By Ken Bediako
As football fans await the verdict this weekend of the country that plays the best football on the planet, let’s continue our series on the intriguing history of the National Football League of Ghana that began in 1958.
1976 LEAGUE: HEARTS BEAT THEM ALL
January 25 – Oct 24
Hearts of Oak captured the title after a four year hiatus and beat traditional challengers Asante Kotoko by six clear points.
The competition started with Great Olympics baptizing new entrants Accra Standfast with a 7-0 trashing at Tema.
The other new entrant Dumas Boys of Ghana Textiles Printing however held Accra Hearts of Oak to a 1-1 draw at Accra Stadium.
International star Ofei Ansah of Hearts received the first red card of the season for violent play.
In Kumasi, Asante Kotoko’s Joe Sam had a hat-trick in Kotoko’s 4-0 win over Hasaacas. Malik got the other goal in one of the most exciting matches of the opening fixtures.
The standard of play was extremely high.
The second week saw Sekondi Eleven Wise in a fighting 1-1 draw against Kotoko in Sekondi.
John Yawson netted for Wise and Malik Jabir replied for Kotoko.
The other thrilling encounter of the week was at Sunyani where Bofoakwa beat Kumasi Cornerstone 4-0 with twin strikers Dan Owusu and Kwasi Owusu scoring two goals apiece.
Many goals were recorded in the third week when Hearts beat Dwarfs 4-2 in Accra with Robert Hammond scoring a hat-trick for Hearts.
At Sunyani, Bofoakwa Tano walloped Accra Standfast 8-1 with amazing twin strikers Dan Owusu and Kwasi Owusu sharing five goals. Dan scored a hat-trick.
The competition lost some of its shine when the Black Star players were excluded from the tournament due to their preparations for the Montreal Olympic Games, and a proposed European tour was tabled.
Tommy Thompson, Hearts chairman, appealed to the GFA to cancel the proposed European tour because a considerable number of Hearts of Oak players made up the Black Stars team.
Without their star players, the club was going to struggle in the competition. He threatened to withdraw the team from the league if the tour were not cancelled.
On cue, Kotoko and Hearts temporarily boycotted the league and refused to honour their respective matches against Fankobaa and Akotex. The two clubs, after a week, agreed to continue in the league following interventions by some sports personalities.
Hearts and Kotoko were not the only affected teams. The Black Stars’ European tour also affected Bofoakwa Tano, whose key players; Enoch Asumadu, Dan Owusu and Kwasi Owusu were part of the Black Stars squad. Their loss was most noticeable when they were whipped 3-0 by Dumas Boys in the 11th week.
The usual Kotoko – Hearts thriller in the 13th week ended in 1-1 stalemate at Accra Stadium. Kotey Kalala put Hearts ahead on 18 minutes and Gordon Prempeh replied for Kotoko after 37 minutes. Peter Lamptey missed a 58th minute penalty for Hearts.
The second round started on July 4 still without the Black Star players.
Kotoko however managed to beat bogey club Hasaacas 2-1 at Gyandu for the first time in six years. Robert Kouffie of Hasaacas was shown the red card for violent play.
Dumas Boys, however, benefited from the absence of key players from opposing teams and managed two sensational wins over Hearts 2-1 at Tema and Great Olympics 1-0 in Accra.
The Black Stars suddenly returned from Montreal on July 22 when African and Caribbean countries boycotted the Olympic Games in protest against the apartheid policies of South Africa.
It was a binding decision taken by the Supreme Council of Sports in Africa (SCSA), the final authority on matters pertaining to sports in Africa. The return of the Black Stars ignited fresh enthusiasm in the league with traditional pace setters Hearts and Kotoko fighting a close race.
Indeed Hearts and Kotoko were running a neck and neck race and their match on Oct 17 in Kumasi would go a long way to determine the potential champions. Hearts beat Kotoko 2-1. Malik got the curtain raiser for Kotoko from the penalty spot on 27 minutes and Robert Hammond replied for Hearts with two astonishing goals on 42 and 52 minutes.
The defeat brought a chain reaction in the camp of Kotoko culminating in the dismissal of key international players Kuuku Dadzie, Dan Oppong and Joe Sam for allegedly receiving bribes from Hearts to play a fixed match.
The allegations could not be proved but the three players left Kotoko.
Dan Oppong and Joe Sam left the country for the US and Kuuku Dadzie signed for Hasaacas.
Later on retirement from active football he became a Coach in charge of the senior womens team, Black Queens.
Hearts’ victory spurred them on to greater heights and they won their remaining two matches to comfortably snatch the league title.
In the penultimate match Hearts whipped Sekondi Hasaacas 5-0 in Accra with Peter Lamptey netting four goals. Mohammed Polo got the other goal. Hearts won their final match 3-0 against city rivals Great Olympics to grab the title by six clear points ahead of Asante Kotoko.
It was during this season that Defence Stars changed their name to SS74.
Cbeers everybody and keep loving sports.
