Sports
A taste of Premier League football
Wednesday (May 13) was a memorable day for fans of Division One League (DOL) side, Debibi United.
The club made history on that fateful afternoon as they registered a 3-1 win over Tamale City in the Access Bank Division One League playoff final to secure promotion to the Ghana Premier League for the first time.
Words alone cannot describe the emotional sights and scenes at the Accra Sports Stadium after the final whistle.
But those emotional scenes were understandable as they conceded the first goal of the game and were pinned to their half of the field for greater spells by a determined Tamale City side that also aimed a return to the elite stage of Ghana football, which they have tasted once.
But without that experience, Debibi showed character and refused to be suppressed and bullied by the Tamale lads.
They produced a stunning turnaround led by striker Kwadwo Antwi who delivered a match-winning performance by scoring a hat-trick to complete the 3-1 comeback victory.
Debibi United joined as the third club to have officially secured promotion from the Access Bank Division One League to the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League after winning their respective zones.
The two others were Port City and FC AshantiGold 04.
Port City emerged victors from Zone Three where they showed character against some very tough opponents including former Premier League sides, Accra Great Olympics, Okwahu United and a few others.
FC AshantiGold 04 topped Zone Two to book their place in the top flight.
But due to peculiar challenges in Zone One, the group has been divided into two with the respective winners facing each other in a play-off final to determine which side snatches the sole ticket for qualification.
Without doubt, the three clubs have done extremely well by qualifying from a stage of Ghana football which is often described as the wilderness of Ghana football.
It should surely be a reward for their hard work and not as a result of some of the funny stories about club collusions and maneuvers.
Although the DOL has undergone a lot of transformations to make it very competitive, the ‘wilderness of Ghana football’ tag is still associated with it as reports about poor officiating leading to questionable calls still fly around.
With little or no evidence to substantiate some of these, one has no reason to doubt their quality and readiness for life at the elite stage of Ghana football.
However, there is a trend in the past few years where clubs that gain promotion freshly suffer the fate of going back in the next season.
That trend is one that must influence their preparation for the GPL to avoid that path of history.
Thirty-four weeks of competition is no joke and the expectation and demands differ from what they are used to in DOL. Survival would mean consistency with results and ability to face the challenges that comes with life at the top.
By Andrew Nortey
The Tarkwa and Aboso enclave of the Western Region will come alive tomorrow as league leaders, Medeama SC, welcome Kpando Heart of Lions to the TnA Stadium for their final home game of the Ghana Premier League.
This penultimate fixture of the season could see Medeama clinch the league title, provided they secure a victory and second-place Bibiani Gold Stars lose their match.
To celebrate the occasion, Medeama SC management has engaged the Ghanaian musical duo, DopeNation, famed for their current global hit ‘Kakalika,’ to entertain fans.
Medeama posted a 1-0 victory over the visitors in their first-round fixture. If that result is anything to go by, then crowning the Tarkwa lads as champions may not be far-fetched.
At the Tuba Astro Turf, defending champions, Gold Stars, must pick up all three points against Dreams FC if they aim to keep the challenge on Medeama.
Tenth-placed Bechem United FC will look to push further up the ladder by taking all three points when they host record league winners, Asante Kotoko, at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park.
Bechem United is not mathematically safe from the drop, as a defeat could push them back into the relegation mix.
Meanwhile, Hearts of Oak SC will travel to the Nsenkyire Sports Arena in Samreboi to face the might of Samartex FC.
After a 3-0 home victory over Karela United last week, Vision FC will trek to the Kwame Kyei Sports Complex in Abrankese to face Nations FC in a high-stakes battle to avoid relegation.
In other matches, the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium will come alive as Karela United hosts Swedru All Blacks FC. The latter needs at least a point, to bolster their survival bid.
Aduana FC will welcome Wenchi-based Young Apostles FC to the Nana Agyemang Badu I Park in Dormaa in a fixture expected to be full of fireworks.
Finally, the already-relegated Eleven Wonders remain at the Swedru Stadium to welcome Berekum Chelsea FC.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
Black Starlets midfielder Eric Adu Gyamfi has been named Man of the Match following his outstanding performance in Ghana’s 2-2 draw against Algeria in their opening Group D game at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
The talented youngster delivered a memorable display and capped it with a sensational goal that will surely be remembered as one of the finest strikes of the tournament so far.
After Ghana had taken an early lead through Isaac Barfo in the second minute, Eric Adu Gyamfi doubled the advantage in spectacular fashion on the 10th minute with an audacious long-range volley from the center area that left the Algerian goalkeeper helpless.
His energy, creativity and composure in midfield played a major role in Ghana’s bright start as the Black Starlets dominated large spells of the first half and created several scoring opportunities. The midfielder consistently troubled the Algerian defense with his movement and passing while also contributing defensively whenever the team lost possession.
Despite Ghana surrendering their two-goal lead in the second half, Eric Adu Gyamfi’s individual brilliance stood out throughout the contest and earned him the deserved recognition after the final whistle.
The Black Starlets looked on course for victory after a commanding opening half, but Algeria fought back strongly after the break to score twice before missing a late penalty that could have completed the comeback.
Ghana will now turn attention to their crucial second group game against Senegal on May 17, with the Black Starlets hoping to build on the positives from their opening performance and strengthen their chances of progressing to the next stage of the competition.
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