Soccer News of Monday, 9 July 2001

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Star Premier league 8th Week

 Hasaacas       0-3  Kotoko 
Olympics 0-1 Liberty Professionals
Kwaebibirem 0-2 Accra Hearts of Oak
Goldfields 4-0 Adanisman United
Bofoakwa Tano 0-0 Dawu Youngsters
King Faisal 1-1 Real Tamale United
Arsenals 1-0 Maxbees
Okwawu 0-0 Ghapoha
Kotoko thrash Hasmal 3-0
Visiting Kumasi Asante Kotoko thrashed Sekondi Hasaacas 3-0 in their eighth-week Star Premier League match played at the Sekondi Gyandu Park on Sunday.
Midfielder Godwin Ablordey opened the floodgates in the 14th minute when he connected a through ball.
Kotoko continued to play vigorously and with greater determination until Abedi Sarfo increased the tally to two in the 41st minute.
Hasaacas fought back but were unable stand the might of the swift Kotoko players.
Kotoko pressed forward for more goals after recess while Hasaacas adopted a defensive tactics. Ofosu Appiah made it three for Kotoko, in the 80th minute.

Liberty pip Olympics

Wonder Club, Great Olympics suffered another painful defeat when they lost 0-1 to city rivals, Liberty Professionals in their eighth week Star Premier league match played at the almost empty Accra Sports Stadium.

With unimpressive performances of late by Olympics and Liberty since the commencement of the league, the two teams moved swiftly into action after Koforidua-based referee had whistled for the beginning of the game.

Liberty, who seemed to be picking up the pieces gradually after unsuccessful outings were bent on making amends for their defeats.
It came as no surprise, therefore, when they nearly found the net in the fifth minutes through Moses Tetteh, whose powerful shot was punched by goalkeeper Sam Addo in post for Olympics.

Spurred on by this, the Dansoman-based team became more aggressive and managed to take control of the game thereby pilling more pressure on their opponents.
Olympics were, however, not to be made mincemeat of by Liberty and, therefore, fought hard to frustrate Liberty from scoring.
Spearheaded by Michael Asante making his first appearance for his side, Olympics thwarted the efforts of Liberty.
In the 10th minute, James Amartey nearly scored with his powerful shot but the ball went straight into the waiting arms of keeper Cudjoe Addo in post for Liberty.
With determination written on their faces, Liberty came close to scoring but Ablade Morgan failed to connect Yaw Inkoom's free kick to a goal thereby denying them of an early lead.
As both teams fought hard in their bid to score goals, many chances were wasted with the worst offenders being Olympics, who failed to utilise their scoring chances till the referee whistled for the end of the first half.
Back from recess, the tempo of the game increased as the trend changed in favour of the Wonder boys they failed to break the deadlock.
Luck, however, eluded them when in an effort to prevent Liberty from scoring, Phillip Kutsu was penalised for handling the ball in the goal area.
Ablade Morgan converted it in the 70th minute for the only goal of the match.
With disappointment written in their faces, Olympics fought back gallantly but could not equalise till the referee ended the match.

King Faisal drew 1-1 with Real Tamale United (RTU)

