Shaaba
Enterprise donates to national teams
MP
donates jerseys, footballs to school
Kotoko
to lift FA cup on 8 December
Black
Queens scare us - Mercy Akede
Ofankor
Phobia boys whip Great Stars
Shaaba
Enterprise donates to national teams
Accra (Greater Accra)
21 November 2002 - Shaaba Enterprises Company, dealers in ice chests and mineral
water, on Thursday donated their products worth ¢10m to the Ghana Football
Association (GFA) towards the preparations of four national football teams
currently in camp.
The items includes, 10
ice chests, 100 cartons of Smile Mineral water and 60 sets of drinking glasses
for the Black Stars, Black Queens, Black Satellites and the Black Starlets who
are currently in camp preparing for international assignments.
Seth Adjei-Baah,
Managing Director of the company said the company has been looking for an
opportunity to make contribution towards camping of the national teams in the
country and therefore described the donation to the GFA as a "dream come
true".
He expressed the hope
that the gifts would enable the national teams perform creditably in their
various assignments "since water plays an important role in the lives of
every human being."
Adjei-Baah said the
company's doors are always open for the FA to seek help from them for the
national teams. The Managing Director said they are proud of the national teams
and would do their best to ensure their success at all times.
Ben Koufie, Chairman
of the GFA who received the items on behalf of the association, said the items
came in when they are very much in need of funds to support the national teams.
He said the FA couldn't rely on the government alone for funds to support the
national teams and therefore praised the company for the gesture. Koufie urged
other private organizations to emulate the Shaaba Company to be able to
contribute towards the progress of the national teams.
The senior national
team the Black Stars is currently in camp preparing for a number of
international friendly matches, while the Black Queens are preparing for the
women edition of the African Cup of Nations to be staged in Nigeria, next
month.
The national under 2 1
team the Black Statellites are also preparing for the African Youth Tournament
in Buarkina Faso, in February next year while the Under-17 team would take on
Kenya in a qualifying series match in December.
GRi…/
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MP donates
jerseys, footballs to school
Mankranso (Ashanti
Region) 21 November 2002 - Stephen Balado Manu, Member of
Parliament (MP) for
Ahafo Ano South has presented two sets of jerseys and 13 footballs to the
Mankranso Secondary/Technical School and the district football team as his
contribution towards the development of sports in the district.
Presenting the items, Balado
Manu said it was his resolve to uplift sports in the area since the district is
noted for producing talented football players such as Anthony Yeboah. He
therefore expressed the hope that the items will ginger the youth into taking
to sports seriously so that they could win places in the national teams.
Kwaku Obeng Boateng,
the District Chief Executive, who received the items expressed appreciation to
the MP for his concern for the development of sports, especially women football
in the district. He advised parents to encourage their wards to develop their
talents since sports, especially football has become a full time job.
GRi…/
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Kotoko
to lift FA cup on 8 December
Accra (Greater Accra)
21 November 2002 - A contingent of 18 players and five officials of the Kumasi
Asante Kotoko football club returned home last night fron Casablanca, Morocco
after losing nil to their Moroccan counterparts, Wyda in the first-leg of the
finals of the African Cup Winners Cup.
The delegation was led
by Colonel George Pattington, a Board member of Kotoko and the Chairman of the
Ghana Football Association, Ben Cofie. Col. Pattington told the GNA Sports that
he was impressed with the performance of the team, adding that the players were
determined and committed throughout the game.
He admitted that it
was a tough match and the one-zero scoreline was not a true reflection of the
game. He said the Chief Executive of Kotoko, Herbert Mensah realising the
weather condition prevailing in Morroco had to order 18 metal stud boots from
Germany which arrived four hours before the match and this helped the players
to play on the soggy pitch. Col. Pattington said Kotoko will win the second in
Kumasi, adding that the team would resume training on Friday.
Asked about the
where-abouts of Kotoko's coach, Ralph Zumdich who was not with the team when
they arrived, he said the coach went to Germany to see to some personal
problems and also work out some sponsorship deals for the club. He is expected
back by the weekend.
Ben Cofie said the players
of Kotoko played a determined game and were disciplined and expressed the hope
that the team would win the second leg match in Kumasi based on what he saw on
Friday. He said the Moroccans pressurised Kotoko in the second half "but
the boys stood firm and countered back with attacking play despite the pressure
on them".
Cofie said he took the
opportunity to watch the match between Raja and Asec of Ivory Coast which Raja
won by four goals to nil. He said unlike Kotoko when the pressure was on Asec
they resorted to defensive play which caused them dearly.
Kotoko's defender Aziz
Ansah was also optimistic about victory in the second encounter and urged the
supporters to pray for the team. He said the pitch was very bad but
acknowledged that it affected both teams. Ansah said he could not predict the
scoreline for the second match but that Kotoko will lift the Cup come December
eight.
The team was met on
arrival by the General Secretary of the GFA, Kofi Nsiah and the Vice Chairman
E.A. Owusu-Ansah. Also at the airport were a large number of loyal supporters
of the team who drummed and cheered them.
GRi…/
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Black
Queens scare us - Mercy Akede
Accra (Greater Accra)
21 November 2002 - Mercy Akede, a top player of the Super Falcons of Nigeria
has described the Ghana Black Queens of Ghana as the only threat to her teams
aspiration of winning the African Cup of Nations for three consecutive times.
Akede told the BBC in
an interview monitored by GNA Sports o n Tuesday that though her side was
optimistic of successfully defending the trophy they won in South Africa in the
biannual competition, the only team that could cause a blow to their aspiration
is the Queens.
The player who plys
her trade in the United States was not happy about the pairings, which put the
two, arch rivals in a group. 'We have a good team, but the only stiff
opposition we are expecting now is the Ghanaians who are equally good and whom
we are to meet at the group stages' she added.
Akede who won the best
player of the tournament in South Africa said she was happy to have been
extended an invitation to the tournament where she hopes to glitter.
On whether she was
disappointed in the mode of organization of women competition in Africa, she
answered in the negative and said, "if we also have money like the
Americans and the Europeans we could have done the same if not better and so am
proud of the little we are able to do".
The Queens best
performance against the Falcons has been their goalless drawn game in Accra
last year. The women version of the African Cup of Nations Competition billed
for
Nigeria would kick off
on 7 December and end on 21 December. The Queens who are paired in one group
with the defending champions would leave on 3 December in order to acclimatize.
GRi…/
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Ofankor
Phobia boys whip Great Stars
Accra (Greater Accra)
21 November 2002 - Fobia Boys F/C of Ofankor beat Okaikoi Great Stars by two
goals to nil in their third divisional football match played at Ofankor, near
Accra on Sunday.
Centre forward Yaw
Okyere scored the first goal in the 23rd minute of the first half in
a goalmouth scramble. Skipper Felix Boye scored the second goal in the 58th
minute of the second half when he connected a corner kick.
In another development
Marfukrom Eleven Eagles beat Shinning Stars of Apono-Apono near Suhum by one
goal to nil at Marfukrom Public park. The only goal was scored by left winger
Addo Kwaku in the 50th minute through a header.
GRi…/
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