Sports
Green Eagles beat Tunisia
The Green Eagles of Nigeria scored a lone goal victory over Tunisia in their third round World Cup qualifying first leg engagement at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.The victory, however, left thousands of Nigerian followers wondering whether the new breed national side can sweep Tunisia aside in this African Zonal World Cup engagement.
With the second leg scheduled in Tunis, many are thus genuinely worried about the Eagles' chances of reaching Mexico.
Tunisia eliminated Nigeria from the 1984 Olympic Games preliminaries and were responsible for the failure of the Green Eagles to reach Spain for the 1982 World Cup.
AFC ban Hearts
Unconfirmed reports reaching Accra from Cairo, headquarters of the African Football Confederation indicate that the CAF has slammed a two year ban on Ghana's Champion Club Accra Hearts of Oak. According to the "Ghanaian Voice", an Accra Weekly, the two-year sentence is the penalty for violating CAF's protocol.Hearts officials were reported to have refused to shake hands with Union Goree officials when the Senegalese arrived in Accra for their second leg clubs championships match in Accra.
Union Goree had won the first leg engagement in Dakar 3-0 and eventually pushed out the Ghanaians despite losing 0-1 in Accra.
Last season, Great Olympics, Hearts rivals in Accra, were suspended for two seasons for what the CAF called ungentlemanly conduct on the part of the team officials in a second leg cup winners match with Asec of Abidjan. Olympics lost the match 0-2.
Kotoko won't poach players
As a clear departure from the tradition of Ghana's most celebrated club, Fabulous Kotoko have decided not to poach players for the next football season. Instead new players interested in the Club have been asked to take the initiative.Mr Ernest Yaw Bawuah, Chairman of the Club outlining the new policy in Accra expressed confidence in the current playing body.
"The present squad is adequate. All that we need is to mould them into a winsome side" Mr Bawuah was quoted to have said.
He said Malik Jabir, Coach of the club currently on attachment with Arsenal, London-based top English football club, was expected soon to help the squad whose main problem has been lack of proper technical direction. Mr Bawuah said Malik would leave for a three month course in France to enable him to fuse the finesse of French football with the fitness requirements of British soccer.
Boxing ratings
The Ghana Boxing Authority had announced its new ratings and those of the World Boxing Council, the Commonwealth Boxing Championship Committee and the African Boxing Union.According to a release signed by the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Boxing Authority only three Ghanaians have their names appearing in the World ratings with Azuma Nelson on top of the list as the World Featherweight Champion.
The others are Light-heavyweight, Prince Mama Mohammed and Welterweight Judas Clottey.
Those in the Commonwealth Boxing Ratings are light-heavyweight, Prince Mama Mohammed, Middleweight, Abdul Umaru Sanda, Welterweight, Judas Clottey, Lightweight, Sam Ago Kotey, Featherweight, Azuma Nelson, champion, and Flyweight, Gabriel Kuphey.
For the African Boxing Union we have Heavyweight, Adama Mensah, Light- heavyweight, Prince Mama Mohammed, Middleweight, Abdul Umaru Sanda, champion, Peter Asandoh, Light- middleweight, Joe Wilisco, Welterweight, Judas Clottey, champion, Moro Tahiru, Lightweight, Sam Ago Kotey, champion, D. K. Poison, Junior Lightweight, Sam Akromah, Daniyal Mustapha.
ICC banned from Liberty stadium
Ibadan-based IICC shooting stars have been banned from playing at the Ibadan Stadium for the rest of the season. The ban recommended by the Disciplinary Committee and ratified by the Nigerian Football Association followed the manhandling of players and officials of Abiola Babes in their 1-1 draw with shooting stars at Liberty Stadium.The NFA also ordered IICC to pay for the cost of repair of a bus belonging to Abiola Babes which was damaged in the scuffle. Former international goalkeeper Best Ogedegbe, team manager of Abiola Babes was banned for two matches. Flying Eagles warm-up for World Cup
The Nigerian junior national team, Flying Eagles, will honour a number of international engagements in preparation for the Junior World Cup championships in Moscow, next month.
The Flying Eagles will face Guinean first division campaigners, Haroya in Conakry on July 27. Two engagements in Europe - against the junior teams of the Federal Republic of Germany and Italy complete the Nigerian preparation for the global contest sponsored by Coca Cola International.
Flying Eagles qualified for the World Cup with a 4-0 aggregate victory over Ethiopia. They also won the General Tessema Cup for supremacy in African junior football championship.
Busy time for Nigerian athletes
Four Nigerian athletes, currently in camp preparing for the Commonwealth Games and the All-Africa Championship in Egypt have been invited to take part in a number of international meets.The athletes, Nigerian 100 metres champion, Chidi Imoh, 400 metres runner, Innocent Egbunike, hurdler Henry Amike and long jumper Yusuf Ali, have been given permission to leave while others remain in camp to prepare for the Edinburgh games.
After the Commonwealth Games, the Nigerian contingent will be in Alexandria, Egypt for the All-African Championship from August 14-18.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian University Games Association has formally approached some of the country's top athletes to represent the country in the World University Games scheduled for Japan in September.
Hearts boss resigns
Mr Henry Ameyaw, Executive Chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak, has resigned. Mr Ameyaw who came to power at the end of last season following the forcible removal of Mr Seth Abadjee as chairman, has come under increasing pressure since Hearts were eliminated from the 1985 African clubs contest.At a meeting convened by the chairman of the Board of Directors, Lt Gen Joseph Ananti Ankrah, Mr Ameyaw's own executive members asked him to leave the scene. It is no yet known who will succeed him but a caretaker committee is likely to take care of affairs until a substantive chairman is approved by the Board. Hearts have won the 1985 national league and will represent Ghana in next year's African clubs championship.
