NSPO 04

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 04 November 2002 - A wicked deflection of a shot by Kumasi Asante Kotoko's captain Godwin Ablordey in the 25^th minute was what earned the three points for Kotoko in their match against Goldfields at the Kumasi Stadium.

This was a match in which the fabulous boys were seeking a revenge for their 1-3 whipping by the Obuasi boys in the first round of the league but they found their opponents very difficult customers.

After the first goal the Obuasi boys returned the heat on Kotoko and on several occasions came close to scoring but goalkeeper Osei Boateng brought up some wonderful saves to the admiration of the spectators.

In the 40^th minute, for example Osei Boateng saved an obvious goal to the surprise of everybody and he received a standing ovation for it. The story was not different after the two teams retuned from the recess as Goldfield seized the midfield and pinned their hosts to their own half in a bid to find the equaliser but still found keeper Boateng unbeatable till full time.

The match itself was delayed for more than 45 minutes as Goldfield claimed that they were not secured to play following an alleged harassment by Kotoko fans when they arrived for the match. It took a lot of talking from the soccer authorities before they agreed to play.

GRi…/

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Olympics, Hearts draw

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 November 2002 - City rivals, Accra Great Olympics and Accra Hearts of Oak settled for a two all draw at the Accra Sports Stadium after 90 minutes of fire soccer.

The match lived up to its expectation as the two sides tackled the match with much seriousness and this resulted in rough play from both sides but Olympics had the greater part of the exchanges.

Hearts managed to soak up the pressure and made incursions into their opponent's vital area but it did not yield any results. In the midst of an intensive physical game the "Dade boys" made another move in the Hearts territory and forced them to concede a free kick in the 19 minute close to the edge of the "18" box.

Olympics capitalised on the free kick when Richard Armah lobbed the ball over the Hearts defence for Amui Quaye to intelligently beat Sammy Adjei by raising the ball over him for the first goal in the 20th minute putting the whole stadium to sleep. The "Dade boys" held on to the game till the end of the first half after Hearts made several attempts at getting the equalizer.

Hearts resumed the second half with much determination and pinned their opponents to their own half but goalkeeper Mauzu Nkono saved a sticky situation in the 46^th minute.

They continue to probe for the equaliser till the 74 minute when Charles Allotey and Laryea Kingston combined beautifully and laid a pass for Bortey whose cross was connected by Wisdom Abbey for equaliser in the 74^th minute.

Abbey could have made it two but messed up in front of the goal post six minutes latter. In a similar fashion like the first goal, Kenneth Sarpong's pass to Awudu Adama was relaid on the path of Don Bortey whose well-curled shot beat keeper Nkono to put Hearts ahead in the 84th minute.

At a time when Hearts seem to be walking with victory, Joe Tagoe picked a ball from Dan Quaye in the vital area and managed to get a corner kick which was well taken by Paa Joe Kumah with Amui Quaye out jumping keeper Adjei to put his side on level a term in the 87^th minute.

Olympics mounted more pressure on Hearts in a bid to snatch the winner but their last minute effort was ruled offside by referee Steven Otoo Djan and assistant number two Francis Ankomah all from Takoradi. Two minute of added time could not secure the winner for any of the sides until the referee whistled for the end of the match.

GRi…/

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Bofoakwa register narrow win over RTU

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Region) 04 November 2002 - Bofokwa Tano managed a 1-0 win over visiting RTU in their unimpressive 28^th week Premier League match played at the Coronation Park on Sunday. Centre forward Adu Kwaku scored the only goal in the seventh minute.

After their goal, Bofoakwa lost control of the game to the Tamale boys. Coach J.K. Amissah of Bofoakwa occasionally had to stand up from the bench and do coaching from the touchline to warn his boys.

Barely five minute of resumption, RTU brought on Joseph Adjei for strongman Alhassan Weah, a former player of B.A. United. Bofoakwa wasted three goal scoring chances in succession by veteran Ben Kusi (54^th and 58^th minutes) and Abu Issah (55^th minutes). Goalkeeper Sulemana Abubakari saved Kusi's beautiful shot while that of Issah zoomed off target.

GRi…/

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Dawu, Mine Stars share honours

Cape Coast (Central Region) 04 November 2002 - At the Cape Coast Stadium where Dawu Young played away as a result of a ban on their home grounds they drew 1-1 with visiting Prestea Mines Stars.

After a goalless first half, Mines Stars resumed strongly and opened the scoring in the 58 minutes. This was when out side right Abdul Samed had collected a pass from Alhassan

Morrow and weaved his way through three defenders and shot home beautifully to register the opener.

Gingered by the goal, the Seth Yeboah boys lifted their game and kept the Mines Stars goal area boiling. However, they had to wait until the 80th when outside left, Edusie Kakyire scored their much awaited equaliser.

GRi…/

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Power F/C triumph over Liberty

Koforidua (Eastern Region) 04 November 2002 - Power FC brightened their chances of escaping relegation by beating Liberty Professionals 2-1 in their match at Koforidua stadium.

Despite pinning the visitors to their own half soon after the kick-off, it was the Liberty who drew the first blood in the 27^th minute from David Boateng's long shot just outside the box which beat Power's goalkeeper Godwin Larnyo. The game remained fairly balanced with Power missing their chances till the end of first half with nothing to cheer about by the sparse crowd.

On resumption, Power brought on Felix Gbadegbe in the 48th minute for injured Justice Appiah who strengthened their attacking force leading to their first penalty award in the 50^th minute following a handball by Liberty's captain David Mensah from which Edward Sosu scored to equalise.

