By Ken Bediako
As the sporting world keeps fingers crossed for a successful FIFA World Cup let me continue my advocacy for the needful celebration of Ohene Djan the legendary sports administrator of blessed memory.
There is little doubt about Ohene Djan’s legacy as one of the most outstanding sports administrators Africa has produced. I am therefore renewing my plea to the current sports authorities to try hard and restore the Accra Sports Stadium named after him.
The records show clearly that in 2004 the Kufuor administration named the Accra stadium after Ohene Djan on the recommendations of a special committee tasked to recognise outstanding sports personalities dead or alive.
And that’s how we now have Baba Yara Stadium named after that brilliant footballer, Azumah Nelson Sports Complex after that great pugilist; Hathiramani Sports Hall after that Table Tennis addict and Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium after that Hockey Queen affectionately called “Joan of Arc of Ghana Sports.”
How some group of potential armed robbers managed to successfully deface the Ohene Djan Stadium and got out scot free will remain a mystery; not to mention the usually vigilant sporting media that went to sleep on this blatant hooliganism.
I pledge to continue giving support to Dan Kwaku Yeboah of Peace FM fame in his efforts to restore the honour done Ohene Djan by renaming Accra Sports Stadium after that gallant Aburi Royal Ohene Djan’s numerous achievements include being one of the stout brains behind the institution of the National Football League that began 68 years ago- 1958 to be precise.
Indeed Ohene Djan remained the main architect of the National League from 1958 till early 1966 when he was completely obliterated from the football scene following a coup d’etat that ousted the powerful Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s regime.
For the benefit of sports fans I will soon begin recollecting the history of the National Football league under Ohene Djan’s administration from 1958 to 1965.
Before then let me recall what happened just after Ohene Djan’s exit in the early hours of Feb 24 1966.
Here we go:
COUP D’ETAT DISRUPTS LEAGUE
The February 24 coup d’etat, which toppled the Kwame Nkrumah administration, delayed the start of the league. Republikans, dubbed ‘Osagyefo’s Own Club’ (OOC), was immediately dissolved and most of its star players returned to their mother clubs and others changed clubs. Black Stars players such as Addo Odametey and Ofei Dodoo returned to Hearts. Kofi Pare, Ben Acheampong and Franklin Crentsil signed for Asante Kotoko. Dodoo Ankrah, E. O. Oblitey and Jones Attuquayefio moved to Great Olympics.
Along with Republikans, Sekondi Independence was also dissolved. The club belonged to Ambrose Yankey who was Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s personal aide. The other club that couldn’t compete was Defence Stars; a number of their players were soldiers in active service and had been involved in the February 24 coup d’etat.
Ohene Djan was officially removed from office on April 8 by the new military administration, National Liberation Council, and replaced by W.T. Marbell, a retired education officer and H.P. Nyemitei became the chairman of GFA. A government statement said, “The Central Organisation of Sports (COS) is to be reorganized on a better and more democratic basis.”
Indeed, it was Ohene Djan who had earlier announced the dissolution of Republikans and Sekondi Independence.
He told a press conference in Accra that the mood of the country made it a national taboo for any football club to operate in Ghana “under the inglorious insignia of Osagyefo’s Own Club” as Republikans were affectionately called.
Interestingly, Ghana’s national team, made up predominantly of Republikans, had last won the cup of nations in 1965. After the dissolution of the team, it took 13 more years for Ghana to win the African cup again. That was in Ghana 1978 with a 2-0 win over Uganda in the Cup final at Accra stadium.
Fourteen clubs started the exciting league on March 13 but it was cancelled on Dec 15. The cancellation was sparked off by Asante Kotoko, Great Ashanti and Cornerstone who quit the league on Nov 29 due to “unemployment problems.” Most of their players worked for state-owned organisations such as the Farmers Council and the Workers Brigade, and had been laid off in the wake of the political changes sweeping through the country.
Earlier, on Nov 23, a meeting had been held in Accra between the league clubs, GAFA and COS. To enable the clubs to get more revenue, the COS decided at the meeting to reduce its share of gate proceeds from 30 to 25 percent. They also reached a general consensus that clubs should submit the names of unemployed players to be sent to government for consideration.
The clubs, however, did not give the government enough time to respond to their demands. In a joint statement, the clubs said they were quitting the league until their dismissed players were re-instated at their companies of employment.
The boycott by the three Ashanti clubs disrupted the fixtures and only two matches were played the following week. Hearts beat Rovers 4-1 in Accra and Olympics beat Dwarfs 2-1 at Cape Coast.
In the midst of the authorities weighing the options available to solve the unemployment crisis that resulted in the teams quitting the league, a petition was lodged by four football clubs in the Northern and Upper Regions. Gbewa, Great Harmattans, Wait & See and Northern Stars accused the COS of ignoring the two regions in sporting activities. In the statement, signed by Abdulai Mahama, chairman of Wait & See, they rejected a previous argument of the authorities that the two regions were too far away and lacked proper roads.
On Dec 15 The Commissioner for Education and Sports, A. K. Deku called a meeting of the clubs, COS and GAFA and it was decided to cancel the league. The GAFA was tasked to arrange special friendly matches for the clubs until a programme for the next season was drawn.
Problems plaguing the clubs and authorities notwithstanding, the season turned out to be an exciting, if shortlived, league with high scoring results. Highlights saw B. A. United beat Hasaacas 6-0 at Sunyani, Kotoko whipped Susu Biribi 7-1 and Rovers 8-0 both in Kumasi, Great Ashanti beat Adansiman 6-0 at Koforidua. B. A. Stars were the whipping boys losing 7-1 to B. A. United, 7-1 to Kotoko and 5-0 to Hearts. Other exciting matches saw Hasaacas beat Dwarfs 3-0 in Sekondi and Adansiman beat Hearts 3-0 at Obuasi.
The first round was extremely close, ending with Kotoko having 22 points and leading Olympics by only one point, followed by B. A. United with 20 points.
On Sept 1, the entire 40 registered players of B. A. United, led by international star Agyeman Gyau, resigned en bloc from the club. Their resignation was in protest against the jail sentence imposed on their teammates, Kwaku Adjetey, Isaac Kofi Adjei, Moses Hinneh and Oteng Baah, who were accused of assaulting Referee Appiah Kubi in a reserve league match against Corners in Kumasi, where B. A. United lost 4-0. The Kumasi Circuit Court sentenced them to a six month jail term.
Luckily, the players were released from jail after five days on appeal when their sentences were reduced to fines of 24 cedis each by a Kumasi High Court. The B. A. 0 United players immediately withdrew their resignation and returned to the club. They won their next league match against Gt Ashanti 1-0 at Sunyani.
The outstanding players of the season were Great Olympics speedy left-winger, Frank Odoi, and wizard dribbler Osei Kofi of Asante Kotoko.
Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.
