Asante Kotoko unleash secret weapon - Seydou Bansey

IFFHS Africa Club of the century, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, is enjoying an unprecedented smooth start to the 2013/2014 Ghana Premier League season, thanks to the playing body and good management. The Kumasi-based side is undefeated in this year's campaign. The success of the two-time African Champions, cannot be written with the inclusion of their leadsman, Seydou Bansey. The 23 year-old forward, formerly of Ebusua Dwarfs ,came under heavy criticism due to failure to deliver in last season's campaign in a large number of games featured for the Porcupine Warriors. The attacker has seen fortunes changed this season, by netting in couple of goals, lifting his side to sit atop of the League log comfortably after Matchday 2. His goal-scoring boots were found, after he scored a goal out of 3 against Medeama SC in the Champion of Champions Cup match. Bansey, further went on to score the winning goal for his side ,when they rallied back from a goal down to beat a resilient Aduana Stars away from home in the Week 1 fixture. Then came the local 'El-Classico' ,where he scored the all important lone goal to see his side mount the top of the league table. Bansey is in red-hot form this season, though early days yet,and is knocking every opposition that comes his way. He looks like the secret weapon unleashed by the 22 times Ghana League Champions, this season. The fans will hope he replicates such fine goalscoring form in their subsequent games starting with New Edubiase and coaches of clubs won't stop putting measures in place to tame this in-form striker.

"Change in date for qualifier was done on purpose" Ibrahim Sannie Diarra

Ghana Black Stars will face the Pharaohs of Egypt, in the final round of qualifier for the World Cup to be held in Brazil, 2014. The first leg tie will be played in Ghana, Kumasi to be precise. The initial date for the game was on 13th of October 2013, but was later moved to Tuesday, 15th October. The Ghana Football Association(GFA), through their Public Relations Officer who doubles as the assistant Secretary of the FA, Ibrahim Sannie Diarra, has explained the reasons for the change. In an exclusive interview on Asempa fm, he said "FIFA brought the dates and they were from 11th to 15th of October ,we(Ghana) chose 13th which is Sunday and a traditional day for playing games in the country, initially" Asked what brought the change ,he said "We changed to Tuesday, 15th, because, some Ghanaians raised suggestions that ,it would give the coach two additional days of training with the players, and it was worth noting" He further added "We(FA) also realised that, 15th will be a public holiday ie Eid-Adhar ,and that ,we should honour it and seek blessings from the gods of the land ahead of our game in two days time with Egypt".

TWITTER REACTS TO MIKEL'S GOAL AS BOTH ESSIEN AND BOATENG ARE SIDELINED

Nigeria's John Obi Mikel, scored his first Chelsea goal in as many games you can think of, on Saturday against Fulham at Stamford Bridge whereas Ghana duo, Essien and Boateng did not get the nod to feature for their clubs in the same match. Michael Essien was an unused substitute for Chelsea as they defeated Fulham by two goals to nil. Essien continues to await his first game this season. Derek Boateng was not on bench for Fulham much more featuring. Elsewhere, twittersphere went gay as Mikel Obi got his first goal for his club side in as many years. Let's take a look at some reactions from all and sundry: "That's it, the world is over. Pack your bags, head to high ground. MIKEL makes it 2-0. #CFC— Chelsea In America (@CFCInAmerica)" ; "He scores when he wants', sing the fans, who urge Mikel to shoot every time he touches it. #CFCLive— Chelsea FC (@chelseafc)" "Aleluia!! My friend John Obi Mikel scored his first goal for Chelsea FC in 261 games. OMG!! #cfc— Juliano Belletti (@julianobelletti)" ; "Oscar: "Mikel scored his first goal for Chelsea? I'm not surprised, he always scores in training. [laughs]"— Seleção Brasileira (@BrazilStats)" "Have you ever seen Gerrard win the league? No. Have you ever seen Mikel score a goal? Yes.— Dami (@TheChelseaWay)" ; "185 - No outfield player has made more appearances in the @premierleaguebefore scoring their first goal than John Obi Mikel. Wait.— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)" Bizarre.

