Sports

The Volta Regional Sports Development Officer, Mr Gabriel Yao Missodey on Monday affirmed the readiness of the Region to host this year’s National Athletics competition.

He said all necessary preparations have been made to make the competition a success.

Mr Missodey who was speaking to the GNA Spots in an interview at Ho said “arrangements for accommodation and feeding have already been completed to forestall any unforeseen challenges.”

He said the Region is also prepared to stage a “Host and Win” campaign and called for the support of all from the region.

“We’ve got our 16-member team in place made up of 10 men and six women and we are confident of their capability of guiding the region to chalk success in the competition,” Mr. Missodey said.

Mr Missodey said the Regional Sports Council has instituted measures to keep the team in form by organizing some international competitions with neighbouring Togo.

He said the team would be on standby for all national and international competitions and appealed for support from financial institutions and other corporate organizations to support the team and its efforts at reviving sports in the Region.

Mr Adolf K. Ladji, Regional Administrative Officer of the Sports Council said the regional team includes Abdul Karimu, Quashie Justice, Kpadangble Mawufemor, Prosper Awasiame and Aborli Michael.

The others are Zaccheaus Mamo, Mempene Richard, Gbadago Bless, Fefe Christian and Muhamed Salifu, Mavis Latey, Dortsu Mary, Ahu Celestine, Torbi Patience, Ablormeti Angela and Krah Edith.

The competition scheduled for March 29, this year is yet to be confirmed.

The competition would include athletes from all the ten regions, security services and the Ghana Universities Sports Association.


Source: GNA

Fans of Gamba All Blacks poured out their anger on the club's Operations Manager Oduro Sarfo for pocketing monies allocated for the match officials who handled Sunday's league match against Chelsea Bechem and lost 0-1 at home.

Accra-based referee Sumaila Ibrahim disallowed two goals scored by the Black Magicians and that nourished the suspicions by the home fans

All Blacks stayed in the relegation zone with the results and the fans blame management for failing to pull the strings.

The fans reacted immediately after the final whistle by pelting Oduro Sarfo with bottled water. The aide-de-camp of owner Toshihiru Iwasa also suffered some beating.

"We are angry with Oduro Sarfo because they are (not) seeing the referees to help us. How can (we) sit at home and allow Chelsea to beat us-they must sit up," an exasperated fan told Ghanasoccernet.

"We are aware that he has been given (money) to pay the referee but he didn't do it. He wants to spend that amount-it can be possible."

Bribery and corruption is alleged to be simmering in the local game but the Football Association has failed to arrest this canker.

Clubs found guilty of such acts will be sanctioned in accordance with Article 35 of the bye-laws of the Ghana Football Association.

Credit: ghanasoccernet

KOTOKO’S TROUBLES in this year’s Glo Premier League seem far from over, as they fell 1-2 to visiting Sekondi Eleven Wise at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday.

Kotoko suffered defeat by the same margin when they faced their arch rivals and league leaders Hearts of Oak at the same venue before the league came to a temporary halt.  

The Hearts of Oak defeat resulted in the axing of Belgium trainer Maurice Coorman as the Head coach of the Kumasi based club. He was replaced by Isaac ‘Opeele’ Aboagye, the self-acclaimed answer to Jose Mourinho of Inter Milan fame.

In yesterday’s cracker, the visitors who had a lion’s share of possession, snatched the match winner in the dying embers of the game when the duel seemed to be heading for a stalemate.

Coached by former Ghana internationals, C.K. Akunnor and Nii Odartey Lamptey, Wise started the game on a flashy note, keeping the homesters’ goal area boiling to the chagrin of the sparse crowd that had thronged the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

Kotoko came into the picture on a few occasions but they could not do justice to the decent chances that came their way, bringing the first half to a draw.

Back from recess, Wise continued their dominance especially in midfield and opened scoring in the 60th minute when Jeff Aryee scrambled the ball into the net.

Kotoko accepted the challenge, piling incessant pressure on the visitors, which resulted in the equalizer a few minutes later via Daniel Nii Adjei’s volley.

Then on, the game became balanced, with both teams switching play from one end of the field to another.

When the referee was about to bring proceedings to an end, Winfred Dormon capitalized on the weak Kotoko defence to punish the Champions in injury time.

Others scores
Tema Youth- 2    Hearts of Oak- 1
RTU- 1   Heart of Lions- 3

Liberty- 0   King Faisal-1
Hasaacas- 1  Ashgold- 0

From I.F. Joe Awuah, Kumasi

Ghana has moved up one place to the 34th position in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.

The nation dropped 10 places to occupy the 35th position when last month’s rankings were released.

The international friendly between the Black Stars and Egypt in Cairo which ended 2-2 last month contributed immensely to Ghana’s position in the rankings.

On the continent, Cameroon continue their dominance, leading the African pack on the FIFA table, with Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire following in that order.

 European champions Spain maintain the top position over Germany at the global level. After dropping out of the top ten in December 2008, Portugal have regained their place (10th, up 2) at the expense of Turkey (11th, down 1), while Russia have climbed one place (8th, up 1).

Maintaining the top position in the March FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, Spain lead by exactly 300 points over Germany.

