Abednego Tetteh Eyes MTN FA Cup Glory With Bechem United

Bechem United leading marksman Abednego Tetteh is eyeing winning the MTN FA Cup to as a compliment for the season he has had with the Hunters.

Tetteh has scored 12 goals in the ongoing Ghanaian top-flight league which has here games to go, and, will on Sunday lead the line when Bechem United takes on Okwawu United in the final of the MTN FA Cup competition.

That game is scheduled to come off at the new Cape Coast Stadium where Bechem United will look to win their first major silverware in Ghanaian football.

And Tetteh, who scored a hat trick in his side’s last league game against Accra Hearts Oak at Bechem last Sunday, hopes to replicate that form in Cape Coast on Sunday.

“We want to win this MTN FA Cup on Sunday, and, we will do everything possible to get our hands on the trophy at the end of the day”, he said.

Tetteh added: “This Sunday’s game means so much to us as players as it represents a great opportunity for us to write our names in the history of this football club (Bechem United) and we will go all out to win the cup at stake.”

Bechem United will come up against an opposition that has won this competition before when in 1986; Okwawu United beat Real Tamale United 1-0 to win the competition.

However, Tetteh insists that will have no effect on Sunday’s encounter as they hope to make their premiership status count when they play the second tier opponents.

 

Abednego Tetteh Eyes MTN FA Cup Glory With Bechem United

Ghana Premier League Takes A Short Break

The Ghana Premier League (GPL) takes a short break to make way for the MTN FA Cup semi final duels to be played this weekend at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

It is expected to resume on the weekend of August 6 and 7, 2016 with the round of 23 games at all league centers nationwide.

After the round of 22 games, Accra Hearts of Oak have opened a four point’s gap at the top of the competition with Wa All Stars, Dreams FC Aduana Stars, Medeama SC and Kumasi Asante Kotoko following in that order.

Life at the bottom also looks very interesting with seven clubs positioned 10^th to 16^th, separated by just six points on the ladder.

The bottom three are Inter Allies 14^th, Sekondi Hasaacas 15^th and New Edubiase United 16^th but, the following clubs Bechem United 13^th, Techiman City 12^th, AshantiGold SC 11^th and Ebusua Dwarfs 10^th are all not safe and could be drawn into the relegation bracket as the season wore on.

When the competition resumes, leaders Hearts of Oak will trek to Sogakope to face seventh placed WAFA at the Red Bull Arena with Wa All Stars who are second, playing Bechem United at Wa.

Dreams FC will visit the Garden City to play Asante Kotoko at the Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi; Inter Allies will host Medeama SC at Tema with Techiman City playing Ebusua Dwarfs at Techiman.

Berekum Chelsea will host Liberty Professionals at Berekum; Sekondi Hasaacas will welcome Aduana Stars to the Sekondi Stadium at Essipong with AshantiGold SC playing New Edubiase United at the Len Clay Stadium in Obuasi.

Ghana Premier League Takes A Short Break

GPL Midweek Thrills: Leaders Faces Stern Test At Sogakope

Action in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) continues with midweek thrills as the competition enters Match-Day 19 at all league centers on Wednesday.

Wa All Stars lead the standing with 32 points and, they will be on the road on Wednesday as they trek to Sogakope to face the might of the West Africa Football Academy (WAFA).

They drew 1-1 in the first round at Wa, and eighth placed WAFA will fancy their chances on home soil at the Red Bull Arena.

Second placed Kumasi Asante Kotoko will return to the Baba Yara Stadium to welcome Bechem United. The Porcupines won the first round tie 1-0 and, will be odds on favourites to collect the three points.

Hearts of Oak, who are third on the log, will look to preserve their unbeaten away record when they visit the Essipong Stadium at Sekondi to play Hasaacas. Hearts won 1-0 in Accra in the first round.

Fourth placed Aduana Stars will be sure candidates to collect the points at stake when they host bottom club New Edubiase United at the Nana Agyemang Badu I Park.

Techiman City, who are 10^th on the ladder, will host fifth placed Medeama SC at the Ohene Ameyaw Park, Techiman, and, will be determined to keep their unbeaten home record against the MTN FA Cup holders.

Liberty Professionals, who are sixth, will host seventh placed Dreams FC at the Dansoman Park. The two sides drew 2-2 in the first round tie and another closely fought encounter is anticipated.

Ninth placed Berekum Chelsea will welcome 14^th placed Ebusua Dwarfs to the Golden City Park, Berekum. They drew goalless in the first round encounter at the Robert Mensah Stadium in Cape Coast.

Defending champions, AshantiGold SC will host Inter Allies at the Len Clay Stadium at Obuasi as they look to improve on the current standing of 13^th on the log.

 

GPL Midweek Thrills: Leaders Faces Stern Test At Sogakope

Commentary: Stage Set For A Perfect Second Round Of The GPL

The second round of the Ghana Premier League (GPL) begins this weekend with matches at all league centers on Sunday.

The first round of the competition ended with a All Stars leading the standing with 28 points, to better than a quartet of clubs-Aduana Stars, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Accra Hearts of Oak and Medeama SC.

