MTN FA Cup: Atta Kusi Targets Storm Academy Scalp

Kumasi Asante Kotoko right back Atta Kusi has switched his attention to the MTN FA Cup after their heavy triumph over Ebusua Dwarfs in the league.

The energetic fullback has set his target on hurdling past Storm Academy FC for a place in the last eight of the coveted MTN FA Cup competition.

Kumasi Asante Kotoko endured a torrid start to the season but has since shown signs of resurgence with back to back wins in the league.

Workaholic fullback for the record domestic league champions, Atta Kusi, however remains confident his side will sail through to the last eight of MTN FA Cup when they trek to Nkawkaw on Saturday, May 14, 2016 o play the third tier side.

“We are going into the fixture on the back of a fine performance in recent matches and I am confident we will qualify to the next stage,” Kusi said.

It is very important for us to continue our winning ways both in the MTN FA Cup and League matches”, he told sportscrusader.com.

The ambitious defender added, “We have to keep the moral very high and this can be achieved if we continue winning. We have to avoid complacency going into the fixture and play as a team and I am confident we will progress”.

Kotoko have enjoyed a roller coaster ride in the MTN FA Cup in the opening two runs en route to the last 16.

 

MTN FA Cup: Atta Kusi Targets Storm Academy Scalp

Foovi Aguidi Targets FA Cup Glory With Hearts

Striker Foovi Aguidi has said he is targeting FA Cup success with Accra Hearts of Oak this season and believes that the next game in this year’s competition against Samartex on Saturday is a must win one.

The Phobians are winless in their last two games both in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) and turn their attention to the knockout competition this weekend.

Hearts go into this game as favourites in this MTN FA Cup round of 32 game and, Foovi agrees that the team must get back to winning ways as soon as possible to bring their confidence levels back on track.

Hearts have lost one and drawn the other of their last two games and beating Samartex on Saturday is what Foovi says is high on the players agenda as they seek a first trophy in this competition since 2000.

“We have no choice than to win this game for our fans on Saturday and nothing should stop us from going for the win that will take us to the next stage of the competition,” he said.

The players he added are focused on this agenda and will go all out for the win that will take them through to the last 16 of the competition.

“Victory for us is a must on Saturday, and we will go for it,” he said, adding that the home team will come at them in confident mood as they will be at home, but trusts that Hearts of Oak will rise to the challenge.

Foovi Aguidi Targets FA Cup Glory With Hearts

Osei Wire Targets Mid-Table Finish With Bechem United

Acting coach of Bechem United FC, Seth Osei Wire insists his side can still finish in the middle belt of the Ghana Premier League (GPL) despite their indifferent start to the season.

The Brong Ahafo based club are 14^th on the GPL table with seven points after six games and have not won in their last four games, losing three of those.

Last Sunday, they went down to their heaviest defeat of the campaign when they went down 4-0 to Inter Allies at the Tema Sports Stadium.

But Osei Wire said they are very much capable of turning around their season as the season is too young to people to tag them as relegation favourites.

“We are not thinking about going down at the end of the season,” Coach Wire said, insisting that they are capable of being there with the best.

‘The quality in our squad is good enough to carry us through and, I believe we will improve on our performance as the games wore on,” he said.

“Our target is to finish in the middle of the log at the end of the campaign and we will do everything possible to get to the end of our dream,” he added.

Bechem United will next play league leaders Wa All Stars at home when the GPL resumes after the MTN FA Cup round of 32 games this weekend.

Osei Wire Targets Mid-Table Finish With Bechem United

Muntari Tagoe Targets Confederation Cup Group Phase

Goalkeeper Muntari Tagoe is targeting the group phase of the CAF Confederation Cup with club side Medeama SC in this year’s competition.

Tagoe, who is also captain of the side, believes the quality in the team is good enough for them to go as far as possible in this year’s competition and insist they will go for it.

He will lead the side on Sunday as they play Sudanese side Al Shendi in a second round first leg tie with the return encounter scheduled to come off in Ghana after a fortnight.