GHANA DUO SET TO FACE EACH OTHER IN LONDON DERBY

Ghana Black Stars' duo, Michael Essien and Derek Boateng could face each other on Saturday, when Fulham visit Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the English Premier League. Michael Essien is yet to play a competitive game for Jose Mourinho's side this season and would be hoping for a debut in his second spell at Chelsea, whereas Derek Boateng also has just a handful of games to boast of under Martin Jol. Derek made a switch to the English side this summer, from Ukrainian's Dnipro, but has struggled to settle just like his country-mate Michael Essien also fresh from a loan at Real Madrid. Both would be hoping to get the chance to play a part in Saturday's London derby. Michael Essien who was left out of Chelsea's Champions League squad is hoping for a chance to prove a point to Mourinho according to chelseafc.com in his last interview. AGN understand that, these two midfielders are working hard enough to earn a place in the Ghana team, ahead of their final World Cup playoff against Egypt in October.

BOATENG BROTHERS LOCK HORNS

Kevin-Prince Boateng and his younger brother, Jerome Boateng, will go head-to-head on Saturday when their respective clubs, Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich clash in the German Bundesliga. The match will witness brotherhood renewed, should Jens Keller and Pep Guardiola select these brothers of different international backgrounds. This will be the first time the two brothers will square off at opposite ends of the field, since KP Boateng's return to the Bundesliga in the summer transfers. The Ghanaian International KP Boateng has sent a fair warning message to his younger brother according to goal.com "on Saturday,we will have no brothers for 90 minutes.I've already told him, I will do that" The game is expected to be a good game for neutrals considering the good run of performances exhibited by both clubs domestically and in Europe. Kevin-Prince Boateng and Julian Draxler have already formed a deadly partnership on the field of play, with couple of goals and assists shared between them. German international, Jerome Boateng would have a tough time in the away fixture if selected, to tame his in-form elder brother come Saturday at the Veltins-Arena.

PHOBIANS FIRE WARNING SHOTS AT PORCUPINES AHEAD OF SUNDAY EPIC CLASH

Week 2 of the Ghana Premier League presents the clash, of the two most successful clubs in the country on Sunday, at the Accra Sports Stadium between Hearts of Oak SC and Asante Kotoko SC. The game could not have come any better than now, in that, both clubs are joint on top of the League log with 3points apiece, from matchday 1. The two sides share a total of 42 league titles. Not only 3points is at stake on Sunday; the claim for bragging right is also at stake for the fans of both sides, and the game is also a potential decider of where the title could go. Players and management have not left fans alone to do the traditional bragging, prior to such titanic encounter. From the Hearts of Oak camp, the playing body and Managing Director, as well as the Assistant coach have added their voices. Speaking on Peace fm, MD of Hearts, Neil Armstrong Mortagbe said "We assure our fans that, by the end of the game, INSHA ALLAH, Hearts will win". Gilbert Fiamenyo, striker, was also quick to add "this is our EL-CLASSICO, we are not going for a draw, we will beat them[Kotoko] hands down" Ben Adjei, assistant coach of Hearts of Oak also added "Nobody will go into a game with losing mentality.Hardwork will see us through". Kofi Abanga ,a midfield dynamo for the Phobians, also gave the final warning shot at the Porcupines "we are under no pressure, we will surely beat them[Kotoko] ,no two ways".

RANGERS READY FOR NEXT ACTION ON GHALCA

Ghana League Clubs Association(GHALCA), has been threatened by Enugu Rangers FC of Nigeria, over unpaid monies during the Annual President's Cup Invitational Tournament held on Ghana's Republic day, July 1. The Nigerian club has not been paid the amount due, according to the club's CEO, Ozor Paul Chibuzor, by GHALCA. The Enugu based club placed fourth in the annual tournament back in July. AGN understands that, the club has exhausted all means to reclaim the outstanding monies and are bent on using the next appropriate channel to get the arrears settled; thus participation fee and other allowances which were promised them by GHALCA. Speaking on Happy fm, CEO of the club, Mr. Ozor Paul Chibuzor said "There was an agreement of certain amount to be paid to the club...nothing has been done", he further added "through our state FA, we've done everything to settle this amicably but to no avail". The club is ready to take GHALCA to CAF and FIFA to claim their unpaid monies as the next line of action.

