Accra, June 10, GNA - King Faisal's Kweku Essien, lived up to pre-event prediction, when he was on Saturday adjudged the 2006/7 Professional League Board (PLB) Player of the Year, at an Awards Ceremony organised to honour outstanding players in the just ended 2006/7 Onetouch Premier League.

The player, who was widely tipped to win the prestigious award due to his impressive performance as he won the Player of the Match Award on nine occasions during the premiership, the highest in the season, beat Ashgold's Alhaji Moro Saanie and Kwadjo Asamoah of Liberty Professionals to win the enviable title.

It was therefore no surprise to the large gathering of all major stakeholders of Ghana football including the Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama when his name came out at the tail end of the almost three hour event.

He becomes the second player to win the enviable award after Issah Ahmed of Kotoko, who won the maiden edition.

For his prize, the midfielder drove home a brand new VW Golf Car. He told journalists that he was not surprised, because he worked hard in the past season and truly deserved the honour bestowed on him. Essien, who jumped onto the big scene with Kumasi Asante Kotoko in 2005, could not live to his prospects as he hardly picked a first place position, but became the live wire of King Faisal. Alhaji Saanie, however, had a consolation, when he picked the Discovery of the Season Award.

Other award winners were, Isaac Vorsah (Kotoko) - Defender of the Season, Ernest Sowah - Most Promising Goalkeeper and Emmanuel Clottey - Goal king.

The rest were Coach of the Year - Hans Vander Plyum - Heart of Lions, Best Referee - Mercy Tagoe Quarcoo and Chairman of the Season - Eric Afotey Odai - Great Olympics.

For their swift return to the premiership, Great Olympics took up the Most Improved Club Award, whilst Heart of Lions was the Highest Scoring Club with Carl Reindorf Stadium adjudged the Best Behaved League Centre.

Relegated Feyenoord went home with the Fair Play Award. The PLB also presented to Hearts of Oak a cheque for 100 million cedis, for winning the premiership, with Ashgold receiving 60 million cedis whilst Asante Kotoko had 40 million cedis for placing second and third respectively.

Yaw Abra-Appiah chairman of the PLB described last season as a successful one in spite of the numerous difficulties. He said the coming season looked more promising and urged participants to brace themselves up for an improved league. Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), advised clubs to use the various judicial structures at the FA to seek legal redress instead of resorting to court actions. He said this had on many occasions affected the development of the game, citing instances where some companies had to back out of sponsorship deals with the FA due to court actions initiated by clubs. Addressing the gathering, Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama called on the GFA and its affiliates to strive hard to maintain the current moment of success in the premiership.

He said the government was doing its best to promote sports in the country adding that the ongoing renovation of the Accra and Kumasi Stadia and the two new ones at Takoradi and Tamale were some of the many ways, the governments intended to develop and promote sports. The Vice President urged Ghanaians to contribute to the successful hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations by Ghana next year. Alhaji Mahama, however, expressed worry over the rate at which every success of the nation in sports had been attributed to football and the Black Stars.

He said: "I wish to place on record that our women, the Black Queens and other national women's team and indeed all other national teams are doing well." 10 June 07