“We are ready for this encounter on Sunday and we will go all out to produce a good result on Sunday to make the return encounter an easier option for us in Ghana,” Tagoe said on arrival in Sudan on Wednesday.

He added; “We view this encounter as another step towards our dream of making it to the group phase of the competition, and, therefore cannot afford to let this opportunity slip away”.

Medeama SC advanced to this stage of the competition after eliminating Al Ittihad Tripoli of Libya on a 2-1 aggregate and are seeking to reach the group phase of the competition for the first time.

Muntari Tagoe Targets Confederation Cup Group Phase

Djokovic Targets French Open After Sixth Miami Title

Novak Djokovic beat Kei Nishikori in straight sets to win the Miami Open for a record-equalling sixth time.

The world number one matched Andre Agassi’s Miami tally with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph in one hour and 26 minutes.

Djokovic, 28, also moves ahead of Rafael Nadal with a record 28 Masters tournament wins in his career.

“It’s quite amazing,” said the Serb. “I’m very thrilled about it and hopefully I can make many more records.”

He also becomes the first man to win the Indian Wells-Miami double three years in a row, and surpasses Roger Federer as the ATP’s leading prize money winner on $98.2m (£69m).

‘It’s tough to find his weakness’

Japan’s Nishikori broke serve in the opening game but was broken straight back, and after a scrappy start to the match Djokovic took charge from 4-3.

He won four games in a row to move a break up in the second set and broke for a fifth time to win the match.

“I thought he started very well, breaking my serve in the first game and coming up with some aggressive play,” said Djokovic.

“I needed to answer right back, which I did in the following game – that helped me mentally.”

Nishikori, 26, said: “It’s tough to find his weakness, honestly. The biggest thing is he has great defence and it’s tough to open up the space.

“I had a couple of strategies before the match, but I don’t think I did them well enough to beat him today.”French Open the next target

Djokovic has only one loss to his name in 29 matches this year – and that was a retirement with an eye infection in Dubai.

With 11 Grand Slam titles, the Serb is already among the very best ever to have played the game – and catching Federer’s record tally of 17 majors is in his thoughts.

“Of course it is in the back of my mind somewhere but I don’t have that as a main motivation, because it can present some kind of distraction that I don’t need,” he said.

The next few months could go a long way to making his case as he gets the chance to land the two biggest titles to have eluded him – the French Open and Olympic gold.

“I don’t feel too exhausted,” he said. “I don’t think I will have any difficulty to make the transition to the clay courts quickly. Let’s see what happens.

“Clay courts are the most physically demanding surface, so also looking at the big picture, the French Open is the biggest goal that I have on the clay courts. I’ll try to adjust to that tournament as well.”

Credit: BBC

Djokovic Targets French Open After Sixth Miami Title

Isaac Mensah targets more with Hearts of Oak

Isaac Mensah is targeting even more awards for Accra Hearts of Oak after being adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in last Sunday’s Ghana Premier League (GPL) Match-Day Four game with Bechem United at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The playmaker was a delight to watch and dully deserved his award for the role he played in helping the Phobians post a comfortable 3-1 victory over the Hunters to move top of the GPL table.

Mensah, scored Hearts’ third goal, and, his general contribution to the play was indeed remarkable as the opposition found it difficult in taking the ball off him.

“I will like to thank the match assessment committee in choosing me as the best player of the game,” Mensah told his club’s official newspaper, the Hearts News.

“Hopefully, it will inspire me to do even more for Accra Hearts of Oak this season as we look to win the ultimate at the end of the campaign,” he added.

He becomes the third Hearts of Oak player to win an MVP award this season, following in the footsteps of Samudeen Ibrahim who won in the season opener against New Edubiase United in Accra and club captain, Robin Gnange who won the award in Tarkwa against Medeama SC on Match-Day Two.

Accra Hearts of Oak will next play Inter Allies at the Tema Sports Stadium on Sunday, looking to preserve their unbeaten start to the season with the possibility of extending their lead at the top.

Isaac Mensah targets more with Hearts of Oak