arsenal 1
Standings
Club Local/Region P W D L F A Pts GD
Hearts Accra, Greater Accra 27 18 6 3 50 16 60 +32
Kotoko Kumasi, Ashanti 27 17 4 6 41 12 52 +29
Goldfields Obuasi, Ashanti 26 13 2 11 34 16 41 +18
Bofoakwa Sunyani, Brong Ahafo 27 10 8 9 29 27 38 + 2
Hasaacas Sekondi, Western 27 10 6 11 28 30 36 - 2
RTU Tamale, North 27 10 4 13 23 17 34 + 6
Liberty Accra, Greater Accra 27 9 7 11 31 29 34 + 3
Okwahu Nkawkaw, Eastern 26 9 6 11 31 26 33 + 5
Gt. Olympics Accra, Gt. Accra 27 6 10 11 24 23 32 -1
Ghapoha Tema, Gt. Accra 27 8 8 11 17 19 32 - 2
Maxbees Suhum, Eastern 27 9 4 14 27 52 31 -25
K. Faisal Kumasi, Ashanti 27 7 10 10 18 23 30 - 5
Adansiman Obuasi, Ashanti 27 8 5 14 28 40 29 -12
Kwaebibirem Asuom, Eastern 27 8 5 14 19 38 29 - 9
NB: With a number of protests by clubs before the GFA, it is most likely that standings of a number of clubs would be sharply affected by the end of the season.
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Ghapoha split points with King Faisal
Accra (Greater Accra) 09 November 2001- Visiting King Faisal on Friday managed a 1-1 draw with Ghapoha in their 27th week Star Premier league match played at their adopted home, the Accra Sports Stadium.
After a goalless and boring first half in which both teams failed to utilize the chances that came their way, the second half resumed with urgency and determination on the part of both teams with Faisal gaining the upper hand slightly.
After the break, it was the monarchs who first benefited from the exchanges when Ghapoha’s goalie Abubakari Kankani allowed Debrah's powerful free-kick to slip through his hands to give Faisal the opener in the 49th minute.
Ghapoha struggled in their bid to equalize but poor finishing prevented them from pulling even. The Tema lads however managed to come back level in the 59th minute when John Ainoo's shot went straight into the net.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 November - Accra Liberty Professionals on Saturday beat visiting Tano Bofoakwa 3-1 in their 27th week Star Premier league match played at the Accra Sports Stadium.
It was one match in which both teams played to the admiration of the few fans at the Stadium in their effort to outclass each other, with Liberty slightly gaining the upper hand.
It, therefore, came as no surprise when Liberty who made early moves up front took an early lead in the seventh minute, when an indirect kick taken by Albert Batsa was brilliantly headed home by Ablade Morgan to give them the opener.
The visitors, appeared unperturbed by the early lead and fought back gallantly to redeem the goal in the 23rd minute when Akwasi Matthew's long cross from the left flank was quickly headed into the net by veteran Ben Kusi.
In the 39th minute, however, Batsa finished off a brilliant move by Liberty’s forward men to restore his side’s lead. Bofoakwa’s woes were deepened when Francis Darko, who had been so instrumental at the rear was sent off in the 70th minute for dissent and Liberty capitalised on their numerical advantage to net their third in the 75th minute.
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Obuasi (Ashanti Region) 12 November 2001 - Two first half goals by Aminu Musah gave Obuasi Goldfields a 2-0 victory over visiting Dawu Youngsters in their premier league match at the Len Clay Stadium on Sunday.
Goldfields unsettled the visitors with a second minute goal by Aminu when his scissor kick beat goalkeeper Ismail Abdalla in post for Dawu.
Goldfield's livewire Nana Arhin-Dua got injured in the 15th minute and was replaced by Moses Mensah who within two minutes earned a corner-kick for his side but this was wasted.
In the 24th minute, Aminu who appeared too slippery for the visitors to handle hit the back of the net again when he utilized a defence splitting pass from Dauda Seidu.
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Asuom (Eastern Region) 12 November 2001- Kwaebibirem failed to win at home against Sekondi Hasaacas when the two sides played a barren draw in their match at Asuom.
The result leaves Kwaebibirem deep in the relegation waters with three matches to end the season. They will play two away matches against Adansiman at Obuasi and Great Olympics in Accra and their only home match will be against stubborn King Faisal, who are similarly threatened.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 November 2001 - Wonder Club, Accra Great Olympics put up a wonderful defensive play against city-rivals, Accra Hearts of Oak to split the points with them at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Incidentally, the match day coincided with the Rainbows 90th birthday and a win could have spiced better their celebrations. Even though it was a tough match by all standards, Hearts could have run away with the maximum three points but for poor finishing upfront.
Hearts moved swiftly into Olympics territory immediately the match commenced and nearly found the net in the second minute but Charles Taylor blew the chance way.
Edmund Copson wasted a similar opportunity in the sixth minute. Both sides became more aggressive with Hearts putting more pressure on the Dade boys but Olympics' solid defence marshalled around George Essilfie and Phillip Kutsu thwarted every move of the defending league champions.
Both teams struggled to score but could not do so till the first half ended. The second half saw Hearts pushing on more attackers into the half of Olympics but all their efforts failed to produce the needed goals.
