BY Ken Bediako
This is a recollection of the history of the fifth national football league supervised by co-founder, Ohene Djan, the legendary Ghanaian sports administrator whose brilliant achievements are being dangerously consigned to the dustbin by the current sports administrators.
In 2024, the sports loving J. A. Kufuor government started a beautiful national exercise to honour past outstanding sports celebrities by naming sports facilities after them.
The Accra Stadium was named after Ohene Djan, Kumasi Stadium after Baba Yara the ace footballer; Kaneshie Sports Complex after boxing legend Azumah Nelson; National hockey pitch after Mrs Theodosia Okoh hockey queen and Accra stadium sports hall after D.G Hathiramani the ace table tennis promoter.
All these sports facilities hold good the names of these aforementioned sports celebrities except Ohene Djan at Accra Stadium which was reportedly defaced by some supposed mercenary hooligans.
The surprise is why the Sports Ministry is not taking any action to correct this wanton destruction of the nations illustrious sports history.
And this is the reason I have over the period tried to catalogue Ohene Djan’s record as a legendary sports administrator who deserves to be honoured by the State.
Below is the story of the 1963-64 League season which saw Asante Kotoko in top form.
ASANTE KOTOKO SET RECORD
Oct 6 1963 – August 16 1964 (Abridged)
This was Asante Kotoko’s record breaking year. The ‘Porcupine Warriors’ went through the first round of the competition unscathed, winning 16 games and drawing one (2-2) with Hearts in Kumasi.
The competition was, however, abridged on August 23, 1964 after just eight matches in the second round. This was to enable the Black Stars to prepare well for the Tokyo Olympics. Led by bulldozer Wilberforce Mfum, Kotoko started the league in a whirlwind manner and whipped Venomous Vipers 4-0 in Kumasi. Mfum scored a hat trick and Kwame Nti added the fourth.
Hearts beat Ghana Army 1-0 through Tanko’s 80th minute goal. The Sekondi match between Wise and Republikans ended abruptly in the 80th minute when Wise, leading 1-0 refused to allow a penalty against them to be taken. They lost the points.
Other results were:
- Dwarfs 0 Gt Ashanti 2;
- B.A.Stars 5 Rovers 2;
- Hurricanes 1 Independence 1;
- Susu Biribi 0 Adansiman 1;
- Corners 3 B.A.United 1;
- Fankobaa 1 Olympics 1.
In the second week, Republikans proved too superior for Adansiman and whipped them 6-0 at Obuasi. Aggrey-Fynn got a hat-trick, Gibirine a brace and Kofi Pare the sixth goal.
Kotoko beat Gt Ashanti 3-1 in Kumasi after surviving an early goal by Sammy Stephens. Osei Kofi, Nyamekye (pen) and Kwame Adarkwa scored for Kotoko.
Other results:
- Hurricanes 5 Olympics 5;
- Wise 2 Independence 2;
- A. United 4 B. A. Stars 1;
- Fankobaa 3 Ghana Army 2;
- Rovers 4 Susu Biribi 0;
- Dwarfs 1 Vipers 0.
The third week saw Kotoko whipping Susu Biribi 8-2 in Kumasi. Mfum and Abukari scored two goals each with Kwame Adarkwa, Kwame Nti, Paa Nii Lutterodt, and Osei Kofi adding the rest. Boye Owusu and Kyere Boateng scored for Susu Biribi.
Other results:
- Corners 2 Army 2;
- Dwarfs 1 Wise 0;
- Independence 2 B.A.Stars 0;
- Hurricanes 0 Republikans 3;
- Fankobaa 4 Adansiman 0;
- Hearts 2 Ashanti 1
- BA United 0 Oly 1;
- Rovers 2 Vipers 3.
Top scorers in the 4th week were Great Ashanti who beat Hurricanes 5-1 in Kumasi and Olympics spanking Rovers also 5-1 in Accra.
The usual Kotoko – Hearts super clash in the 5th week was a 2-2 draw. Mfum and Kwame Nti scored for Kotoko and Ofei Dodoo got both goals for Hearts.
This was a prelude to the high scoring 6th week on Dec 22 when Independence whipped Susu Biribi 8-3 in Sekondi and Kotoko spanked Army 7-0 in Kumasi. Corners 5 Rovers 1 and B.A.United 5 Hearts 3, were the other exciting results.
High scoring continued to be the order of the day as the league gathered momentum.
Kotoko beat Adansiman 5-0, Hurricanes 5-0 and Fankobaa 6-0 on the trot; Olympics beat Fankobaa 4-0 in Accra.
Kotoko, the all-conquering machine, was however temporarily derailed in the last two games, 3-2 by Hearts and 4-2 by Army, before the abridgement. Though they had suffered these two defeats, they had built such a massive lead that they could not be toppled.
Credit must be given to Hungarian coach Josef Ember whose tactics transformed Kotoko into such a powerful force. Ember had been the national team coach for two years, however, when Sports Director Ohene Djan failed to renew his contract, Kotoko seized the opportunity to sign him for two years.
This was made possible by two Accra based businessmen and keen supporters of Kotoko, B. K. Edusei a building contractor; and Albert Owusu Ansah, Managing Director of a firm of Architects, who guaranteed the salary of Ember for the two-year period.
It’s ironic that Kotoko now reigning supreme over the league had, just before the season began, threatened another boycott following a dispute over the fixtures.
In a strong worded statement, Club Chairman Nana Darko Kuffuor said Kotoko had decided not to accept the fixtures as they stood because ‘they had been weighted in favour of Republikans.’ According to Nana Kuffuor’s analysis, during the first round Republikans would have 13 away matches while Kotoko would play only five at home. This arrangement, he explained was calculated to give Republikans a greater advantage over all other clubs in the second round.
The fixtures were eventually revised by the League Management Committee and Kotoko went all out undefeated in the first round.
The four bottom clubs, Sekondi Eleven Wise, Susu Biribi, Mysterious Dwarfs and Harbour City were not relegated because of the abridgement.
Asante Kotoko’s Wilberforce Mfum and Aggrey Fynn of Republikans were the most exciting players in the season.
Cheers everybody and keep loving sports as we await the grand outdooring of the brand new coach for the Black Stars.