Liberty Professionals, Dreams FC, WAFA and Berekum Chelsea have 24, 23, 20 and 20 points respectively and they follow in that order on the table heading into the start of the second round.

They are followed by Techiman City, 19 points, Sekondi Hasaacas, 18, AshantiGold SC, 16 and Inter Allies with 15 points.

The bottom three clubs are Bechem United with 15 points, Ebusua Dwarfs, 14 and New Edubiase United with 12 from the 15 games played.

It will be interesting to see how the teams cancel each other out in the second round of the competition which will also determine which team wins the title and the three sides that will be relegated at the end of the campaign.

Will Wa All Stars be able to hold on to their lead until the end of the competition or will they fall along the line and allow the chasing pack to overtake them?

These are questions that will be answered as the season progresses, and, the likes of Aduana Stars, Asante Kotoko, Hearts of Oak and Medeama SC will all be out to stake a claim to the title.

Debutants, Dreams FC and Techiman City looked impressive in the first round, and, most observers will look to see whether they can maintain their standard and stay in the league at the end of the season.

How teams maximize points at home will go a long way in determining the outcome at the end of the campaign, especially those hoping to beat the drop.

With the second round of the competition starting on Sunday, we look forward to seeing some cagey and fiercely contested encounters at our various Sports Stadiums and Parks nationwide.

 

Commentary: Stage Set For A Perfect Second Round Of The GPL

GPL Returns With A Bang This Weekend

The second round of the 2015/16 Ghana Premier League (GPL) returns with a bang this weekend with games at all league centers nationwide after taking a three week break at the end of the first round.

This season’s competition has been one of the most keenly contested in the history of the top-flight league in recent times and, this second round promises to be even keener.

Wa All Stars lead the standing at the halfway point with 28 points, two more than a quartet of clubs, Aduana Stars, Asante Kotoko, Hearts of Oak, and Medeama Sporting Club.

Life at the bottom is also interesting with New Edubiase United down at the foot of the ladder with 12 points, two behind Ebusua Dwarfs with Bechem United and Inter Allies on 15 and AshantiGold on 16.

The Miners who are the defending champions, will trek to the Red Bull Arena at Sogakope to play WAFA on Sunday. They drew goalless at Obuasi in the first round.

Leaders Wa All Stars will look to complete the double over Berekum Chelsea who they play at Wa after beating them 1-0 at Berekum in their last encounter.

Kumasi Asante Kotoko will trek to the Ohene Ameyaw Park to play Techiman City, a side they beat 4-2 in the first round tie at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

Bechem United will be home to Aduana Stars in a Brong Ahafo regional derby at the Nana Gyeabour Park and, will look to reverse the 2-4 deficit they suffered in the first round.

Medeama SC will play away to New Edubiase United at Obuasi after their 2-0 success in the first game; Inter Allies will host Sekondi Hasaacas at the Tema Park with Liberty Professionals playing away to Ebusua Dwarfs at Cape Coast.

GPL Returns With A Bang This Weekend

Ollenu Savours Another Presidents’ Cup Glory

Accra Hearts of Oak forward Ashittey Ollenu sees the upcoming Presidents’ Cup match as another opportunity to win a trophy with the Phobians, and, is anticipating another success.

In last year’s edition of the annual one-off challenge cup game, Ollenu was part of the Hearts squad that defeated arch rivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium to lift the trophy.

The Phobians have been picked to defend their trophy against the same opposition in Accra on Friday, 1 July, 2016, and, it represents another opportunity for them to confirm their dominance over Kotoko in cup finals.

After starting the season with some worrying injury problems, Ollenu found his rhythm in the later part of the first round of the Ghana Premier League (GPL) season, and, played some crucial roles in seeing Hearts finish fourth at the half way point of the campaign, just two points behind the leaders.

“The Presidents’ Cup game with Asante Kotoko is very important to us, and, we will approach it with all seriousness as we aim to defend the trophy we won last season,” Ollenu told the club’s official newspaper, the Hearts News.

“It’s another opportunity to win some silverware this season, and, we will seek to make the most of this advantage and prove that we are indeed a cup winning team.”

Hearts lost to the Porcupines (0-1) in the first round of the GPL this season, and, that is something that is also on the mind of Ollennu and his colleagues.

“We lost to them in the league and that was unfortunate as we believe we did enough to have taken something out of that game,” he said, adding that the players have put that setback behind them and will approach the Presidents’ Cup game with renewed spirits hoping to make their fans happy.

“I want to see our fans in the stadium on 1 July and, I am confident that we will produce the required performance that will see us retain the trophy we won last year”.

“All that we seek is to make the fans happy and, if they are happy, then we (the players) are happy”. They should therefore support us at all times, and, we will strive hard to make them happy on any occasion”.

The Presidents’ Cup which is organized by the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), and is a one-off cup game played in honour in Ghana’s sitting President at any time. It is played on 1 July each year which is Ghana’s Republic Day.

 

 

Ollenu Savours Another Presidents’ Cup Glory

Abugri Determined To Develop Hearts’ Youth Team

Accra Hearts of Oak youth coach, Stephen Abugri has said he is determined to develop the youth side into the most fearsome on the local scene and believes it is just a matter of time before that becomes a reality.