In the 55th minute, what appeared to be a glaring chance for Hearts was wasted by Emmanuel Osei Kuffour when he shot feebly into the hands of keeper David Sharpe who had earlier made two wonderful saves to deny Hearts the goals.
Both teams made some changes with Hearts bringing on Awuley Quaye Junior for
Osei Kuffour while Olympics brought on David Lakotey for Kobina Dodzi but they
could not alter the scoreline.
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Kumasi (Ahanti Region) 12 November 2001 - Berekum Arsenals forced Kumasi Asante Kotoko to a pulsating 1-1 drawn game in their match at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.
Kotoko raced into a first minute lead through Shilla Alhassan, giving the false impression that they were going to bury Arsenals but it was not to be as the Berekum lads proved unyielding.
Eight minutes after scoring the opening goal, Shilla made a dive for Michael Osei's cross from the right but the Arsenals defence cleared the ball before he could get his head to it.
The exchanges got very hot forcing Arsenals to pull out injured Lawrence Kainya, a former Kotoko player for Michael Acheampong in the 28th minute but it was Kotoko who carried the game to their opponents, earning an indirect kick in the penalty box when Arsenals' goalkeeper Isaac Zooga handled a back-pass. The opportunity was wasted.
Kotoko also replaced Michael Osei with Charles Asamoah in the 51st minute and he announced his presence with a first time connection, which flew over the bar. Asamoah had a good chance to increase Kotoko's tally in the 56th minute but hesitated and sent the ball across the goalmouth, allowing the Arsenals defence to mop up.
Arsenals gradually worked themselves into the game with their attackers covering every space. They put Kotoko under pressure earning a corner-kick in the 71st minute. It was a short one, which was sent to Eric Adu Poku who disposed of a host of Kotoko defenders and laid on a perfect pass to Aggrey who headed past goalkeeper Osei Boateng for the equalizer.
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Nkawkaw (Eastern Region) 12 November 2001 - Okwawu United worsened the plight of Obuasi Adansiman when they beat them 2-0 in their match at the Nkawkaw Park.
Adansiman were put under severe pressure throughout the first half but Okwawu could not utilize the numerous chances that came their way due to erratic shooting by their attackers.
Okwawu sent in Richard Mireku and Kwasi Kyeremanteng for Osei Bonsu and Paul Aparik in the 56th and 61st minutes respectively while Adansiman also brought in Charles Ampiah for Abraham Koomson in the 56th minute. The changes benefited Okwawu when they scored the first goal in the 66th minute through skipper Alfred Nii Larbi during a goalmouth melee.
Adansiman counter attacked after the goal and had a chance to pull even in the 79th minute but Isaac Asare shot wide with only keeper Samuel Quansah to beat.
Okwawu continued their dominance and got the second goal in the 88th minute when Nii Larbi's header from Mireku's corner-kick beat Adansiman's goalie Edmund Atta. A final minute onslaught by Adansiman to have a consolation goal proved futile as Okwawu’s defence pivoted around Edward Acquah foiled all their efforts at goal.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 12 November 2001 - Real Tamale United reassured their fans of their stay in the premiership when they beat visiting Maxbees 3-0 in their played at the Kaladan Park.
RTU's Skipper Hamza Mohammed opened the scores in the 12th minute when he converted a penalty after Maxbees right-half back handled the ball in the 18. RTU's forward Adzagba Konu increased the tally in the 20th minute when he lobbed the ball over Maxbees's keeper Nortey Sammy from Hamza's in-swinger.
The game became very boring in the second half and when all pointed to a two nil win, substitute Joseph Adjei added the third goal with his first touch of the ball in 85th minute.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 November 2001- The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association has described the bribery allegations levelled against the delegation that took the Black Stars to Nigeria as unfounded and without merit saying the 25,000 dollars in question was a personal gift from the River State Governor.
In a statement signed by Mr Y.A. Ibrahim, council chairman after an emergency meeting on Friday, said all gifts offered were done after the match without any prior arrangement or promise of favour and that the result of the said match was never predetermined. It said there were no previous contact between officials of Ghana and Nigeria before the match aside of the pre-match conference.
The Council noted that prior to the match the Ghanaian delegation had complained at the pre-match conference to the match commissioner about the poor accommodation and reception generally accorded the delegation.
It further noted that whiles in Nigeria, one of the training sessions of the team was disrupted by unruly Nigerian crowd, adding that the delegation took exception to the harassment and intimidation of the team and accordingly, lodged a formal complaint with the Director of Sports and the Assistant Secretary of Nigeria Football Association.
The Council said the winning bonus of World Cup matches was 2000 dollars per player and therefore do not think that the Ghanaian players would prefer 800 dollars to play a match of convenience. It said from the foregoing it is its view that the atmosphere prior to the match was not one of friendliness, pointing out that gifts to national teams after matches is not uncommon.
The Council cited a recent match between Ghana's Black Queens and the Falcons of Nigeria in which Ghana lost 2-5 and the Queens were entertained at a reception at which they received gifts. In light of the foregoing the council said it is of the view that there was no act of impropriety from any member of the delegation in accepting the gifts offered them.
It therefore assures FIFA, CAF and the general public that it would not hesitate to take punitive measures against any member of the leadership of national teams if it has sufficient reasons to believe that any official is culpable of impropriety.
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