By Ken Bediako
Since we seem to be in the mood of golden anniversaries permit me to recall how the national league (now Premier) looked like in 2008 which was the official 50th anniversary.
For starters the league started in 1958 with eight clubs. Accra Hearts of Oak, Accra Great Olympics, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Kumasi Cornerstone, Sekondi Hasaacas, Sekondi Eleven Wise, Cape Coast Venomous Vipers and Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs.
Hearts were the first winners in 1958 and incidentally champions again on the 50th anniversary in 2008.
I would like to refresh the memories of football fans how I chronicled the 2008 league in my archives headlined HEARTS BACK IN THE SADDLE.
The 2008 league saw a terrific finishing between traditional winners Kotoko and hearts. Ultimately, “The Phobians” won by a short head as the horse racing people put it, bringing their tally to 20 just one behind Asante Kotoko.
Early news makers in the season were new entrants, Bechem Chelsea, who made an impressive start on November 23 by beating Liberty Professionals 3-2 in Accra. Yaw Antwi scored first for Liberty in the 10th minute and Chelsea hit back with two goals by Atika in the 21st minute and Jackson Owusu from a spot kick in the 42nd minute.
Latif Salifu netted the equaliser for Liberty in the 58th minute but Ibrahim Issaka stunned Liberty with the winner in the 62nd minute.
Other results Faisal 0 Kotoko 0, Hasaacas 0 All Stars:0; All Blacks 1 Tema Youth 1; Ashgold 4 RTU 1; Kessben 2 Wise 0; Arsenal 1 Lions 0; Kotoko were top scorers in the second week beating Ashgold 3-2 in Kumasi. Alex Asamoah (33) and Stephen Manu (37) gave Kotoko a 2-0 lead at half time. Daniel Asamoah (60) pulled one back for Ashgold but Stephen Manu restored the gap in the 80th minute for Kotoko.
Other results Lions 2 Kessben 0; Tema Youth 2 Faisal 1; Chelsea 1 Mirren 0, RTU 2 Hasaacas1, Hearts 2 Arsenal 1, Wise 2 All Blacks 1.
The third week saw Chelsea beating Hearts 2-0 at Sunyani – a defeat that caused the dismissal of Hearts expatriate coach Kosta Papic. Both goals were scored by Abdul Basit in the 30th and 70th minutes.
Other results- Kessben 2 Arsenal 2; All Blacks 0 Lions 1, Ashgold 0 Tema Youth 1; Hasaacas 0 Kotoko 1; Faisal 1 Wise 1, Mirren 1 All Stars 2; Liberty 2 RTU 1 Kotoko beat Liberty 3-1 in the top fixture of the 4th week in Kumasi. Nii Adjei (17th) and Alex Asamoah (33) gave Kotoko a 2-0 lead but Latif Salifu (35) reduced the arrears before half time. Stephen Oduro got Kotoko’s third goal in the 64th minute.
Other results Lions 3 Faisal 1; Tema Youth 3 Hasaacas1, All Stars 0 Chelsea 0,Wise 2 Ashgold 0, Arsenal 1 All Blacks 0, RTU 1 Mirren 0; Hearts1 Kessben 0.
Kotoko fans went on the rampage at the Ohene Djan Stadium in their 5th week match against St Mirren throwing missiles at match officials for disallowing a late equaliser. Kotoko were down 2-1 at the time of the incident and it took more than five minutes for Kotoko officials and GFA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi to persuade the fans to leave the pitch Kotoko had taken the lead in the 29th minute through Lewis Agyeman Mirren equalised in the 36th minute from a free kick taken by Samuel Solomon. Mahatna Otoo put Mirren ahead in the 40th minute then came Aex Asamoah’s 90th minute equaliser for Kotoko which was ruled offside by Referee Seidu Bomison resulting in that spontaneous crowd reaction.
Other results- All Stars 1 Hearts 1; Hasaacas 1.
Wise1; Ashgold 0 Lions 1, All Blacks 1 Kessben 0, Chelsea1RTU 3; Faisal 1 Arsenal 0, Liberty 1 Tema Youth 0.
The most exciting match in the 6th week on January 11, 2009 was the Hearts All Blacks fixture in Accra. Hearts won 2-0 from goals by Obed Ansah and Samuel Afum.
Other results Kotoko 1 Chelsea 1, Arsenal 1 Ashgold 0 Kessben 0 Faisal 0, RTU 1 All Stars 0; Tema Youth 2 Mirren 1: Wise 2 Liberty 2.
Hearts were the only away winners in the 7th week with a 2-1 victory over RTU in Tamale.
Obed Ansah scored first for Hearts in the 12th and Sherif Dimi pulled even for RTU from a spot kick five minutes to the recess.