'SEEDING OF TEAMS WAS IRRELEVANT'

Concerns have been raised by stakeholders of football in the country following the aftermath of CAF's draw for the final round of qualifiers for the prestigious global tournament in less than a year.

A large minority of the stakeholders especially the fans have shown clearly their discontent over the continent's footballing body by making their voices loud and clear. Ironically less than a few expressed their disapproval of the decision by CAF and FIFA prior to the draw couple of days back;the decision was heavily condemned after some draws didn't go as anticipated by fans.

Local fans were not pleased to know that the Black Stars of Ghana had to play their rivals the Pharaohs of Egypt second leg in the latter's home after the draw was made. The condemnation and chastisement followed suit. 

Amidst such atmosphere, a renowned supporter and a staunch follower of Hearts of Oak: Maxwell Asabere added his voice to the subject matter. "The seeding of teams was irrelevant on the part of CAF. Every team qualified for this round topped their groups and deserve equal right in terms of this play-off" speaking on Happy fm.

He threw more light on the fact that he was surprised Ghanaians panicked because the Black Stars were seeded and everybody assumed the team deserved that spot per FIFA rankings.

This has left more room for followers of the game to ask further questions about the competence and fairness of the continent's governing body. 

TIME FOR IRAQ |FIFA U20|

 

Flag : Republic of Iraq

Iraq,a country popular for its exploits in 'war and bombing' are making headway in the on-going FIFA U20 tournament in Turkey,a country also in mild chaos recently;but it is quite unfortunate they are not receiving the deserving praise and hype to propel them for future heights from the pundits and connoisseurs of the game.

   Iraq U20 is one of only three teams to have all their players in the tourny plying their trade locally aside Cuba and Uzbekistan.Few expected them to come thus far albeit their wonderful performance in the Asian zone where they were runners-up,losing to a well respected South Korean side on penalty shoot-outs.

The mentally tough  Young Lions of Mesopotamia got a sweet revenge on their continental rivals South Korea when they knocked them out;at a bigger stage in Turkey during their quarter-final encounter via penalty shoot-outs after a thrilling encounter within the stipulated time of 90 minutes and extra time of 30 minutes ended 3 goals apiece.

   The Iraqis came to the FIFA tournament as one of the underdogs especially when they found themselves in a group with countries such as Egypt~African champions,Chile~South-American giants as well as England~a side that needs no introduction to this game.Less than few people gave them the benefit of the boubt that they were Asia's runners-up capable of pulling strings from the sky.But a much more resilient side at this year's tournamnent than any Asian side represented,smashed the odds and probabilities by rallying back from two goals down to clinch an all important draw against England in only few minutes away from stoppage time.They went on to defeat both the African champions Egypt and South-American giants Chile in their subsequent group games which saw them sit on top of the group with 7 points in comfort and warning other teams fairly.They went on to defeat both Paraguay and South Korea in the Round of 16 and quarter finals respectively booking their place in the semi-finals for the first time at a FIFA organised tournament against an equally resilient Uruguayan side at the surprise of most fans of the game.

  Whether they fail to make it to the ultimate grande finale or get there,nothing can be taken away from this history and record breaking Iraqi side who deserve the applause of all and sundry.

  Amidst their war torn country's state,these heroes bring joy and smile onto the faces of their natives.Without any iota of doubts some of these players are a bunch of delights to see in action and am quite convinced most are finding their names in the books of top scouts around the world and working tirelessly around the clock to secure relatively the dear signatures of these starlets' now before the transfer window shuts.