The youth side of Ghana’s Premier club, Auroras, have been in training for a couple of months now, and, will be participating in the Greater Accra regional Division Two League which will start soon.

And Coach Abugri is optimistic they will make a strong impact in the competition with the long term aim of promoting as many of them as possible to the first team.

“We are going to be very competitive in the Division Two League in Accra this season, and, we should be countered among the favourites this season,” he told the club’s official newspaper, the Hearts News.

“The boys have been in training for some time now, and, I can tell you that they are well prepared for the competition ahead,” Coach Abugri said.

“These are some of the most talented young players you can find around, and, their passion and determination for the game is massive,” he said.

He noted that the hunger to do well for the club and themselves is something he has not seen in a while, and, believes with time, they could go on to do great things for the club.

Coach Abugri therefore called for support and encouragement for the boys as they take the first step towards being initiated to become stars of the future for Accra Hearts of Oak.

 

 

 

Abugri Determined To Develop Hearts’ Youth Team

What Can Save New Edubiase United’s Season?

New Edubiase United Football Club (NEUFC) are firmly rooted at the foot of the Ghana Premier League (GPL) after the first round of the competition, and, have been tagged as among the favourites for relegation at the end of the campaign.

Of the 15 games they have played this season, they have won three, drawn three and lost nine, and, has 12 points as the sit bottom of the 16-Club competition.

The goal scoring statistics does not also read in their favour as they are yet to hit double figures in the games they have played in the GPL so far.

NEUFC has scored nine goals and let in twice double that number, indicators that suggest that indeed they could be relegated at the end of the campaign if they do not improve on their output in the second round of the competition.

The second round of the season has been scheduled to start on the weekend of 25/26 June, and, United must hit the ground running as early as possible if they are to save their season.

And what they really need to do to save their campaign is not farfetched either and, they should be in the know of this.

Amassing as many points as possible at home will be a key indicator whether they will survive the competition or not. They cannot afford to drop points at the Len Clay Stadium at Obuasi as they did in the first round.

They won only two of their home games; (Berekum Chelsea 2-1 and Ebusua Dwarfs 1-0). They lost to Dreams (0-1) and Aduana Stars (0- 1) and drew 1-1with AshGold, 2-2 with Techiman City and 0-0 with Inter Allies.

These results will have to be improved upon in the second round. They will have home games against Medeama SC, Liberty Professionals, Sekondi Hasaacas, Asante Kotoko, WAFA and Wa All Stars before their season is complete.

Their away form against those they played at home will also need to be good as that is the surest way to be certain that they will play in the top-flight league next season.

The management and technical team of the club therefore has a tough job on their hands in trying to turn around their season and, most importantly, stay up at the end of the campaign.

What they need to do to survive the GPL is clearly spelt out, and, this they should be aware of. The 2012 FA Cup winners surely has a tough job on hand if they want to stay up in the Ghanaian top-flight league after being promoted in the season that ended in 2009.

 

What Can Save New Edubiase United’s Season?

Can Wa All Stars Go All The Way To Win The GPL Title?

Before this season started, Wa All Stars promised to be in among the favourites fothe Ghana Premier League (GPL) title, and true to their saying, they are on course towards achieving that.

At the half way point of the campaign, they lead the standing with 28 points, two better off than Aduana Stars, Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak who sit in second, third and fourth positions respectively.

All Stars have set the season alight with some excellent performances and results, outclassing and beating Hearts of Oak 3-1 in Accra, Aduana Stars 1-0 at Dormaa, Berekum Chelsea 1-0 at Berekum and Asante Kotoko 1-0 on home soil in Wa.

Coach Enos Adepa’s side has won eight of the 15 games they have played this first round with four draws and three defeats.

They have the best defence in the league as they have let in only nine goals and scored 17. Only Inter Allies (18), Liberty Professionals (21) and Aduana Stars with 24, have scored more.

Theirs have been a good mix of home and away performances and results which has carried them this far, and, they could go all the way to winning their first ever Premiership title in Ghana if they can maintain this form in the second round.

Coach Adepa has said they will look to address this when the second round commences on the weekend of 25/26 June when they will host Berekum Chelsea at the Wa Park.

Their home form has always been good since they joined the Ghanaian top-flight almost a decade ago, and, it is this record that could carry them through if they are able to preserve it in the second round.

They also have a pretty decent away record, and, a combination of those in the second half of the season, could lead them to their cherished dream of winning the title at the end of the campaign.

So, what has brought them this far?

They seem to be benefiting from their preseason tour of Saudi Arabia where they played against some top level clubs, coming out with some good results.

Coach Adepa has blended very well, a good mix of youth and experience, and, this has worked for him in this first round.

Fans of the club will hope the second session goes very as well and, that, it will lead to silverware at the end of the campaign.

Whether that will happen though remains to be seen as Asante Kotoko, Aduana Stars, Liberty Professionals and Hearts of Oak among others, will all have something to say about this.

Can Wa All Stars Go All The Way To Win The GPL Title?