By Ken Bediako
As the FIFA World Cup gathers momentum and the men are being separated from the boys let’s continue to while away the time with history of the National League that was originally set up in 1958 to produce star players for the Black Stars.
1974: OLYMPICS MAKE IT AGAIN
Feb 24–Nov 6
Sekondi Hasaacas bounced back to their ‘natural habitat’ after a year’s sojourn in Division Two, alongside Swedru All Blacks.
This was a league which saw the two most popular clubs, Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak, begin rather poorly. Kotoko were beaten at home 1-0 by Mysterious Dwarfs through a Robert Kouffie goal; Hearts lost 1-0 to Bofoakwa Tano at Sunyani via a sizzler from Dan Owusu.
Hearts however recovered quickly from this early setback and after a goalless draw with Fankobaa in Accra scored a neat 2-1 victory over local rivals, Great Olympics, in the third week’s pairings. Rising star Mohammed Polo scored both goals for Hearts.
Asante Kotoko, however, remained badly bruised. They lost again the following week against Hasaacas, 2-0, and it took them six more matches before victory came their way– courtesy of Malik Jabir’s two goals against Fankobaa in Kumasi in the eighth week.
Kotoko had drawn five times in a row; 1-1 with All Blacks in Kumasi; 1-1 with Corners; 2-2 with Susu Biribi at Tafo, another 1-1 with
Bofoakwa Tano in Kumasi and yet another 1-1 with Hearts in Accra.
On the whole it was a keen race between defending champions, Hearts of Oak, and city rivals, Great Olympics affectionately called the ‘Wonder Club’. The two clubs fought neck and neck until a crucial defeat of Hearts of Oak at the hands of Kotoko, and an Olympics victory over Kotoko, settled the issue.
Hearts were beaten 2-0 in Kumasi by Kotoko in the 20th week with Yaw Sam and Malik scoring and Olympics thrashed Kotoko 3-0 in the penultimate fixture at Accra Stadium. Ago Nai, Kissi and Jonas Adjei were the scorers.
These two results and a 2-1 win by BA United over Hearts made all the difference in the race for the championship.
The victory of Olympics meant a remarkable double over Kotoko in the season. Olympics had beaten Kotoko 1-0 in the fist round in Kumasi through Ahmed Yakubu, elder brother of the reputed ‘dribbling magician’ Mohammed Polo.
Dwarfs were the other team that beat Kotoko twice in the season: 1-0 in Kumasi and 2-1 at Cape Coast.
Olympics bagged 39 points to win the league, pipping Hearts by two points. Bofoakwa, parading the amazing twin strikers – Kwasi Owusu and Dan Owusu – placed a respectable third. Dan Owusu won the goal king title.
1975: KOTOKO SHOW CLASS AGAIN
March 14-Dec 21
The GFA continued its random decision making on membership of the first division by increasing it once more from 14 to 18. Bottom clubs Susu Biribi and Fankobaa were spared relegation. Instead of relegation, four more clubs were promoted: Defence Stars, Nsawam Ghanacan, Gbewaa and Obuotabiri from Koforidua.
This was one of the best seasons for Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Sekondi Eleven Wise, the “Western Show Boys”.
The two clubs set a hot pace: Kotoko went undefeated in the first seven outings before they were halted in the eighth week by bogey side Sekondi Hasaacas 2-0 at the famous Gyandu Park in Sekondi. Kotoko, however, avenged their
defeat in the second round with a splendid 4-1 win over Hasaacas in Kumasi. The marksmen were Opoku Afriyie, Gordon Prempeh, Osei Kwame and Dan Oppong.
Eleven Wise also had a field day with an unbeaten streak of 13 matches until they were halted by Accra Hearts of Oak in Accra, courtesy Peter ‘goal thief’ Lamptey, who hammered home a goal in the 70th minute.
Other notable features of the season were that Eleven Wise suffered only one home defeat and this was 1-0 at the hands of BA.United. It was the very first match of the second round and the destroyer was “Soccer Articulator” Agyeman Badu.
The two traditional League winners, Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak, shared the four points at stake equally between them. Kotoko beat Hearts 2-0 in Kumasi during the first round and Robert Foley’s lone goal earned Hearts a sweet revenge in the second round in Accra.
Swedru All Blacks had the distinction of drawing both at home and away with Asante Kotoko, 1-1 each away.
Hearts’ international star, Robert Hammond, hit the headlines when he registered for city rivals Great Olympics. It was a near battle between the two clubs as Hearts made a fruitless search for Hammond during the registration of players exercise. He was reportedly ‘kidnapped’ by top officials of Olympics who were believed to have connections in the ruling military government of the Supreme Military Council (SMC).
Hearts made fruitless search for their star player only to realise in the end that the player had been secretly registered by Olympics who had ‘powerful connections above’.
Hammond was however to spend only a season with Olympics before returning to Hearts of Oak. He did not appear comfortable in his new environment.
On the whole, Asante Kotoko, inspired by young striker, 20-year-old Opoku Afriyie, netted a total of 76 goals in 34 matches to win the league. Opoku will be remembered for his two spectacular hat-tricks against Ghanacan whom Kotoko beat 7-1, and B.A. United when he scored all the three goals. Again, when Kotoko routed Gbewa 7-0 in Kumasi, Opoku Afriyie scored four times. Owusu Sekyere netted twice and Malik scored the other goal.
Opoku’s 27 goal tally, however, fell one goal short of Dan Owusu’s haul of 28. Owusu of Bofoakwa retained the goal King Crown sponsored by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG).
Four clubs, Susu Biribi, Volta United, Gbewa and Obuotabiri were relegated.
Dan Owusu of Bofoakwa and Asante Kotoko’s Opoku Afriyie were the most fascinating players in the season.
Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.