The homesters continued to waste begging chances from close range and cornerkicks till the injury and substitution of Liberty's keeper Blankson Kotei, in the 72nd minute with Cudjoe Addo.

Liberty made two quick changes in the 80^th minute by bringing on Ablade Morgan for Nii Aryee Tetteh and William Tiero for Yahaya Tetteh but this failed to change their defensive posture.

Referee George Manu from Kumasi awarded Power another penalty kick in the 89^th minute following a hard tackle by a Liberty defender on an attacker from which Osei Kofi scored the match winner.

GRi…/

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Ghatel Ladies wallop Bluna Ladies

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 November 2002 - Greater Accra Women Soccer League leaders, Ghatel Ladies on Saturday pelted Tema Bluna Ladies 5-0 in their knock out semi-final match played at the African Lake Park, Trade Fair.

Ghatel who made folly of Bluna's pre-match bluff are billed to play Post Ladies who earlier on in the day beat Ashiaman Ladies 2-0 grand finale. The 2001 Gala lords opened fire on Bluna at the opening stages and came close to scoring in the seventh minute Gloria Oforiwaah of the Black Queens fame missed the target narrowly.

Bluna's lone striker Gifty Woode who was a thorn in the flesh of Ghatel capitalised on a swift counter attack but the ironclad defence pivoted around veteran Genevieve Clottey thwarted his attempt at goal. Bluna's challenge was however short lived, as Ghatel's attacking force made up of Hamdia Abass, Oforiwaah and Diana Ankomah repulsed the challenge and deservedly earned a spot kick which was perfectly connected.

Ghatel increased the tempo after recess and subjected their opponents to a barrage of attacks but Oforiwaah and Ankamah missed two quick glorious chances in the 50 and 52nd minutes respectively. Ghatel introduced Patience Nelson for Hamdia in the 75th minute in a bid to increase the tally.

The change paid off when Nelson netted twice in the 82nd and 88th minutes for Ghatel.

Oforiwaah, however, made amends in the 67th and the 85th minutes for her earlier misses when she dived to head two beautiful crosses from Patience Kusi.

GRi…/

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GFA declare five players as floating

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 November 2002 - The Player Status Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has declared some footballers floating after its sitting on Thursday.

The players are Nana Darko Boadu- Pacific Powerlines FC, Abdul Latif- Rovers FC, Jonathan Abeiku- Accra Great Olympics, Bismark Otoo- King Faisal and Abdul Fatau of Stay Cool Professionals.

According to information gathered at the GFA secretariat, Pacific Powerlines, Rovers FC and Stay Cool Professionals failed to appear before the committee, while Olympics did not comply with directives given by the committee.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Karim Grunsah, Founder and Chief Executive of King Faisal has welcome the decision to declare his player Bismark Otoo as a floating player. According to article 30 of the GFA's regulations, the players are free to join and play for any club of their choice.

GRi…/

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Koufie asks press to help him succeed

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Region) 04 November 2002 - The Chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Ben Kwofie, has asked the press to help his administration with constructive criticisms and not to wait until something went wrong before post engaging in mortem examinations.

Answering a question on the Association's relationship with the press on a Radio BAR programme in Sunyani which centred on the GFA's Five-year football development plan the GFA boss emphasised that the exercise to find what went wrong has never helped in any way in the country's development.

Kwofie recalled the Association's meeting with the press in Accra on the issue of the Black Stars' former expatriate coach Milan Zivadinovic, and expressed dissatisfaction with the stand taken by some journalists on the issue.

On his perception of intermittent change of football coaches, especially for the Black Stars, Kwofie blamed this on the unusual criticisms by followers of the sport in the country. Anytime our Black Stars fail to move well under a local coach, Ghanaians cry for a foreign coach and when the performance of the expatriate coach also falls below expectation the same critics retreat and cry for yet a local coach.

The GFA Chairman described that tendency on the part of some of sports critics as "funny" and asked them to exercise restraint "because our local coaches, if given the chance, can pass the test."

On incentives, Kwofie conceded that Ghanaian coaches did not receive the needed support as their foreign counterparts did. This issue of incentive for foreign coaches is not peculiar to Ghana, but in the whole of Africa and even some parts of Europe.

He cited the case of a foreign national coach for England who had to be offered a special incentive. The GFA Chairman emphasised that the on-going training courses for administrators, football coaches and referees was part of the Development Plan to get qualified coaches and administrators to work effectively.

He said the School of Excellence, to be established alongside the Plan would be operating as the shadow of the national teams for all the four age groups. On outstanding matches in the Premier League, Kwofie said experience had shown that some teams used the formula as a fertile ground to fix matches.

Professional League Board (PLB), GFA, and Ghana League Clubs Association (GHLCA) have thought it expedient to halt the practice, hence anytime the need arises for a club to engage in an international assignment, the whole league would be suspended, Kwofie said.

On the fate of the Division One League (DOL), Kwofie expressed confidence that, "it will be played by all means to fulfill the relegation programme, especially in the Premier League competition."

He revisited the allegation of bribe-taking by him during the World Cup qualifying match in Nigeria and said in his 41 years as a football administrator it would be bad for him to stoop so low to indulge in such an act.

In an apparent reference to newspaper reports on the alleged bribery scandal, Kwofie said: "if you have a Press to orchestrate my good intention to mean bad then I am afraid this country is be heading to doom."

E.K. Afranie, acting National Coach of the Black Stars in an answer to a question said the fate of Osei Kuffour should be left in the hands of the GFA. The GFA is not in to victimise any player. If Osei Kuffour shows remorse for what he did in Mali there will be nothing wrong to invite him to play for Ghana, Coach Afranie added.

GRi…/

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