Sports
Nigeria to host World Cup
Nigeria will host the 1989 junior world cup, Mr Ydnekatchew Tessema, President of the African Football Confederation has Lagos. announced in Cairo.Explaining the rationale behind the choice of Nigeria, Mr Tessema said the Federation of International Football Associations, the governing body on world football offered the hosting of the 1989 championships to an African country and gave the CAF the option of choosing the host nation.
The CAF, said the President, decided to confer this rare honour on Nigeria because of the excellent performances of her teams in this year's junior world cup in China and the youth tournament in the Soviet Union. Nigeria won the junior world cup for under 16 and placed third in the youth championship.
Apart from Nigeria's performances, one vital clue to the choice of that country are facilities.
The National Stadium in Lagos and the Liberty Stadium in Ibadan are comparable to any in the world. Facilities for camping are also available thanks to a sports improvement policy mooted by the Gowon regime and rigorously pursued since the '70s.
Owusu Mensah missing?
Owusu Mensah, whose dramatic penalty save in the finals of the 1982 African Cup of Nations tournament in Libya enabled the Black Stars of Ghana to win the championship for the unprecedented fourth time, has disappeared on the eve of registration of players for the 1985-86 national football season.The national and Accra Hearts of Oak goalkeeper was due to register for Ghana's champion club when he disappeared. Unconfirmed reports indicate Owusu Mensah is in Benin and might find his way to oil-rich Gabon.
Meanwhile Hearts have threatened to take legal action against a former executive member who, it is believed, aided the escape of their top goalkeeper. In 1980 John Yawson, then Hearts of Oak's right winger sneaked out while on national duty in Monrovia, Liberia. He surfaced in Uruguay.
'Africa will dominate world sports in 25 years'
George Foreman, former world heavyweight champion has predicted that Africa will be the focal point of world sports within the next 25 years."Africa will dominate world sports in the next 25 years," he told a cheering crowd in Lagos.
George Foreman who was in Lagos at the Invitation of the Nigerian Amateur Boxing Association was presented with a leather bag, a talking drum and Bini head carving by Hogan 'Kid' Bassey, former world featherweight champion. He has since left for the United States.
Sports secretary to testify in Oly case
Mr Amarkai Amarteifio, Ghana's Youth and Sports Secretary has been invited to assist an Accra High Court in the suit brought by directors of Accra Great Olympics restraining the former chairman and 13 others from carrying on any function in the name of the club.Mr Justice Alhaji Yakubu Ammah has therefore deferred judgement until the secretary made those clarifications.
Two Ghanaian tennis stars for China
Ghanaian International tennis star, Anthony Owusu Ansah and Emmanuel Arhin, Eastern Regional coach, have been offered a two-year scholarship to train as coaches in the People's Republic of China. Ghana, one of the pioneering tennis nations in Africa, are currently experienc- ing a slump in the game and the offer to the two is seen in this West African country as offering a hope for the future.Ghana soccer league opens October 27
The 1985-86 Ghanaian soccer league kicks off at all centres on Sunday, October 27, a Ghana Football Association statement has said in Accra.The season begins with a two-day gala. According to the GFA, if by that date Kumasi Sports Stadium, which is currently serving as a depot for Ghanaians returning from the Ivory Coast, has been released, the pre-season extravaganza will be held there. Otherwise Accra Sports Stadium will host the event.
First division clubs were required to register up to 33 players when the exercise opened at the various centres on October 7. During the season, clubs would be allowed to promote five under 20's to the senior division.
Transfer fees
The Ghana Football Association has pegged transfer fees for each member of the national team at C200,000. Players of the junior team, the Black Meteors will attract a fee of C150,000 while those of the under 20 squad, the Black Satellites would require C125,000 each to transfer from their mother clubs.First division players will cost C100,000 each, second division 75,000, third and fourth division C50,000 and C30,000 each and colts C20,000.
According to the football controlling body, contracts signed with professional players would only be recognised after copies have been deposited with the GFA.
New rule on double registration
In a move aimed at curbing the controversy that surrounds double registration of players, the GFA has ruled that the club that first registers the said players gets the option. The player and his second club risk punitive action. On the other hand, if it is proved that the said player concealed the information of his first registration from the second club, that club faces no action and the result of the match stands while the player faces a punitive action.Nigeria grab 25 medals
Olympic quarter-finalist, Christopher Ossan, led the Nigerian squad to a unique silver jubilee haul of 25 medals gold, eight silver and eight bronze - to win -nine the first Solidarity Cup in a three-nation challenge contest in Lagos.Ghana came second with a gold, two silver and seven bronze medals while Guinea, the last country to arrive in the three nation affair, was placed third with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals.
Ossai, pitched against his cousin Ward Ogbu, turned the all-Nigeria lightweight affair into a bloody duel as both boxers hurt each other with telling punches in the three rounder.
Another Olympian, Roland Omoruyi, emerged a 3-0 winner' over Dele Obaro in the all-Nigeria welterweight final while the national lightweight champion, Julius Kodel had an easy 3-0 decision over Ghanaian Issaka Ibole.
Nigeria's promising light heavyweight champion, Kevin Onwuka, medallist at a bronze the Romania Gold Belt Championships in April decisioned countryman Uade Aigbenogha while the kin of the heavier Babatunde Ezekiel lost
