PREVIEW: WEEK TWO GLO PREMIER LEAGUE

 By Ebenezer Zor (Ezee)

Glo Premier League enters its match-day-two of the first round over the weekends;14th October, with teams poised to continue either their winning ways, make amends or other things being equal.

Amidaus Professionals will be at home and show their prowess  against the scientific soccer lads Liberty Professionals dubbed; 'the battle of professionals' at Tema artificial turf in the week two of the 2012/2012 Glo Premier League first round of matches.

Amidaus held Kumasi Asante Kotoko to a goalless draw at Baba Yara whilst Liberty settled a 1-1 game with King Faisal in the week one of the season. Both teams will be aiming to redeem their image for their loving fans. Jonathan Mensah, E.B Baiden, F.D Ocansey and Delight Alorbu are to officiate this match.

Abusan Dwarfs with their 1-1 draw match with Arsenals will make a journey to Tarkwa to play as visitors to Medeama SC at the T&A Park. Medeama won their first away match by a lone goal to nil against last season MTN FA champions New Edubiase. Will Medeama snatch another three points from this encounter or Dwarfs having an upper edge. The center men to officiate are Awal Mohammed. Tanko Ganiyu, Alhassan Yahaya and Frederick Baidoo.

Glorious Accra Hearts of Oak after settling 1-1 all away against Tema Youth will square off against the Sidalco Boys New Edubiase at the Accra Sports Stadium. New Edubiase might want to secure a win since they lost 0-1 to Medeama in the first week of 2012/2013 Glo season. Whereas a loss for Hearts of Oak might raise a lot of controversies. Officials for the afternoon will be Samuel Sukah, Micheal Agbenuzah, Micheal Asare and Solomon Mordey.

At the Agyemang Badu Park, Aduana Stars will engage “The Blues” Berekum Chelsea in a very dicey clash. Both teams won their week one matches. Aduana travelled away to defeat Wa All Stars by 2-1. Then Chelsea had a smooth 2-0 victory over the borborbor lads Kpando Hearts of Lions. Will it be Aduana or Chelsea carrying the day? Joseph Lamptey, David Laryea, S.V Hammond and David Kumah are to officiate the match.

Defending Champions Kumasi Asante Kotoko after a poor start of their campaign by way of drawing goalless with newly promoted side Amidaus will play as visitors to Ashanti Gold in a duel christened as the “match of the week”  Ashanti Gold picked up a point when they went away and drew two all against RTU. Both teams will like to put smiles on the faces of their team faithful.  

In other game, Kpando Hearts of Lions after losing 0-2 to Berekum Chelsea at the Golden City Park in match day one of this season's premier league will be aiming at singing a different song as they play as host to visitors Real Tamale United at the Lions den on Saturday. A win for RTU could spell doom for the lions. The officials are O.B Amanwah, Osei Agyemang, Eric o. Mensah and Sumaila Ibrahim

Concurrently premiership returnee King Faisal will be at home to welcome Parma’s side Tema Youth at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. Both teams will like to make difference since their first encounters could not yield them any better results. Theresa Bremansu, Isaac Eghan, Sam.O. Boateng and Emmanuel Daily-Gagba are the officials for the duel.

Elsewhere at the Golden City Park in Berekum, Arsenals will lock horns against Kwesi Nyantakyi side Wa All Stars in the final match day two of the 2012/2013 Glo Premier League first round fixtures. Wa All Stars lost 1-2 to Aduana in Wa.

A win for Arsenals will not go well with All Stars. Officials to handle the game are E.R. Biney, Richard Appiah, William Okoampah and Ernest Baafi.

RTU DRAWS WITH ASHGOLD

BY EBENEZER ZOR

Premiership returnees,  Real Tamale United were held to a 2-2 draw game by visiting team AshGold in the first round week one fixture of the 2012/2013 Glo Premier League last Sunday played at the Tamale Sports Stadium.

The two teams in the first department of the encounter created numerous opportunities but failed to put the ball behind each opponent net for the opener.

Occasionally the two goalkeepers- Collins Addo for RTU and Issac Ackon of AshGold were called to duty to save their teams on dangerous incursions in the goal area of each opponent ending the first half in a goalless.

