Dwarfs, Judy Bless draw in a
friendly
Brazaville (Congo) 21
October 2002 - Kumasi Asante Kotoko became the first Ghanaian team to qualify
for the finals of the CAF Cup Winners' Cup on a 7-2 score aggregate at the
expense of Congolese club AS Police.
Kotoko won the second
leg semi final encounter 3-2 played in Congo on Sunday and have thus, qualified
on a 7-2 aggregate after thumping the Congolese 4-0 in the first leg at the
Kumasi Sports Stadium a fortnight ago.
The Congolese opened
the scores in the 32nd minute but Kwadwo Poku equalised for Kotoko
eight minutes later while Michael Osei and Shilla Alhassan secured victory for
the Porcupine Warriors' with two-second half goals. AS Police narrowed the
margin on the stroke of full time with a second goal.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
21 October 2002 - Kwame Ntow-Faiko, Vice-Chairman of the Division One League
(DOL) Board, has expressed shock at the hypocrisy by the management of Kumasi
Cornerstone, "because the club was the first beneficiary of the amended
guidelines having been saved from relegation after placing second from the
bottom in Zone 2A of the 2000 edition the DOL league."
Speaking with the GNA
Sports in Accra on Friday, Mr Ntow-Faiko said if it had not been for the
amendment, which was effected on December 17, 1999 at the Ghana Football
Association (GFA) Congress, Cornerstone, who had 15 points would have joined
Denkyira United, who had nine points into relegation.
He said the amended
guideline states that, "four champions of the division two leagues from
their respective regional leagues unless otherwise barred, shall be given
automatic promotion to the appropriate zones in DOL."
On relegation, it
states, "the number of teams to be relegated from each zone shall be
defined by the promotion with respect to the Premier league as it affects the
zone." "Cornerstones were not relegated because Adansiman, winner of
zone 2A gained promotion to the Premier League, hence Cornerstones were
retained to maintain the even eight teams zone after the two regional champions
from the Division 2 league were added."
Ntow-Faiko said that
same year Cornerstones were saved as the Police and Bogosu United who had 18
and four points respectively and better points build ups than Cornerstone were
relegated. "They were not fortunate in 2001 because even though Mine Stars
gained promotion to the Premiership from Zone 2A, Adansiman from the same zone
were relegated back into Zone 2A of the Division One League, hence the two last
team would have to go down."
He said the irony of
the situation was that instead of Cornerstone going quietly they were looking
for a way out and had come back to the old guideline, which had been amended
and were saying that "since they had 14 points in Zone 2A and All Blacks
had 13 points in Zone 2B they (All Blacks) should be relegated instead of them,
because of their better points build up." "All Blacks are also not
being relegated because they are also enjoying the same privilege that
Cornerstones had enjoyed in 2000."
Ntow-Faiko said the
guideline being cited by Cornerstone to support their claim that "The two
bottom teams in Zone 1A and Zone 1B as well as the three bottom clubs in Zone 2
and 3 shall be relegated" had long been amended. He said the guideline was
use in 1997 when only Zone 1 was sub-divided into A and B while Zones 2 and 3
competed on all play all basis.
GRi…/
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Cape Coast (Central
Region) 21 October 2002 - Premier division campaigners, Wa Judy Bless, played a
determined game to hold Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs to a 1-1 drawn friendly
match at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.
Bless, who started the
match strongly, matched Dwarfs boot for boot and twice came close to scoring
but their forwards shot off the target. Dwarfs forced the tide in their favour
in the 30th minute and following a series of raids in Bless' vital area,
succeeded in taking the lead through a spot kick taken by Felix Sackey in the
35th minute.
Bless returned the
attack and gunned Dwarfs' midfield for a considerable length of time but poor
shootings at goal denied them the equalizer until the end of the half
time. Dwarfs resumed the second half
strongly and entertained the sparse crowd to copybook soccer but over
elaboration denied them further goals.
In the 70th minute the
game became balanced and with the ball swinging from one end to the other a
hard pressed defender of Dwarfs handled the ball in the "18". Class
one referee J. K. Arthur who handled the match awarded a penalty to Judy Bless
which was converted by Kwesi Mbil for the equaliser in 85th minute.
GRi…/
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