Soccer News of Saturday, 30 July 2016

Source: ghanafa.org

All set for Sunday's MTN FA Cup semi-final games

The MTN FA Cup logoThe MTN FA Cup logo

The Kumasi Baba Yara Stadium will witness two exciting games on Sunday when Okwahu United and Wa Rockets face their top flight opponents in the MTN FA Cup semi-final games.

Okwahu United who are the only club among the four semi-finalists to have won the competition, will face Liberty Professionals while Wa Rockets take on Bechem United.

All four teams had interesting runs to the semis but Wa Rockets are widely considered as the surprise package of this years competition.

The Division One club defeated Asokwa Deportivo in the Round of 16 before handing Premier League side Wa All Stars a shocking 1-0 defeat in their quarter final derby.

Fellow second tier side Okwahu United made it to this stage after eliminating Dreams FC, Dunkwa United, Hasaacas and another premier league side WAFA in the quarter final stage.

For the premier league sides, Liberty Professionals defeated Medeama, Pure Joy, FC Samartex and Elmina to book their place in Sunday's semi finals games.

On their part, Bechem United reached this stage after victories over Paga Japan Stars,Sunyani Liberty, RTU and knocked out last year's finalists Asante Kotoko through penalty shoot outs in the quarter finals.

All four teams are poised to book a place in the grand finale set for September 4 at the New Cape Coast Stadium.

At yesterday's pre match press conference, head coach for Bechem United and Okwahu United were both confident that their respective teams has what it takes to make it into the finals of this year's competition.

Backing his claim to a place in the finals, Bechem United's coach Manuel Zacharia stated that: "my team will play an entertaining game on Sunday and if we are able to get fair officiating, am confident we will make it to the final and hopefully win the competition for our fans".

Acting coach for Okwahu United Ibrahim Merigah who coincidently played in the side that won the 1986 edition of the FA Cup, also insisted that his team has what it takes to scale over Liberty Professionals and make it to the grand finale.

"It's been exactly 30 years since we won the FA Cup and my team has assured me that they also want to enter the history books of the club as the players who won the second FA Cup trophy for Okwahu",the ex Okwahu player said.

An Official of Wa Rockets, Mr. Ampem Darko who revealed that the team is in a camping base in Kumasi called on fans of Asante Kotoko to come to the Baba Yara Stadium as they seek to defeat Bechem United.

"We all know fans of Kotoko were not happy when Bechem defeated Kotoko in the quarter finals but we can assure them that Rockets will avenge that defeat for them. So all Kotoko should come to the stadium and we can assure that Wa Rockets will make them happy" , he said.

The semi final games which will be played in the first ever double header games, will see Bechem United take on Wa Rockets at 3pm while Okwahu United face Liberty Professionals at 6pm.