Kwamena Emmaunel’s 58th minute strike pass Isaac Ackon in the second half after exerting pressure on AshGold broke the deadlock for the pride of the north.

AshGold fought tirelessly to cancel the deficit until finally a brilliant build up which found Yakubu Mohammed unmarked connected the ball into net of RTU for the equalizer in the 77th minute.

At this stage both teams went in for the kill for the three points at stake.Imediately former Hearts of Oak, Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Medeame SC striker Louis Agyemang struck a shot in the 88th minute beyond the ridge of Collins Addo to increase the tally for Ashgold.

AshGold taught it was a done deal for them after 90 minutes. But referee William Agbovi’s three minutes of injury time rekindle RTU’s spirit whereby Aminu Mohammed bounced in a loose ball in the 93rd minute to settle the game at two all.

SCORE AT GLANCE

VENUE                       HOME    RESULTS        AWAY

Baba Yara                    Kotoko       0 – 0              Amidaus

Carl Reindorf               Liberty       1 – 1             King Faisal

Tamale                         RTU           2 – 2              AshGold

Golden City                     Chelsea     2 – 0           Hearts of Lions

Wa                                   All Stars    1 – 2          Aduana Stars

Gyamfi Park              New Edubiase 0 – 1         Medeame SC

Len Clay                      Dwarfs          1 – 1         Arsenals

Tema                           Tema Youth    1--- 1   Accra Hearts OF Oak

PREVIEW: 2012/2013 GLO PREMIER LEAGUE

BY EBENEZER ZOR (EZEE).

Ghana’s league has been ranked 3^rd in Africa and 58^th in the world by FIFA and coincidentally the 2012/2013 Glo Premier League bounces back on October 7 this weekend at the various league centers with one match postponed to Wednesday October 10. This season’s league will be the 53^rd edition since its inception in 1956. In 1957 there was no championship.

Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak are the most successful clubs that have won the league titles; 21 times for Kotoko and 20 times for Hearts of Oak, not forgetting Ashgold who has won it for three times, Great Olympics- twice, Eleven wise, Real Republicans, Mysterious Dwarves, Sekondi Hasaacas, Berekum Chelsea and Aduana Stars all have one premiership trophy to their credits.

After series of pre-season tour undertaking by the 16 clubs ahead of Ghana’s super-fantastic 2012/2013 Glo premier league which kicks off  this weekend; would it be old sods Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Accra Hearts of Oak, Berekum Chelsea, AshGold, Medeame SC, Scientific 

Soccer lads Liberty Professionals standing tall at the end ?

Or premiership returnees RTU, King Faisal and newly promoted Amidaus professionals have new method of adding more bite and colour to the league.

Defending Champions and Super Cup winners Kumasi Asante Kotoko will open their title defense against baby Amidaus professionals at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in the first fixture of the 2012/2013 season.  Kotoko might want to avenge the 1-0 loss they suffered from Amidaus during the 2012 MTN FA Cup knockout competition or will Amidaus continue their superiority over the Porcupine warriors this Sunday.

Bashiru Hayford’s side Medeame SC will make a journey to Bekwai to honour the 2012/2013 Glo premier league match day one as visitors to last season MTN FA Champions New Edubiase. Meademe SC  finished fourth on the league log previously will not have it easy with the SIDALCO Boys, New Edubiase.

At the Tamale Stadium the pride of the North, Real Tamale United after a year stints at second tier will host visitors Ash gold in match dubbed as “a match fit for the gods”. Both teams would like to start their campaign on a good cause.

The “African Blues” Berekum Chelsea under a new technical handler Yussif Abubakar   after their exploits at the ongoing CAF Champions league will be at home and welcome the Borbor lads, Kpando Hearts of Lions to battle it out for the three maximum points at stake at Berekum. A win for Chelsea will not bode well for the Lions of Volta.

At Tema, Glorious Accra Hearts who occupied the second position last season will travel to Tema to play as visitors to host Tema Youth at the artificial turf.  A loss for the phobians will not be a promising start for them. However this match has been postponed to October 10 as result of Tema Youth four players- Jeremiah Ankorful, Moses Odjie, Derrick Mensah and Francis Narh currently with national Under-20 team the Black Satellites ahead of the clash against Morocco in Rabat this Sunday for the second leg of the Algeria 2013 African Youth Championship final qualifer per article 13 of the Ghana Football Association(GFA).

