Sports
Hearts face Inter Allies in cracker
Accra Hearts of Oak would seek to make amends for their last-gasp 2-2 stalemate against Ashantigold on Tuesday when they face Inter Allies in an ‘Accra affair’ tomorrow at the Accra Sports Stadium in the Ghana Premier league (GPL).
With the league entering its third week, Coach Edward Odoom of Hearts would be focused on seeing a much sharper attack – after he lamented in post-match against Ashantigold how missed opportunities to ‘kill’ the game stung them in the end by Hans Kwofie’s late equaliser for the visitors.
Allies themselves have really sweated with the absence of skipper and lethal forward Victorien Adebayor whose 12 goals in the truncated season kept them afloat as Henrik Lehm’s side are yet to hit the back of the net in their two games this campaign.
Earlier this year in the truncated season, the ‘Phobians’ needed a late effort from defender Mohammed Alhassan to share the spoils in an enthralling encounter that ended 1-1.
With home side Allies eager for their first win and a goal, and Hearts determined to improve their conversion rate, the clash is expected to spark off fireworks with Paul Abagna leading the charge for Allies, whilst attacker Kojo Obeng Jnr will be hoping to repeat his dosage of brace on Tuesday in Phobian colours against Allies.
Elsewhere in Dormaa, Aduana Stars will welcome Bechem United to the Nana Agyemang Badu l Park in a regional derby. In the truncated league, Aduana was able to grab a point in Bechem after a barren encounter – a result the ‘Hunters’ would look to better with their talented crop of youngsters led by Hafiz Konkoni, scoring prodigy Kwabena Adu and Moro Salifu.
But in experienced forward Yakubu Mohammed, Caleb Amankwaa, Stephen Bioh, Benjamin Adjei and goalie Joe Addo, they will meet a well-drilled ‘Ogya boys’ unit who have turned their home venue into a waterloo for their opponents.
In other games, Ebusua Dwarfs will have a difficult game on their hands as they host undefeated Berekum Chelsea at the Cape Coast Stadium, whilst WAFA despite their invincibility at their Sogakope base would be wary of Yaw Acheampong’s Elmina Sharks who proved to be ‘stubborn’ on the road in the truncated league.
In Aiyanase, a rejuvenated Karela team will play their second home game on the bounce when they face Dreams FC at the reconstructed CAM Park. The two sides, both unbeaten, would tussle to keep their impressive start going with Karela favourites at their dreaded Nzema base.
At the Carl Reindorf Park in Dansoman today, Liberty Professionals will face a major test against the Techiman side, XI Wonders.
The ‘Scientific Soccer’ lads, in search of their first win, slot it out with a Wonders side primed to be the surprise package of this campaign and would need an aggressive performance from Abraham Wayo, George Ansong, Razak Boame and Samuel Amofa to overcome creative player Ibrahim Salifu-inspired Wonders outfit.
Games between Great Olympics and Asante Kotoko as well as Ashantigold and King Faisal have been rescheduled as both Kotoko and AshantiGold are engaged in continental competitions.
BY NANA BENTSI ODURO
Sports
Follow official procedures when making donations to the club – Hearts of Oak to fans
Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club has reminded its supporters and well-wishers to follow official procedures when making donations to the club.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the club said it appreciates the continuous support shown by individuals and groups toward its teams, including the Senior Boys Team, Auroras, Oak Ladies and Royal Oaks.
However, management expressed concern over unsolicited donations and public fundraising activities outside the club’s structures.
It noted that while goodwill is welcome, all forms of support must be routed through the Supporter Liaison Office at the club’s secretariat.
According to the statement, the welfare of the teams is the responsibility of management, and any attempt to bypass established protocols undermines transparency and accountability.
The club stressed that donations not channeled through the official process would not be accepted by team officials or coaching staff.
Hearts of Oak assured supporters that it remains committed to building a united club culture based on professionalism, discipline and respect.
It also encouraged stakeholders to work with management to uphold the dignity of the club.
The club urged the public to contact the Supporter Liaison Office through the secretariat for inquiries and support,
By: Jacob Aggey
Sports
Armwrestling: Immigration, Prisons meet African champions
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) in separate ceremonies have welcomed officers of both security institutions who recently returned from Abuja, Nigeria after participating in the 14th Africa Armwrestling Championship.
The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mr. Patience Baffoe Bonnie, and the leadership of the Service, were present to congratulate the champions, Daniel Acquah (four gold medals), Mabel Yeboah (four gold medals) and Henry Otoo (two silver, two bronze), on their impressive performances.
The champions presented their medals to the Director-General, and shared their experiences and insights with the top officials.
During the meeting, the Director-General of the GPS, Mrs Baffoe Bonnie, expressed her excitement about the potential benefits of sports for inmates.
She noted that sports could play a significant role in rehabilitation and pledged to support the development of armwrestling within the prisons service.
In a related development, the Comptroller-General of the GIS, CGI Samuel Basintale, commended his members – Edward Yamoah Asamoah (two gold medals), Blessed Abeka Nunoo (one gold, one silver, two bronze), Godwin Sackey (one gold, one silver) and referee Nii Otoo Larkyne, for the feat.
Mr Basintale promised to provide support for the development of armwrestling within the service, including training facilities, equipment, and sponsorship.
The African Armwrestling champions from the security services won a total of 20 medals out of Ghana’s 55 medal haul.
They expressed gratitude and promised to continue promoting the sport and inspiring others to take up armwrestling.
Mr Charles Osei Asibey, President for Ghana Armwrestling Federation, was thrilled by the promise and continuous collaborations and support for the development of armwrestling in Ghana by the security services.
—GNA