  Let us take a glance at the magicians doing the trick for the Young Lions of Mesopotamia  side :

Hakeem Shaker Al-Azzawi

Hakeem Shaker Al-Azzawi (COACH OF IRAQ U20) : A man who decides to quit the senior national team of IRAQ in order to fully concentrate on this special breed of talents is undoubtedly one of the best managers at the tournament.Adding this unprecedented achievement to his CV he will be hailed back home as one of the nation's greatest assets or in fact their greatest,having been dubbed a 'runner-up specialist' back home after seeing Iraqi senior national side,olympic team as well as the U20 all come second best in their various continental competitions respectively.Hakeem is the first and only Iraqi coach to manage 3 Iraqi national teams (Iraq senior team, Olympic team and Youth team) at the same time,aside this great feat,he serves as the morale booster to these lads when it gets to the crunch and the master tactician for these boys.Already making records wherever he goes he has been vindicated and buttressed his words with actions when he quit the senior national side for these 'special talents'  and hopes to go farther than this point of his career. 

Mohamed Hassan Hameed Farhan

Mohamed Hassan Hameed Farhan(GOALKEEPER/CAPTAIN) : One of the most enterprising and industrious as well as the busiest goalies of the tournament has been Iraqi's goalie who has entertained all fans of this game with his agility and heroic saves even in shoot outs against South Korea.Eventhough he sometimes looks indecisive and commits minor errors,he remains one of the best in the tournament making the most important of saves and rescuing his side when the need arises.He not only is the captain of this side but an ultimate leader who always is full of confidence on and off the pitch.Surely if scouts want to pick a potential world class keeper from this tourny;he certainly will be hard to overlook with regard to his  exploits and how youthful he is and performance put up so far.More than an inspirational leader in the side.

Ali Adnan Kadhim Al-Tameemi

     Ali Adnan Kadhim Al-Tameemi(DEFENDER/LEFT BACK) : Arguably the most impressive side-back in the tournament,Ali Adnan Kadhim Al-Tameemi burst from the back straight into the opposite  half of the field with some sublime footworks propelling him to go past defenders and midfielders with ease.Always brimming with energy and full of athletism coupled with his unrivalled strength,opponents find it a tough task taming the wild and audacious left-back who is often than not,seen in the third half of the field entertaining viewers with dazzling skills and screamers from long ranges.Inspite of his attacking prowess,Ali serves as a good pillar for his team when defending.With regard to his delivery crosses,overconfidence serves as his bane and falters on quite few occassions but looking at his tender age,with hard work he could overcome this and be a star to watch in the future.With little or no dispute the Baghdad FC defender could be landing a big contract abroad and also one of the prime candidates for the GOLDEN BALL award at the tournament.He also has experience with the olympic team and also scoring a couple of crucial goals for both the olympic and U20 side underlying his efficiency when he surges forward. 

Ali Fayez Attiya

Ali Fayez Atiyah(DEFENDER/MIDFIELDER) : Another player worth mentioning is Ali Fayez Atiyah who has established himself as a 'dead ball' specialist or setpiece taker.He plays with a level of composure and mental toughness which is a hallmark of the great boys in the game.His specialty permits his side to exhibit the amount of flare they possess making them slippery and tough to handle because when they are fouled irrespective of the distance he is ready to punish the opposition side making him a unique figure in the side.Tactically disciplined and scoring crucial goals make him exceptional with regard to his position on the field of play.

Farhan Shakor Tawfeeq

Farhan Shakor Tawfeeq(FORWARD) : The young forward has netted three crucial goals in the knock out stages of the competition helping to bring his side to this stage.The workaholic forward loves to trap back and initiate attacks and always seem to be at the right place at the right time.His brace against South Korea will be one to be remembered as he cunningly got those goals against the Asian champs.He looks composed on the ball and quite decent with his final touches.Another bright spot in the Iraqi side.

