Five-year
development plan moves to the Ashanti
Twenty
one invited to stars to camp
Ghana
Football Association grateful for league’s success
Vipers impressive in Division Two campaign
Aggrey
Memorial in Milo games finals
Soccer
to climax World AIDS Day
Five-year
development plan moves to the Ashanti
Accra (Greater Accra)
18 November 2002 - The Ghana Football Association (GFA) would on Tuesday 26
November 2002, launch its Five-Year Youth development plan for the Ashanti
Region.
According to Julius
Onyameama, a member of the executive council of the GFA in charge of
administration, the ceremony would take place at the Kumasi Sports Stadium
where courses in football coaching, administration and refereeing would be
conducted for interested individuals.
Onyameama said
structures would also be laid for the formation of Under-12, 15, 17 and 20,
adding that as many people as possible from the region are expected to register
to take part in the programmes.
He said participation
in the programmes would depend on the participant's ability to write, read and
digest in order to smoothen their participation in the various courses. The
General Secretary urged all parent and teachers to encourage their wards and
students to participate in order to lay sound junior structures.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Dogo Moro makes case for local coaches
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 18 November 2002 - Dogo Moro, a former Kotoko
player and a member of the 1963 and 1965 Black Stars winning squads of the
African Cup of Nations in Ghana and Tunisia respectively, has called on the
Ghana Football Association (GFA) to take a critical look at the issue of
foreign coaches for the Black Stars.
He said the over-reliance on foreign coaches over the years and the mass
exodus of Ghanaian players to seek greener pastures overseas had contributed to
the decline of Ghana soccer.
Speaking to GNA Sports in Kumasi, the once stalwart central defender
noted that given the chance and the necessary motivation, Ghanaian coaches can
deliver since records have proved that the best achievements Ghana can boast of
in soccer were all achieved by local coaches.
He attributed the inability of Ghana to qualify for the World Cup since
its inception to the absence of a formidable local national team and commended
coach E.K. Afranie for his initiative to build a formidable Black Stars made up
of mostly local players.
Dogo Moro said local coaches understood the Ghanaian game better and
would therefore not find it difficult blending the local players with their
counterparts playing outside the country. He said, however, that one of the
ingredients of selecting good players for the national team was a well
organised and competitive league, which could reduce the rate of exodus of
players, some of whom he said, only warm the benches of foreign teams.
Dogo Moro advised players to be disciplined on and off the field,
pointing out that one of the attributes of a good player was discipline. He
commended Ben Kouffie, GFA Chairman for introducing the five-year development
plan for soccer and said it was a sure way of developing football from the
grassroots to the national level.
Dogo Moro called on all football loving Ghanaians to pray and rally
behind Kumasi Asante Kotoko to win the African Cup Winners Cup for the first
time for the country. Currently, Dogo Moro is involved in colts football and
doubles as coach of Old Tafo Young Africans and the technical adviser of
Champions colts team in Kumasi.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Casablanca
(Morocco) 18 November 2002 - Wydad Casablanca of Morocco edged Asante Kotoko of
Ghana 1 - 0 late last Saturday in the first leg of the African Cup Winners Cup
final.
The result left the outcome of the decider delicately balanced with Kotoko
enjoying home advantage on 8 December when the return match is staged in the
central Ghanaian city of Kumasi.
Mohamed Madihi scored the winner after 50 minutes at a rain-drenched King
Mohamed V Stadium in the Moroccan commercial capital, giving goalkeeper Osei
Boateng no chance with a close-range shot.
But Wydad could regret its failure to convert a penalty 60 seconds before as
Mourad Erraji fired his spot kick straight at Boateng, who parried the ball
away.
The clash of the two great African clubs never developed into a spectacle
worthy of the occasion due to the difficult conditions, with puddles littering
a surface made treacherous by continuous rain.
Kotoko held their own throughout the first half and Shilla Alhassan squandered
the best chance, but Wydad took control after halftime and emerged the deserved
winner.