Scientific soccer lads Liberty professionals will be at home and invite Alhaji Grusah’s evegreen King Faisal at the Dansoman Carl Reindorf Park to face each other on Sunday. A loss for King Faial will open the yawing nets of relegation signals or threats.

Elsewhere Aduana Stars will open their campaign as they play as visitors to Wa All Stars at Wa stadium. Both teams have what it takes to upset the applecart.

And then Abusan Dwarfs will come face to face against the Ganners Berekum Arsenals at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium. Since Dwarfs are still serving the ban of playing their last three home matches away, will it be a mere formality for Berekum Arsenals or Dwarfs?

ARTICLE: BINGO, MAIDEN’S!

By Ebenezer Zor (Ezee)

I could not halt celebrating when the Black Maidens of Ghana pinned down their Chinese counterpart by 2-0 in the last Group D matches at the ongoing 3^rd FIFA Women U-17 World Cup tournament in Azerbaijan.

This feat achieved last Sunday was not fluke.

The maidens, who lost 1-2 to the Germans in their opening Group D affair, came out vehemently to wallop the Uruguayans by 5-0 in the second duel and just this past  Sunday pulled a convincing 2-0 win over China to accumulate six points as runners up to Germany and to advance to the next stage of the competition.

I cannot remember the last time any of our national women team exhibit such panache on the world platform. The maidens are just irresistible and kudos to Jane Ayieyam for the brilliant two goals against China.

Although is a massive joy for the country I think some more work need to be done upfront especially with the strikers as they face Japan on October 5 in the quarter final stage at Baku Stadium

For the most part, thumps up to Coach Dramani(Giovanni Trappatoni) and his charges for such joy they are bringing to Ghana with women football.

Let us not only cheer the maidens for victory but also pray fervently for them to perform extra and bring the penultimate to the continent.

I would also like to use your channel to congratulate Kumasi Asante Kotoko for clinching the Super Cup from the hands of New Edubiase by  2-0 victory played at the Accra Sports Stadium last Sunday.

For me both teams did well and proved that this season Glo Premier League will be more promising than the previous ones.

                                                                            

CHELSEA DESERVES PRAISE NOT CRITICISM.

Article: Ebenezer Zor (Ezee)

That is the way it is but the downfall of a man is not the end of his life and equally there is always a first time to everything.

A couple of seasons ago the face of the Ghana premier league sponsored by Glo telecommunications changed massively as debutantes Berekum Chelsea and Aduana Stars announced their presence which secured them a title each for their respective efforts.

These feats achieved by both clubs for their maiden appearance some seasons ago propelled the “African Blues”, Berekum Chelsea to compete for glory in this year ongoing CAF Champions league for the first time after Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko exploits some years back.

Berekum Chelsea  paired in a group of death comprising Al Ahly and Zamalek from Egypt and TP Mazembe from Congo, did well by being Ghana’s solely representative to compete in the ongoing 2012 CAF Champions league at the backdrop of severe censure.

I watched Berekum Chelsea’s last duel of the group stages against TP Mazembe at the Accra Sports of which it was a great performance even though the 1-0 victory over their counterparts could not catapult them to semi final.

However, almost some sections of the football fraternity are unhappy with the team’s finishing  third with nine points in the Group B without tasting a defeat at their backyard as far as the competition is concerned.

I beg to differ since opinions are like noises where each everyone has one, Berekum Chelsea if nothing at all has hoisted the flag and image of Ghana for taken the bull by the horn.

I believe all is not lost for “The African Blues” because there are great opportunities awaiting them.

On the strength of this I would appeal to the management to try as much as possible to keep the squad intact if they have the ambition and leverage of conquering Ghana, Africa and World Clubs competition next season.

WHEN LOVE......

 By  Ebenezer Zor (Ezee)

When love door shut against me

You came to open the door for me
When love fought against me
You came to rescue me.

Among the zillions of ladies
You are the finest to me
Everything about you enchants me
You bright like a flame before me.

You are the smooth path beneath me

You breath is like the fragrance of an apple to me 

Be thou a shepherd before me.