By Ken Bediako
Ghana participated in four disciplines namely football, athletics, boxing and table tennis. This was the year Ghana achieved the distinction of being the first African country to win an Olympic football medal a bronze. Thanks to a brilliant 19th minute goal by defender Isaac Asare who scored with a powerful free kick in the match for the bronze against Australia in Barcelona on August 7.
Earlier in the 15th minute goalkeeper Ibrahim Dossey had saved a well taken penalty kick by Australian dangerous striker Paul Okon when Frank Amankwah was penalised by Spanish referee Diaz Veda for robust tackling in the box. On the whole this was a foul strewn match and dribbler Odartey Lamptey who could not stand the robust tackling was replaced by Shamo Quaye early in the second half. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, Shamo Quaye was red-carded in the 62nd minute for what the referee thought was time wasting tactics by the Meteors marksman.
Playing with ten men the Meteors had to sustain a lot of pressure but suffered more trouble when goal keeper Ibrahim Dossey was injured and had to be replaced by Simon Addo. The substitute goalie brilliantly made some hair-raising saves as the Australians went all out in search of the equaliser which never came.
Ghana- (Black Meteors) Ibrahim Dossey, Simon Addo, Frank Amankwaah, Sammy Adjei, Isaac Asare, Yaw Acheampong, Mohammed Gargo, Odartey Lamptey/Shamo Quaye, Ablade Kumah, Bernard Aryee, Yaw Preko and Kwame Ayew. Interestingly, Ghana had earlier beaten Australia 3-1 in the opening match of the Games at Sabadell on July 25. In that match, Ghana took the lead in the 10th minute from Mohammed Gargo’s free kick which deflected off a defender and beat keeper John Filan. Full back Amankwaah had a yellow card in the 29th minute for rough play and Yaw Preko replaced injured skipper Ablade Kumah in the 53rd minute. The well-built Aussies played it hard and central defender Mohammed Gargo had to be replaced in the 67th minute by Osei Kufuor after incessant bullying in the vital area.
The Black Meteors, clearly undeterred, still pressed hard and two excellent passes from speedster Yaw Preko saw Kwame Ayew scoring twice in the 80th and 83rd minutes to give Ghana a commanding lead before the Aussies pulled one back through midfielder Vidmar.
Black Meteors Line up: Anthony Mensah, Isaac Asare, Frank Amankwaah Mohammed Gargo/Osei Kufuor, Sammy Adjei, Yaw Acheampong, Ablade Kumah/Yaw Preko, Odartey Lamptey, Bernard Aryee, Kwame Ayew and Maxwell Konadu.
The second group match against Denmark in Zaragoza on July 28 ended in a pulsating goalless draw in a match that saw the Meteors throwing away countless chances. Skipper Ablade Kumah and Kwame Ayew were the most guilty. But the result was good enough to put Ghana on top of the group ahead of Australia, Denmark and Mexico.
Black Meteors: Line up Anthony Mensah Frank Amankwaah, Sammy Adjei /Isaac Asare, Yaw Acheampong, Mohammed Gargo, Odartey Lamptey/Yaw Preko, Kwame Ayew, Maxwell Konadu, Shamo Quaye and Ablade Kumah.
The Meteors reached the quarter finals in a dramatic manner drawing 1-1 against Mexico on July 30. In that match, the Meteors were reduced to ten men for the last 24 minutes following a red card to Sammy Adjei. And down by a first half goal, the Meteors managed to survive in the competition with an equaliser five minutes to time.
Mexico had taken the lead in the 30th from a sweet counter attack which caught the Meteors defence napping and an unmarked striker Rottan beat goalie Anthony Mensah from the edge of the box with a low shot.
Ghana’s equaliser was classic. Substitute Yaw Preko who had replaced Shamo Quaye used his speed and pace to outrun the Mexican defence and beat the goalkeeper with a perfect shot from the right. The ball however hit the post and was rebounding into play when Kwame Ayew, using his amazing striking instincts, slotted it into the yawning net.
Earlier in the 55th minute Colombian referee Torres Cadena mistakenly showed Sammy Adjei the red card for an offence glaringly committed by Isaac Asare.
Black Meteors: Line up Anthony Mensah, Frank Amankwaah, Isaac Asare, Sammy Adjei Mohammed Gargo, Yaw Acheampong, Odartey Lamptey, Shamo Quaye/Yaw Preko, Ablade Kumah, Maxwell Konadu/Mahmoud and Kwame Ayew.