Despite the importance of the match, it was conducted in an exemplary spirit,
apart from two incidents within 60 seconds midway through the opening half with
Hamza Mohamed of Kotoko lucky to escape at least a caution.
He deliberately pushed an opponent to the ground after the ball had gone out of
play, then kicked a fallen Moroccan in full view of Cameroon referee Evehe
Divine.
Wydad welcomed back captain and defensive general Lahcen Abrami, who missed a
stormy semi-final triumph over USMA of Algeria due to suspension, and leading
Kotoko scorer Michael Osei passed a late fitness test.
The Moroccan Red Devils, playing in white due to a clash of colours, were first
to threaten and Boateng had to dart from his line to clear the ball within 40
seconds of the kickoff.
Alhassan, scorer of three goals in the semi-final demolition of Police of
Congo, came close after 16 minutes, breaking away from his marker when the
first corner of the match floated into the penalty area.
But the ball struck his leg and flew across the goal and wide, much to the
relief of goalkeeper Tarek al-Jamouni and his defenders, who looked alarmingly
disorganised.
Nana Arhin-Duah shot wide when well placed after Wydad was dispossessed outside
the penalty area and, for a team playing away, Kotoko showed a refreshing
willingness to attack.
Soon after Hamza escaped punishment, team-mate Godfred Yeboah was shown a
yellow card after a late tackle sent a Moroccan flying as he attempted to
launch an attack down the right flank.
The second half began with Wydad camp deep in opposition territory and the
pressure paid off when a Boujemaa Kassab free kick to the far post was nodded
back across goal and Madihi gave the impressive Boateng no chance.
Laarif Ait, a busy figure throughout the second half, was unlucky when he
rounded the Kotoko guardian only to see his acute angle shot trickle up to the
post and rebound to safety.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Twenty
one invited to stars to camp
Accra (Greater Accra)
18 November 2002 - The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has invited 21 Black
Star players to report at the Kumasi Sports Stadium on Tuesday 19 November for
camping.
The players who are to
report to the Ashanti Regional Sports Development Officer are; Sammy Adjei,
Kwabena Boafo, Bernard Don Bortey, Charles Taylor, and Dan Oppong all from
Hearts.
From the camp of
Kotoko are; Godfred Yeboah, Aziza Ansah, Isaac Boakye, Stephen Owusu, Hamza Mohamed,
Joe Hendricks and Micheal Osei, while Daniel Yeboah, Mustapha Essuman, John
Paintsil and Emmanuel Addo Pappoe were invited from the camp of Liberty
Professionals.
The rest are; Abukari
Kankani (Goldfield), Kwame Adzagba Kassimu (RTU), Bernard Fordjour (King
Faisal) Michael Asante (Olympics) and Baba Musah (Power FC)
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra)
18 November 2002 - Gibbons Sports Foundation (GSF) a non-governmental
organisation aimed at promoting and developing sports in the country has been
launched in Accra.
The objectives of the
organization is to provide financial and material support for the discovery of
sports talent around the country and redefine the perspective of sports as only
being fun and games. It is also to assist individuals in both rural and urban
communities to engage in sports for the improvement of life.
Larry George Botchway
the Executive Secretary of the foundation said the burden of sports development
should not be left with the government alone because there is the need for
active private participation to augment the efforts of the government in sports
promotion.
He said the foundation
would adopt both long and short-term objectives to ensure resource and material
allocation for the advancement of the cause of the sportsmen in their various
fields of disciplines.
According to Botchway,
the foundation would also find new ways of propelling individual skills to
enable Ghana excel at international games. It will institute scholarship awards
for students. Botchway said the
foundation would also build a database for sports people nationwide.
Launching it, Joe
Aggrey, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports said the budgetary allocation for
the ministry is enough for the development of sports by the ministry alone.
He said s based upon
this, the private sector must take active part in the development of sports
since the ministry has to take additional responsibility of catering for the
development of the youth as well.
Aggrey urged the
foundation to sustain it and not to allow it be "a nine day wonder."
