Soccer News of Monday, 18 August 2003

Source: Vanguard (Lagos)

I Want the Top Scorer's Award- JoeTex

Ghanaian born striker Joetex Asamoah Frimpong has two life time ambitions-one to wear the national colours of his native country and two, to become the best lethal finisher in the world. But under neath this two ambitions lies the third to emerge as the highest scorer in the on-going Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League.

Frimpong is so far the leading scorer in the competition with six goals to his credit and the former El- Kanemi Warriors striker who was the joint top scorer last season with former Sharks of Port Harcourt striker Victor Ezeji believes he would no doubt emerge as the highest scorer of the tournament.

Frimpong after scoring his sixth goal in the CAF Champions League match played in Aba last week against Simba of Tanzania said he had nursed the desire to win the top scorers award in the competition since he joined champions league side Enyimba at the beginning of this season from Maiduguri based El-Kanemi Warriors football club, adding that the desire to score in every match has seen him doing every thing to get on the scorers sheet in every game that they have played in the competition.

The Ghanaian who said he had turned down overtures from former national U-23 coach Godwin Uwua to dump his native country Ghana for Nigeria was elated that he found the back of the net against Simba last Sunday.

According to him, every striker in the club was looking forward to playing the CAF Champions League match and he was happy that he was part of the team that took Simba apart in Aba. He added that his sixth goal was an icing on the cake for him following the wonderful performance of his team despite the heavy down pour that also robbed them of the chances of scoring more goals and increasing the amount the club would from CAF.

"Since I was a child I had always had the impression that I would play for the Ghanaian national team. Each time I watch Abedi Pele and other top Ghanaian players the feeling gets stronger. today I am sure that very soon I would be invited to the senior national team where I intend to prove myself as one of the best finishers in Ghana.

As for the CAF Champions League, ever since I joined Enyimba I have wanted to prove that my performance in the previous season was not a fluke and the only way I can do this was to emerge as the highest goal scorer in the CAF Champions League competition and I am happy so far my plans are still intact. Today I scored my sixth goal in the champions league and I am very happy about it and I pray to continue like this till the end of the competition which we are confident of winning this year. If we continue to play like this (which I am sure we would ) I believe I would win the top scorers award and Enyimba would win the CAF Champions League for the first time for Nigeria. Every body believes Enyimba can win the trophy for Nigeria and I share this optimism too.

We have a great team, a great coach and a solid management. All we need now is luck to qualify for the semi-finals and win the trophy and by God's grace we would win this year's edition of the CAF Champions League", he said.