Indeed these Iraqis are a special side with lots of prospects who vow to change the face of the nation's football not only as super powerhouse in their continent but a side worth huge recognition at the world stage.Keep an eye on these boys and see what the future has for them.

                                      |INDEED THIS COULD BE THE TIME FOR IRAQ|

AFRICA'S CLUB OF THE CENTURY BEST PERFORMERS |2012/2013|

With the Ghana GLO Premier League season 2012/2013 finally coming to what one may call a 'successful' end in a couple of days back;keenly contested till the last day of the season where the 'Porcupine Warriors' Kumasi Asante Kotoko retained the league title once again in two consecutive seasons with their international partners Sunderland sending them a congratulatory message on winning their 22nd domestic league title via their official twitter handle. However the Kumasi based club's season would have been short of success or a premier league crown without the exceptional performances from some of their players. We'll delve deep and bring the boys who did the trick for the two times African champions,twenty -two times domestic champions and ultimately IFFHS continental club of the century just to mention but a few. ¤RASHID SUMAILA ~The player on loan from Mysterious Dwarfs FC stole the hearts of many 'Porcupine Warriors' fans with some fantastic display at the back for the champions;filling in the big boots of Mohammed Awal with perfectly or close to perfect performance.His exceptional performance also earned him a place in the senior National team the Black Stars of Ghana though not a regular starter he featured in a couple of games for the stars with his recent cap being earned in far away Lesotho where he was on the winning side.As a result of this the charismatic and ever-serious defender earned an accolade from the club fans 'The Commander' surely for the defence of the champs.If this player who barely made it to this year's Cup of Nations' performance is anything to go by then Ghana's got a real asset in him ¤MICHAEL AKUFFO~A very consistent member of the Kotoko side became fans' favorite some seasons back,when he scored an amazing goal against their archrivals Accra Hearts of Oak at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in stoppage time after the champions' lead had been cancelled by a certain Mahatma Otoo.Akuffo sooner than later earned the accolade 'Gadaffi' for his cracking long range distance shot.Last season was no different when he scored important goals for the club even a trademark against an Algerian side in the 2nd leg of CAF league which proved helpless in preventing the champs from exiting the continental tourny however one proved vital when his goal fetch all points agains city rivals AshGold at the Essipong stadium.'Gadaffi' won several caps for the Local Black stars and also has been nominated in one of SWAG's prestigeous awards;the connoisseurs of the game are tipping 'Gadaffi' to be the next big thing to hit Ghana football as his progression increases steadily;One thing the fans like about him is that he hardly if never :flops ¤MICHAEL HELEGBE~Also known as 'Kumasi Messi' played an instrumental role in helping to retain the trophy.A player who was once the captain and talisman of both Liberty Professionals and Black Meteors had his career fall in the ditch when he left for greener pastures overseas;the unfruitful campaign on his part brought him back to the domestic front again this time with Kotoko who were willing to reborn the once darling boy of Liberty Profs though it was a big gamble.However 'Kumasi Messi' delivered by helping clinch the champs 22nd league title playing an all important role and scoring the equalizer against their bitterest rivals Hearts of Oak at the Accra Sports stadium and also a brace to eliminate Sekondi XI Wise at Kumasi in the FA CUP.The pundits and critics were shocked by his exceptional performance in the league which earned him call ups in the Local Black Stars and eventually being made captain of the National side.Above all his humility and sublime footworks will make him ever unique in the 2012/2013 season. This would be a wonderful season for these footballers as big teams all over the world would be knocking hard at their doors to secure their signatures but it is up to the champs to let go or hold tight to these boys;well only time and tide will tell. For me to pick one I'ld go for MICHAEL AKUFFO as my best club player of the season for sheer consistency. If you have your own opinion it's welcomed but if you are at sea on who these dudes are then you missed alot last season however there's a lifeline for yo u to see these boys in action when they play the MTN FA CUP final at the Accra Sports stadium on July 14th against Medeama SC #seasonofglory #kfc