He said the ministry would soon come out with a policy, which would change the
image of sports in the country.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Ghana
Football Association grateful for league’s success
Accra (Greater Accra)
18 November 2002 - The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has expressed
appreciation to all stakeholders in the country who helped in the successful
completion of the 2002 premier league soccer season.
Kwaku Ampim-Darko,
Deputy General Secretary, noted in a press statement on Friday that clubs,
management boards, referees association as well as sports writers and
commentators have contributed greatly to the successful completion of the
league.
He said even though
some nasty incidents were recorded at Koforidua, Kumasi, Sunyani, Dawu, Prestea
and Bolgatanga, they happened as a result of an attempt to prevent the repeat
of the previous year calamity.
The Deputy General
Secretary also commended the security personnel who helped in controlling
unfortunate incidents at a number of league centers. Ampim Darko appealed
Ghanaians to let the 2002 soccer season bring about a generation of tolerant
sports fans who would do everything to avoid hooliganism in the years to come.
Ampim-Darko commended
league champions, Accra Hearts of Oak, for retaining the league trophy for the
sixth time in a row in the history of Ghana soccer. He said the achievement by
the champion club is an enviable feat which is yet to be achieved in the
history of Ghana soccer.
He urged clubs which
have been relegated to the lower division to remain firm in their quest to
stage a come back to the premier division in the near future.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Vipers impressive in Division Two campaign
Elmina (Central Region) 18 November 2002 - Cape Coast Venomous Vipers,
one time a great side in the national Premier division, played a great game to
beat Elmina Coconut Groove 2-0 in their Central Region Second Division football
league match played at Elmina on Sunday.
Outside right Henry Dickson scored first for Vipers in the 32nd
minute but his second goal a minute later was disallowed by Referee Joseph
McCarthy and the decision brought some of their fans onto the field in protest.
Police personnel on duty moved swiftly and restored order for the match to
resume.
Coconut Groove's Stephen Quansah, who was earlier yellow-carded for
rough play, committed a second bookable offence in the 35th minute
and was sent off.
After half time, the Coconut Groove boys came in strongly but failed to
level up and Vipers center forward, Dangima Musah scored the second goal for
his side in the 75th minute.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Aggrey
Memorial in Milo games finals
Cape Coast (Central
Region) 18 November 2002 - Aggrey Memorial College qualified for the finals of
this year’s Milo Inter Schools and Colleges soccer competition played at the
Cape Coast Sports Stadium when they beat St. Augustine's College 2-1 in their
semi finals match.
It was St. Augustine's
who made early attempts at goal right from the blast of the whistle but their
front men messed up good looking
chances which came their way. Aggrey, however took the lead in the 31st
minute when a defender of Augustine's handle a ball in the "18" for
referee S. Authur to whistle for penalty which was converted by Tony Annan.
The boys from
Augustine's responded with a swift attack
and managed to cancelled the lead through Maxwell Authur in the 42nd
minute to put his side on level terms before the break.
On resumption
Augustine's intensified pressure on the Aggrey lads but still failed top make
use of their scoring opportunities allowing their opponents to win the day with
another penalty converted by Annan in the dying minutes of the game.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Soccer
to climax World AIDS Day
Accra (Greater Accra)
18 November 2002 - A one day under 17 soccer competition would take place in
Obuasi on Sunday, December 1, to climax this year's World AIDS day celebration.
It would be organised
by the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) in collaboration with African
Youth Alliance (AYA) and the Ghana AIDS Commission.
Rainer Akumprigya,
Projects and Programmes Officer of NUGS, who announced this in Accra on Friday
said the overall winner and the two runner-ups of the four-a-side competition,
would be awarded presidential scholarships.
Akumprigya said so
far, NUGS has distributed about 16,000 "AIDS games" such as ludo and
other indoor games to selected Junior Secondary Schools throughout the country.
He said the union has played a pioneering role in the campaign against the
scourge and would continue to assist until the disease is completely
eliminated.
Meanwhile, Paul
Assosa, a Ghanaian ace walker, is undertaking a two-week AIDS awareness walk to
Obuasi as part of the celebrations.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com