Two extra time goals in the closing stages against Paraguay in Zaragoza on August 2 sent the Black Meteors into the semi-finals and medal zone. In the match in question, Kwame Ayew put Meteors ahead in the 17th minute with a brilliant header from Yaw Preko’s cross Kwame Ayew got his second midway through the second half and Ghana were cruising to a comfortable lead when disaster struck. Osei Kufuor was painfully injured in a sticky goalmouth melee and was receiving treatment when Yaw Acheampong under pressure kicked the ball into his own net. That was in the 67th minute. Five minutes later Acheampong as if under some spell. surprisingly failed to clear a very simple ball. The usually astute defender was strangely beaten and as goalkeeper Anthony Mensah tried to intervene he was teased out for substitute Campos to easily get the equaliser and send the match into extra time.
The Meteors fought spiritedly in extra time and Oli Rahman brilliantly finished off a perfect combination between Yaw Preko and Kwame Ayew. In the 7th minute of the second half of extra time, Kwame Ayew sealed the doom of the Paraguayans a minute to time with a great goal from a great pass from Yaw Preko for Ghana to reach the semi-finals against host nation Spain.
Black Meteors Line up: Anthony Mensah, Frank Amankwaah, Isaac Asare, Yaw Acheampong, Alex Nyarko/Kalilu Dramani,
Odartey Lamptey, Kwame Ayew, Osei Kufuor, Yaw Preko, Bernard Aryee/Oli Rahman and Ablade Kumah.
Backed by the massive home support, Spain went all out and gave the Black Meteors their first defeat in the competition with a thumping 2-0 victory in Valencia on August 5.
Ace dribbler Antuna gave Spain a first half lead in the 20th minute from a powerful free kick.
The Meteors suffered an early setback in the second half when dependable Osei Kufuor was shown the red card in the 48th minute for a second bookable offence.
Playing with ten men, the Meteors were under severe pressure and in the 54th minute Spain got their second goal through Rafael Martin who beat Anthony Mensah with a surprise 30-metre shot.
Ghana was completely eclipsed after the second goal and the defence had to do some excellent, often desperate work to keep Spain from going
further up. With this defeat Ghana had to fight for the bronze against Australia and the boys did it in grand style.
Black Meteors Line up: Anthony Mensah, Frank Amankwaah, Isaac Asare, Kalilu Dramani, Mohammed Gargo, Ablade Kumah, Bernard Aryee/Oli Rahman, Odartey Lamptey, Yaw Preko/Osei Kufuor and Kwame Ayew.
On the goal king chart, Kwame Ayew was adjudged the second highest scorer with six goals to Poland’s Juskawiak who netted seven. In boxing all five entrants were eliminated quite early. Lightflyweight Steven Dotse lost to Rowan Williams of Britain 11-3; Middleweight Asher Laryea lost to Cuban Ariel Hermandez 6-0; Featherweight Alex Baba lost narrowly to Paul Ingle of Britain. Lightweight Dong Seidu was disqualified in the third round of his fight against C. Henry of Barbados for consistently using open gloves.
Super Heavyweight Iliadi Alhassan was taken ill a few moments before his bout against Nigerias Igbinedon against whom he has lost twice before in certain international tournaments.
In Table Tennis, Patience Abena Pokua lost 8-21; 6-21 to Chinese Zine Chen and Helen Amankwaah crashed to Sun Yun of North Korea 8-21;5-21 in the women singles round Robin.
In the second round Robin series Abena Pokua was beaten 9-21,14-21 by Ling Minangmojo of India in Group E.
Helen was also beaten 14-21,10-21 by Lily Hughes of the US in group H.
In the women’s round Robin doubles Abena Pokua and Helena Amankwaah were disqualified in their match against Romania’s Otilia Badesco and Maria Maria Bosoku for using unauthorised attire.
In athletics, none of the competitors could reach the medal zone even though Emmanuel Tufuor recorded some impressive times in the sprints.
Tufuor crashed out of the 100 metres semi-finals in 10.34 secs. Earlier he had placed third in the heats in 10.31 secs in a race won by Dennis Mitchell of the US in 10.22secs and Olapade Adenike of Nigeria second in 10.27 secs.
Myles Mills and Eric Akogyeram failed to survive the heats.
Myles Mills placed third in the 5th heats in 10 64 secs. Akogyeram was also third in his heats in 10.60 secs.
Tuffuor also crashed out in the semi-finals of the 200 metres placing 5th in 20.78 secs and Nelson Boateng survived only the second ground placing 6th in 21 04 secs.
In the 400 metres, Solomon Amegatcher was the 8th fastest qualifier in 45.42 secs but that could not carry him into the medal zone.
Timothy Hesse however fell early beaten to 5th position in 46.67 secs. Ghana then crashed out of the 4x400metres relay when anchorman Solomon Amegatcher had a muscle tear and had to be helped off the pitch.
Other notable results were Kennedy Osei finishing second in his 800metres heats in 1min 47.17secs and Ghana’s sprints quartet of Tufuor, Mills, Eric Akogyeram and Nelson Boateng reaching the second round in 40.11secs.
Next episode Atlanta 1996.
Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.
