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Benjamin Asare, Razak Simpson set new standards …as Samartex emerges 13th winner of competition
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The 2023/24 Ghana Premier League produced a 13th different winner in the history of the competition following Medeama SC’s inability to retain the title.
The Tarkwa lads finished eighth in the just ended campaign as they were ‘overthrown’ by Sameraboi based, FC Samartex 1996.
Statistics released by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) confirmed three clubs, Accra Great Olympics, Bofoakwa Tano and Real Tamale United as sides to have suffered relegation while, FC Samartex 1996, Accra Lions, Berekum Chelsea and Nsoatreman FC finished in the top four.
FC Samartex successfully won the Premier League title for the first time to become the 13th different winner of the competition having qualified for the elite league only two seasons ago. They finished the season with 61 points – same points as Accra Accra Hearts of Oak in the 2021/22 season. Record holders, Asante Kotoko, lifted the 2021-22 League title with 67 points, while Medeama SC won the trophy with 60 points last season.
Abrankese based, Nations FC, played in the Premier League for the first time yet set an impressive record as the only unbeaten side at home.
Kasim Mingle’s team won 10 and drew 7 in 17 home games at the Dr Kwame Kyei Sports Complex. Striker Stephen Amankona is the second Berekum Chelsea player to win the top scorers award with 19 goals as he joins Kofi Owusu who scored the same number of goals (19) to win the golden boot in 2015. Stephen Amankona also becomes the second best top scorer in the last four League seasons – three goals behind Yaw Annor who netted 22 in the 2021-22 season.
Berekum Chelsea’s Stephen Amankona made the headlines with his goal scoring prowess as he ended the season with 19 goals with Steven Mukwala Desse of Asante Kotoko netting 14 goals of which nine were scored on the road.
Agyenim Boateng Mensah of Dreams FC scored 14 goals –his best performance in the League since his move from Division One side, Nzema Kotoko. Ebenezer Abban of Heart of Lions scored 13 goals to become the most prolific defender in the last four years.
Benjamin Asare completed the season with 16 clean sheets yet suffered relegation with Accra Great Olympics after the ‘Dade Boys’ finished in the bottom three. Asare becomes the first goalkeeper in the last four seasons to be relegated after winning the golden gloves.
Still on Benjamin Asare, he is the League’s second best goalkeeper in terms of clean sheets in the last two seasons. Only Iddrisu Abdulai, formerly of Bechem United, has a better record of 18 clean sheets in the 2021-22 season.
Among the debutants in the Ghana Premier League, Hamza Issah who joined Hearts of Oak from feeder club, Auroras, scored 13 goals in his debut campaign. Heart of Lions’ Ebenezer Abban also netted 13 goals in his first League season having played a role in the Kpando Boys’ return to the Ghana Premier League.
Heart of Lions centre back, Ebenezer Abban, scored nine goals from the spot to equal Vincent Atinga Addae’s record (9 goals) for Medeama SC in the 2022-23 Ghana Premier League.
Among the 18 Premier League teams, only Accra Lions played the entire season without a single goal from a spot kick. Heart of Lions were awarded the most (11) penalties this season.
Great Olympics goalkeeper, Benjamin Asare, featured in the League more than any other player with 3,258 minutes. Nine of the top 10 players with the most League appearance are defenders with one goalkeeper in the list.
Nations FC defender, Razak Simpson, won the NASCO Man of the Match awards more than any other player. The former WAFA Centre back bagged seven Man of the Match awards in his debut campaign with Nations FC.
The 2023/24 season recorded 628 goals, one more than the 2021-22 season which had 627 goals. The 2020-21 season produced 691 goals (highest in the last four years) with the 2022/23 season following in second place with 644 goals.
Matchday 4 and Matchday 24 recorded the least number of goals in the season (11), while Matchday 8 had 28 goals (the highest in the season) with a total of 628 goals scored in the just ended campaign.
Accra Great Olympics, Medeama SC and Heart of Lions had the cleanest of sheets in the season (16). While, League Champions, FC Samartex, Nsoatreman FC and Berekum Chelsea had 15 clean sheets each in the season.
Nsoatreman FC and Asante Kotoko SC recorded five away wins each to end the season as teams with most away wins.
Clubs with the most goals scored, included champions FC, Samartex (45), Dreams FC (44) and Aduana FC (43).
Ghana Premier League record holders, Asante Kotoko, scored 17 away goals this season with Steven Mukwala Desse netting nine of the goals. (Record away goal scoring form by a player in the League).