Other movers include Costa Rica (32nd, up 6) and Northern Ireland (42nd, up 7). One of the biggest movers this month, however, are Norway (45th, up 11), who have climbed back into the top 50 after beating Germany in a friendly in February.

Belgium (49th, up 4) and Colombia (47th, up 4) have both moved into the top 50, while Slovakia (53rd, down 11), Panama (51st, down 1) and Lithuania (52nd, down 4) have all fallen down the rankings.

All these movements have resulted in a change in the overall composition of the top 50, with 27 teams now from UEFA, eight from CAF, seven from CONMEBOL, four from CONCACAF and four from the AFC. Cyprus (84th, up 14), Korea DPR (107th, up 12), Equatorial Guinea (109th, up 15), Kuwait (114th, up 11), and Kazakhstan (130th, up 10) have all moved up ten or more places.

By Charles Nixon Yeboah

Former Black Meteors coach, Jones Attuquayefio has urged Black Stars coach, Milovan Rajevac to vary his tactics if he wants to lead Ghana to a second World Cup appearance in South Africa in 2010.

The celebrated former best coach of Africa described the Serbian’s tactical play as a major concern, stressing that it was a contributory factor to Ghana’s 0-2 loss to DR Congo in the final of the African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Speaking on Joy News yesterday, the technical head of Liberty Professionals also blamed Ghana’s defeat on poor substitutions on the part of the Rajevac-led technical team.

The Serbian himself had been criticized by a cross-section of Ghanaians for the kind of roles assigned players on the field. His decision to play one lone striker in the first two matches in the competition had also been chastised by some connoisseurs of the game.

Coach Attuquayefio shared some sentiments with those assertions, explaining that Ghanaians are noted for playing two strikers upfront.

He also welcomed the good display of football by Charles Taylor and Rahim Ayew, son of Abedi Pele Ayew, adding that Taylor’s comeback is a good omen for the country as he is not only technically gifted but talented as well.

Other players such as Osei Bonsu of Hearts of Oak have also shown their readiness to become good materials for the Black Stars.

By Charles Nixon Yeboah

The local component of the senior national team, the Black Stars, yesterday failed to lift the maiden edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) when they suffered a 0-2 defeat at the hands of the Simbas of DR Congo at the Felix Houphet-Boigney Stadium at Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire.

It was indeed a pacey 90-minute game that left the tens of thousands of fans in the stadium cheering throughout.

The Congolese gave every indication of carrying the day right from the blast of the referee’s whistle, as they outpaced and outclassed the Ghanaians in every department of the game. In the end everyone who watched the encounter knew that the Black Stars were beaten by a better, well-organised and a more determined side.

Having suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Ghana in the group stages of the tournament, the Congolese had to come up with something extra-ordinary in order to beat the dreaded West Africans; and this they did, as they approached the game in a no-holds-barred fashion right from the get-go, with Mputu forcing a save out of Philemon McCarthy in the 2nd minute of the match.

The Leopards’ incessant raids left the Black Stars defence panting for breath, with Dan Yeboah cutting out Lofo’s cross and McCarthy parrying to safety, dangerman, Mputu’s goal-bound shot in the 13th minute.

With the talisman of the side, Charles Taylor, not clicking as well as he should, the Ghanaians could not find their rhythm, allowing their opponents to dictate the pace of the game.

The fact that Yaw Antwi’s goal in the 34th minute was ruled off-side further dampened the spirits of the West Africans, who were already chasing shadows. The first half ended goalless.  

The Congolese opened scoring in the opening minutes of the second half when Philemon McCarthy fluffed a seemingly harmless header into his own net.

Tried as the Ghanaians did, they could not get the equalizer; and Mbedi drove the final nail in Ghana’s coffin when he scored a second goal for his side in the dying embers of the game.

With this feat, the Leopards therefore lifted their first cup in 35 years. Apparently, the DR Congo then Zaire, beat Ghana 1-0 in the 1974 finals of the more prestigious African Cup of Nations.

By Mohammed Muniru Kassim

A rejuvenated Black Stars will be seeking to add the Teranga Lions of Senegal to their list of victims when they clash with the Senegalese in the first semi finals of the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN) today.

Fresh from their 3-0 massacre of the competition’s favourites DR Congo, the now composed Black Stars team would be hoping to keep their rhythm together just as they did against the Congolese when they welcome their West African colleagues to the Bouake Sports Stadium.

As usual, the predating instincts of Charles Taylor would be in be in full force, as he is expected to lead the assault against the undefeated Senegalese who are also aiming for a place in the finals.

Taylor was the hero in the match against the Simbas and he is expected to be shifted to a more attacking position this time around and be supported in attack by Yaw Antwi if he is fit for the game.

Coach Milovan Rajevac is expected to make only one change to his line up with Rahim Ayew coming on for the injured Agyemang Badu. Skipper Owusu Ansah, Jordan Opoku, and Dan Yeboah are the other players expected to man the midfield whilst Samuel Inkoom, Harrison Afful, Ofosu Appiah and Godwin Osei Bonsu would protect the rear with Philemon McCarthy in goalpost.

The Black Stars are seeking a triumph in the maiden edition of the ongoing CHAN competition in Cote d’Ivoire.

By Charles Nixon Yeboah