In their Star premier league match played at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. Faisal scored first against the run of play through a free kick taken by Joe Agyeman in the 12th minute.
RTU who had earlier failed to utilise an indirect free-kick in the second minute and Joseph Adjei missing a chance, piled pressure to redeem the goal but the defence of Faisal stood gallantly.
Joe Adjei was on target again in the 22nd minute but his short hit the woodwork but a resultant corner kick was wasted.
Abass Idrisu nearly equalised for RTU in the 43rd minute but his beautiful header hit the cross bar and bounced into play.
On resumption, the game turned into hard-tackling and with RTU still probing to find the net and their efforts were rewarded in the 84th minute when substitute Sulemana Faisal equalised for them with a thunderbolt shot which beat Nicholas Opoku Ware in goal for Faisal.
There was a free-for-all fight after the match outside the pitch while a supporter of Faisal had a brawl with security officers.
Tema based Ghapoha continued their drawing spree when they held Okwawu United to a goalless draw in their Star Premier League Match played at the Nkawkaw Park.
Okwawu kicked off and dominated play for the greater part of the first half but failed to make use of the numerous scoring chances that came their way, particularly in the 15th 20th 26th and 28th minutes.
In the 30th minute, Okwawu wasted a penalty kick awarded them by Cape Coast based, Class One referee Essel walker, when Johnson Eklu was heavily down in the penalty box. The resultant kick, taken by Eward Acquah, was saved by goalkeeper Abubakari Kenkeni.
Okwawu again had a clear chance to score in the 35 minute but Ernest Boateng's close range header, was again saved by Kenkeni.
In the 40th minute Okwawu brought on Kwasi Kyeremanteng for Yaw Berko, whiles Ghapoha introduced Ben Yeboah for Dennis Morgan, but the changes did not affect the pattern of play.
Ghapoha returned the attack and wasted two corner kicks in the 50th and 62nd minutes but their attackers failed to convert any of them.
In the 72nd minute Okwawu had a freekick outside the 18-yard box, but Richard Mireku's shot was punched to corner by Kankani and the resulted kick was wasted.
Okwawu continued to pile pressure and managed to put the ball into the net 82nd minute through Kyeremanteng from a goal month melee, but referee walker ruled it offside
Standings at the end 7th Week matches honoured on 05 July:
Club Local/Region P W D L F A Pts GD
Kotoko Kumasi, Ashanti 8 6 1 1 13 3 19 +10
Dawu Dawu, Eastern 8 5 2 1 14 9 17 +5
Hearts Accra, Greater Accra 6 5 1 0 9 3 16 +6
Goldfields Obuasi, Ashanti 8 4 1 3 12 6 13 +7
RTU Tamale, North 7 3 2 2 8 6 11 +2
Liberty Accra, Greater Accra 7 3 2 2 7 6 11 +1
Maxbees Suhum, Eastern 8 3 2 3 6 9 11 -3
Bofoakwa Sunyani, Brong Ahafo 8 2 4 2 7 6 10 +1
K. Faisal Kumasi, Ashanti 8 3 1 4 8 8 10 0
Hasaacas Sekondi, Western 8 3 1 4 9 11 10 -2
B. Arsenal Berekum, Brong Ahafo 8 3 1 4 7 10 10 -3
Okwahu Nkawkaw, Eastern 8 2 2 4 6 10 8 -4
Gt. Olympics Accra, Gt. Accra 8 2 1 5 6 9 7 -3
Kwaebibrem Asuom, Eastern 8 2 0 6 5 11 6 -6
Ghapoha Tema, Gt. Accra 8 0 5 3 2 5 5 -3
Adansiman Obuasi, Ashanti 8 1 2 5 7 15 5 -8
NB: Four points have been deducted from the accumulated points of King Faisal
for fielding an unqualified player in their 2-2 drawn match against Tano Bofoakwa. They lost the point they picked in the second week match and three from their accumulated points.

Division 1

Dwarfs beat Eleven Wise by a lone goal
CAPE COAST, Ghana, July 09 -- A spot kick taken by Rashid Iddi in the 30th minute enabled Dwarfs beat Sekondi Eleven Wise 1-0 in their Metro Division One league match played at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.

Dwarfs started strongly and following a series of incursions into the penalty box of Wise, earned a penalty when a hard-pressed defender fouled Amonu Johnson in the box for a penalty.
The resultant kick was converted by skipper Rashid Iddi for the match winner.

Olympiakos silence Might Jets at their backyard
AC Olympiakos stretched their lead atop Zone 3A of the Metro Division One league when they thumped second placed Tudu Mighty Jet 2-0 at their backyard in a tension filled match at Hearts Park.

The two goals were all scored in the second half after a first half in which both teams took turns to test each other but could produce any goals as the game was concentrated in midfield.
It was Olympiakos who came close to registering the opening goal in the 39th minute, but central defender Abu Samad, formally of Accra Hearts of Oak proved resolute as his timely header diverted a dangerous cross to touch.
In the second half, Jets called the early shorts, as they dominated the midfield battle with Awal Mohammed stringing passes, but the attack of Mohammed Gado and Emmanuel Asari failed to utilize the chances that came their way.
In the 62nd minute Ade Coker's Olympiakos taught the home team a lesson in goal scoring when Amadu Yamusa broke loose from the center line to score after the Mighty Jets defence had moved forward anticipating an offside.
Olympiakos not satisfied with the lone goal lead brought on Shama Tanko and Emmanuel Nanado for goal scorer Yamusa and Awal Baba respectively in the 65th minute.
It was the homers who responded in the 70th minute, when Awal Mohammed's shot sailed closely past the Olympiakos post, with goalkeeper Raymond Fenny rooted to the spot.
Olympiakos sealed their victory with the second goal in the 84 minute when substitute Nanado sneaked behind Mighty Jets defence to tap the ball beyond goalkeeper Yusif Danladi.
After the match an elated Ade Coker, president of Olympiakos in a interview with the GNA praised his team for the resilience, especially in the first half, to hold their own when the going was very tough.
He said his plans to join the premiership in six months has taken full steam and he does not see any team putting impediments on his way, come the end of the season.