Relegated Real Tamale United lost 21 games (worst record by a club in the League), Aduana FC lost 16 games having finished in fifth place.
Bofoakwa Tano, who suffered relegation, recorded 15 draws – the highest in the League. Heart of Lions, Accra Hearts of Oak, Bechem United and Accra Great Olympics occupy the top five spots.
Also, League Champions, FC Samartex, won 19 games in the league with 16 of them coming at home and three others on the road.
Accra Lions played the entire season without receiving a red card but Legon Cities and Nsoatreman recorded six red cards each. (Season’s worst record).
Thirty-One (31) centre referees officiated 306 Ghana Premier League games with Julian Nunoo officiating 17 of the games – the highest of the season. Juliet Appiah is the only female centre referee to officiate in this seasons League.
Just a few years ago, Zinabu Issah’s life revolved around her small trading business, and competing in sports was not on her mind.
Today, the Ghanaian para-athlete stands proudly as a Commonwealth Games silver medalist, proving that determination, hard work and perseverance can transform lives in unimaginable ways.
Issah, who competes in the shot put, javelin and discus events, recalls how her journey began unexpectedly when Coach Emmanuel Sowah Anum approached her and encouraged her to try para-sports.
“I had no intention of doing any sport. I was a petty trader and one day my coach approached me and told me to take up the sport. When he first said it, I laughed because sports was not my thing.
“But he was persistent and eventually convinced me to take up the sport,” she told GNA Sports in an interview.
According to Zinabu, her decision was met with resistance from some family members and friends who questioned why a woman living with a disability would pursue field events.
She faced a lot of stereotypes and criticism, which could easily have discouraged her, but she decided to stay focused on achieving success.
“He (Coach) told me he had seen something in me and believed I could excel in the sport,” she said while expressing gratitude to her coach.
“I want to thank God first of all and also thank my coach for believing in me,” she added.
Her coach, Emmanuel Sowah in an interview, revealed that he spotted Zinabu in Kumasi in 2014 and admitted that life was very difficult for her at the time.
“I saw something in her. I knew I could make her a better field athlete despite her disability, and I personally bought her first training kit. Over the past years, she has developed impressively,” he said.
Coach Sowah said he believes Zinabu can achieve even more and hopes she can step up at the next Paralympic Games, which he is confident she will qualify for.
The road from being a trader to competing in shot put, discus and javelin has been remarkable.
Zinabu has featured in numerous international tournaments, most notably winning gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games Qualifiers Grand Prix in Marrakech, Morocco.
The success earned her recognition, including an award at the 9th Women in Sports Association (WISA) Awards, a moment she says significantly boosted her confidence and motivation.
Her latest achievement came at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she delivered a season-best throw of 8.65 metres to secure silver in the women’s F57 shot put.
That was Ghana’s first medal of the Games and, according to Zinabu, the victory has changed perceptions within her family.
“Ever since my winning moment at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, my family have praised my exploits, and I am excited about that.
“My junior sister, who in the past told me to stop and promised to give me money to start a new business, is today excited about my achievement,” she said.
With her sights now firmly set on the 2028 Paralympic Games, Zinabu is determined to continue breaking barriers.
“I am preparing for the Paralympics, and I am optimistic of qualification. My target is to go for the gold medal,” she said.
For Zinabu, the journey from being a petty trader to a Commonwealth Games medalist is more than a personal triumph is a story of resilience, belief and the power of giving opportunity a chance. –GNA
The Angel Starlight Foundation (ASF) last Friday presented assorted food items to learners and management of the Street Academy, a sports and cultural organisation in Accra.
Mrs Angel Addo, Founder of the NGO made the donation as part of her birthday celebration.
She presented bags of rice, beans, maize, gallons of cooking oil, biscuits, drinks, soap and toilet rolls.
“This is a yearly ritual for me; choosing to celebrate my birthday with children of the Academy. They are very dear to my heart,” she told the Spectator.
She said “these are underprivileged children who through no fault of theirs find themselves on the streets but have been fortunate to be picked by the Academy and are receiving care.”
He urged government and corporate Ghana to also support the Academy in order to support such children who are offered formal education and trained in skilled programmes.
Receiving the items, Dr Ataa Lartey, Founder of the Academy thanked the Foundation for the gesture which he said would go a long way to ease the burden of the Academy.
In another development, the Academy will host its annual health walk today.
The event would attract children from the Academy and those from neighbouring communities and keep fit enthusiasts.
By Spectator Reporter
