Sports
Kotoko, Hearts for Africa '85
The Ghana Football Season has ended with the two most glamorous clubs, Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak, emerging the F.A. Cup winners and League Champions respectively. Kotoko, twelve times league champions, won the F.A. Cup for the fourth time with a rather uninspiring 1-0 victory over second division Obuasi Goldfields at the Accra Sports Stadium on October 14. Thanks to a 30th minute goal by veteran inside forward Peter Kusi who sneaked through a lousy offside trap by Goldfields to lob the ball over the head of on-rushing goalie Anthony Edusei.Hearts on the other hand emerged League winners with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Real Tamale United in a decisive final showdwon at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday October 17.
Tamale United with 25 points, were a point behind Hearts and they needed nothing short of a victory to annex the trophy, whilst even a draw could do the trick for Hearts.
And Hearts, seven times winners of the league title, rose to the occasion, and in front of the thickest league crowd recorded this season, shattered the dreams of United who were hoping to win the cup for the first time, with a brilliant 53rd minute goal by right winger Botchway.
The victory earns Hearts the honour to compete in the 1985 African Cup competition for champion clubs. It will be postponement. Hearts sixth appearance in the prestigious 20-year-old tournament.
The Phobians, as they are affectionately referred to by their fans, made their debut in the Africa Cup series in 1972 and were eliminated in the semi-finals by Simba of Uganda. In 1974 they were kicked out by another Simba club, this time from Tanzania in the quarter finals; Hearts reached the final in their third attempt in 1977 but lost the Cup to Hafia of Guinea. They reached the final again in 1979 and lost to Union Douala of Cameroun. Hearts' fifth show was in 1980 and they were out in the quarter finals against A.S. Bilima of Zaire.
Kotoko, the FA Cup winners, will be taking part in the African Cup Winners Cup in 1985 and that will be their second appearance. Their debut in 1979 ended in the very first round at the hands of Kadiogo from Upper Volta now Burkina Fasso. By placing second in the league Sekondi Eleven Wise qualifies to take part in the West African Union Football tournament (WAFU) next year.
Chief Ordia denies boycott resolution
Nigeria's Chief Abraham Ordia, honorary President of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA), has urged all African nations, whether in the Commonwealth or not, to close ranks in the "war against apartheid."Chief Ordia was reacting to a recent interview in which Yednekatchew Tesema, President of the African Football Confederation criticised Commonwealth African countries for "shying away from a boycott of Britain when they met at the Los Angeles Olympics."
Mr Tesema had alleged that the countries went back on a resolution by the SCSA in June which called for such a boycott.
"Instead, they approved a resolution which merely rebuked Britain for allowing an English Rugby team to tour South Africa," he said.
Chief Ordia, who is also the SecretaryGeneral of the Nigeria Olympic Committee said that there was not a single circular from the SCSA to member countries on the boycott.
He asked, "when and how many members of SCSA took the alleged boycott decision in Ouagadougou?
Nigeria and Ghana Junior Cup fixtures
Nigeria and Ghana are to meet in the first leg of first round of the Junior World Cup elimination match on November 3. This follows Ghana's rejection of a request for a postponement.The NFA had requested for the match to be shifted back to Saturday October 27, because of its crowded programmes for November 4, the day both the Green Eagles and the IICC Shooting Stars will be away to Liberia and Togo respectively for the World Cup second leg with the Lone Stars and Champions Cup second leg between IICC and Semassi Sekode of Togo.
Ghana's Satellites qualified to meet the Flying Eagles following their victory over the Gambian junior national team. Gambia won the first leg played in Banjul 1-0 while Ghana won the second leg played in Accra two weeks later by 2-0. The Flying Eagles and their Ghanaian counterparts will be meeting for the second time. Their first meeting was last November during the final of the renamed Shehu Shagari Cup contest. The Flying Eagles pipped the Ghanains 1-0. Other matches in the series fixed for November 3 by the African Football Confederation (AFC) are Guinea Versus Republic of Benin in Conakry, former African representative in the 1981 Junior World Cup, Tunisia will meet Algeria in Tunis, and Morocco versus Egypt in Rabat.
Others are Zimbabwe versus Sudan in Harare, Ethiopia verus Zambia in Addis Ababa while Ivory Coast will host Senagal in Abidjan.
Kano Pillars reach semi-finals
Kano Pillars, Nigeria's representatives in the African Basketball championship will meet Primo Augusto of Angola in the semi- final of the competition.The first leg comes up on November 21 in Kano, while the return leg will be in Luanda two weeks later.
Kano Pillars reached this stage of the competition by beating Camerounian champions BEAC.
Liberia's soccer body dissolved
The executive committee of the Liberian Football Association (LFA) has been dissolved by Head of State, Gen. Samuel Doe. The Liberian leader said that until elections are held for new executive officers of the LFA, he would serve as interim president in his private capacity.The committee was formerly chaired by the General Manager of the Liberia electricity corporation, Mr Samuel Burnette.
The decision to dissolve it was precipitated by "the extreme concern and grave displeasure" of government and the general poor management and organisation of sports in the country, Gen. Doe said.
Making particular reference to football, the Liberian leader expressed the govern- ment's interest in developing soccer to "the highest level of competence".
He said since his coming to power in 1980, the government had fully supported football actvities.
The Head of State noted with concern the disinterest in sports by well-known personalities in Liberia and the frequent loss of games by the national and leading teams of the LFA.
He expressed particular concern about the poor manner in which players and officials of teams are treated. He referred to recent Liberian defeats in international matches as a source of frustration to the government.
Ghana League
HOME AWAYTEAMS PWDLFA PWDLFA Pts
Hearts 10 9 0 1 20 1 10 4 2 4 8 9 28
Wise 10 6 3 1 17 2 10 3 4 3 6 6 25
R.T.U. 10 8 1 1 19 3 10 2 4 4 6 8 25
Kotoko 10 5 3 2 14 9 10 4 3 3 10 9 24
Oly 10 5 3 2 13 5 10 2 5 3 14 17 22
B.A. Utd. 10 4 5 1 14 9 10 3 1 6 8 14 20
Hasaacas 10 6 2 2 11 6 10 1 4 5 4 11 20
Okwahu 10 6 3 1 9 4 10 1 1 8 3 15 18
Corners 10 6 3 1 16 8 10 0 2 8 2 18 17
Tano 10 3 5 2 8 6 10 0 1 9 2 19 12
Vipers 10 3 1 6 5 11 10 0 2 8 2 19 9
