Soccer News of Sunday, 16 September 2001

Source: .

Star Premier league 19th Week

 Kotoko        2-0  Hearts
Olympics 1-1 Bofoakwa
Adansiman 0-1 Dawu
King Faisal 0-0 Arsenal
Ghapoha 0-0 Goldfields
RTU 0-3 Okwahu United
Liberty 0-1 Kwaebibirem
Hasaacas 1-1 Maxbee
  • League Table/Previous Results (not updated)

    Kotoko Beat Hearts
    The Kumasi Sports Stadium was the scene of wild jubilation by supporters of Kumasi Asante Kotoko as their idol club scored an emphatic 2-0 victory over their archrivals, Accra Hearts of Oak in the epic match.

    The teeming supporters broke into prolonged cheers and jubilation as referee I. Alhassan of Tamale whistled for the end of the titanic match and the loud speakers at the stadium blared the popular hit "Awurade Kasa" by Cindy Thompson.

    The elated crowd cheered and chanted Kotoko songs as they hugged each other after Kotoko has scored the spectacular victory, which broke the chain of defeats at the hands of Hearts.

    The victory was also a sweet revenge for Kotoko whose 1-2 defeat by Hearts in the mid-week match at the Accra sports stadium caused the May 9 mayhem in which 126 soccer fans died.

    Security for the match was tight with the military and the police forming a cordon around the inner perimeter with others in the stands and some with truncheons and wearing helmet and looking to the crowd.

    Kotoko entered the field at 2.25 pm in their red attire and the crowd cheered as they jogged around and did light training and five minutes later, Hearts players also appeared on the field to warm up.

    The match got off to a brisk start after a minute's silence has been observed for victims of the May 9 disaster and the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York.

    Hearts forced the first corner-kick of the match in the fifth minute as Kotoko who looked unsettled failed to stop a move with a defender pushing the ball over the line.

    Kotoko counter-attacked earning the first of their 11 corner-kicks of the match in the 11th minute and two minutes later, speedster Michael Osei on a good run outpaced the Hearts defence but shot over the bar.

    Kotoko continued to have the edge in the attack as they forced corner-kicks in the 15th, 17th, 22nd and 24th minutes as Hearts were forced into the defensive but could not utilise any of them.

    Dan Acquah of Kotoko attracted the yellow card in the 26th minute for a foul and four minutes later, Hearts inspirer Osei Kuffuor had to visit the touchline for treatment from a hard knock.

    Rampaging Kotoko whose attacking machinery was in full gear, forced three successive corner-kicks in the 31st, 32nd, 33rd minutes as Hearts struggled to keep pace with the game. With Hearts deadly strikers Ishmael Addo, Charles Taylor and Osei Kuffuor played out of the game, Kotoko played the game at their own pace as the teeming crowd cheered every move.

    Skipper Godwin Ablordey who captained Kotoko meandered his way through the Hearts defence in the 42nd minute but his curling shot missed the target.

    Kotoko brought in Joe Okyere for Nana Frimpong at the re-start and this improved Kotoko's attacking machinery as they launched all out attack.

    Hearts came close to scoring in the 55th minute when Osei Kuffuor's glancing header missed the post narrowly with goalkeeper Osei Boateng completely beaten.

    Kotoko struck in the 65th minute as Aziz Ansah sliced through the Hearts defence and placed the ball in the path of Joe Okyere whose flicker beat goalkeeper Sammy Adjei who was glued to the ground.

    Backed by cheers of the teeming supporters, Kotoko laid a siege on the goal area of Hearts who played on the defensive. This paid off in the 73rd minute when a 30-metre free-kick taken by diminutive Stephen Oduro nicknamed "Tico" curled into the net wide off goalkeeper Sammy Adjei in the 73rd minute.

    The stadium was electrified as the chanting supporters drummed and sang almost shaking the stadium to its foundation. Hearts appeared to have given up the fight as the players offered little or no opposition with Kotoko forming circles and passing the ball among themselves to which the crowd cheered.

    By this victory, Kotoko has not only maintained their unbeaten home record but also of not having conceded a goal at home in the on-going league.

    Bofoakwa hold Olympics in Accra
    Bottom club, Accra Great Olympics failed to lift themselves up from their precarious position on the Star Premier League table when they were held to a one all drawn game at the Accra Sports Stadium.

    The match played before an empty stadium apparently because fans had moved to the Kumasi Sports Stadium where the country's two most glamorous clubs- Kotoko and Hearts clashed in their epic encounter.

    The visitors opened the score with a ninth minute strike by William Agyepong but their joy was short-lived as J. B. Danquah pulled the equaliser for Olympics two minutes later.

    In-spite of his magnificent goal, J.B. Danquah caused his team a great deal, as he wasted glaring chances for Olympics.

    Olympics had a second half goal disallowed after an apparent off side positioning by Fatawu Barns.

    Still at the Accra Sports Stadium, Liberty Professionals on Saturday lost by a lone goal to visiting Kwaebibirem United. Nuhu Mohammed scored the only goal of the match, in the 70th minute through a header.

    Ghapoha draws at Obuasi

    Visiting Tema Ghapoha played a great game to hold Obuasi Goldfields to a goalless drawn game in their premier league match played at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium.

    Goldfields started the game on a more purposeful note but allowed the visitors to take over the game having wasted a second minute corner kick.

    In the ninth and 14th minutes, Ben Kwame and Kwabena Boateng tested Goldfields goalkeeper Michael Robertson as he saved two dangerous situations.

    The Miners resurfaced and dominated play but Nana Arhin-Duah having received a tailor-measured pass from Princeton Owusu-Ansah in the 81st minute blew the chance away.

    RTU whitewash Okwawu

    Real Tamale United registered their highest score in this year's Premier League by thrashing Okwawu United 3-0 at the Tamale Kaladan Park on Sunday.

    RTU's skipper Hamza Mohammed scored the first goal in the 15th minute from a close range shot after receiving a pass from Abass Iddrisu.

    Okwawu took up the challenge and reorganised themselves, making several incursions into the RTU goal area but Abubakar Sulemana denied them of any goal. The homesters held the score line till the end of the first half.

    On resumption, and against the run of play, Abass finished off a fast counter attack started by Hamza in the 70th minute.

    The goal discouraged the Nkawkaw lads who resorted to a defensive game and with everything pointing to a two-goal victory, RTU's Arola capitalised on a defensive blunder to score the third goal in the 85th minute.