Obed got the match winner from a spot kick in the 70th minute.
Other results Chelsea 0 Tema Youth 0; Ashgold 2 Kessben 1; All Stars 1
Kotoko 1; Faisal1 All Blacks, Hassscas 1; Arsenal 0 Liberty 1 Lions 0 ; Mirren1 Wise 0.
The 8th week was an all scoring affair apart from the nil nil score between Lions and Mirren at Kpando.
Other results- Hearts 2 Faisal 1, Arsenal 1 Liberty 1; Kessben 2 Hasaacas 1; All Blacks 2 Ashgold 1; Tema Youth 1 All Stars 1; Wise 1 Chelsea 0; Kotoko 3 RTU 0.
Kotoko lost 2-1 to Hearts in the 9th week. Hassan Mohammed gave Hearts the lead on 11 minutes and Obed Ansah made it 2-0 in the 57th minute. Stephen Oduro got one back for Kotoko in the 75th minute.
Other results RTU 4 Tema Youth 0; All Stars 2 Wise 0; Chelsea 0 Lions 0; Mirren 1 Arsenal 1; Liberty 1 Kessben 1; Hasaacas 3 All Blacks 1; Ashgold 0
Faisal 1.
Berekum Arsenal maintained their home supremacy with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the 10th week. Stephen Amankwa (34) was the match winner.
Other results Lions 1 All Stars 0; Arsenal 1 Chelsea 0; Kessben 1 Mirren 0; All Blacks 1 Liberty 0; Faisal 1 Hasaacas 1; Wise 2 RTU 0; Hearts 2 Ashgold1; Tema Youth 1 Kotoko 2.
The league had a four week break at this stage to pave way for the maiden CHAN tournament in Cote D’Ivoire
Ghana won silver losing the final 2-0 to Congo Brazzaville.
Shock result in the 11th week on resumption of the competition was Kotoko 1-2 home loss to Wise on March 11 After a goalless first half James Bissiw put Wise ahead on the 62nd minute. Nii Adjei equalised five minutes later but Winfred Dormon got the winner in injury time, much to the discomfort of the large army of Kotoko supporters who openly expressed their anger at their players’ poor performance.
Other results-Hasaacas 1 Ashgold 0; Liberty 0 Faisal 1; Mirren 0 All Blacks 0;
Chelsea 0 Kessben 1, All Stars 1 Arsenal 0; RTU 1 Lions 1; Tema Youth 2 Hearts 1. Bechem Chelsea scored a surprise 1-0 away win over Swedru All Blacks in the 12th week.
Lee Addy of Black Satellites fame won the game with a powerful free kick in the 59th minute. All Blacks fans were exceptionally unhappy with Ref Ismaila Ibrahim who disallowed what looked like a perfect goal in the first half.
The fans anger was so much the Referee needed Police protection after the match.
Other results-Ashgold 1 Liberty 2; Hearts 1 Hasaacas 0; Arsenal 1 RTU 0; Faisal 2 Mirren 1; Kessben 1 All Stars 1; Lions 1 Kotoko 2, Wise 1 Tema Youth 0.
Police fired teargas to disperse angry Eleven Wise fans after the 13th week match against Hearts in Sekondi that ended 1-1. James Bissiw gave Wise an 18th minute lead and Samuel Afum got Hesrts equaliser from the penalty spot on the 75th minute. Supporters of Wise were unhappy with the penalty award against their team.
In Kumasi, Kotoko were quite impressive in their 3-0 win over Arsenal Louis Agyemang (21) Alex Asamoah (24 &74) scored for Kotoko.
Other results Liberty 2 Hasaacas 0; Mirren 0 Ashgold 1; Chelsea 0 Faisal 0; All Stars 1 All Blacks 1; RTU 2 Kessben 3; Tema -Youth 1 Lions 1.
This was the day ace sports photographer with the fascinating initials JZXXXK Ackom was killed in a terrible accident near
Winneba. He was on his way from Sekondi after covering the league match berween Hearts of Oak and Sekondi Eleven Wise when his car was involved in that horrible accident with a gas tanker trailer.
In the last matches of the first round top attraction was at Abramkese where Baba Sules injury time goal gave Kessben a hard fought 1-0 win over Kotoko.
In the other top liner Hearts beat Liberty 3-1; Eric Nyarko, Samuel Afum and Elvis Acheampong scored for Hearts and Renial Adjei got the consolation for Liberty.
Other results -Ashgold 1 Chelsea1; Lions 3 Wise 0 Hasaacas 3 Mirren 1. Arsenal 2 Tema Youth 0; All Blacks 0 RTU 0; Faisal 2 All Stars 0.
The second round story will follow in the next instalment.
Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.
