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Addressing Koopman’s conundrum
Coach Martin Koopman
When Accra Hearts of Oak newly signed on coach, Martin Koopman, announced last week that the club’s problems in the four-week old Ghana Premier League (GPL) season was due to the absence of a quality striker, he was doubted to be the right man for the job.
Koopman’s assessment of the team has generated argument not just among Phobian faithful over his competence and ability to steer the Rainbow boys to the ‘Promised Land.’
Rival fans have mocked the coach. Sympathisers also appear divided with Koopman’s assertion.
And just when concerns over finding a quality striker appear to be dyeing down, Koopman released another bombshell, telling his followers after drawing goalless with Dreams FC that four weeks into the new
season, he still does not have a regular first eleven.
Under normal circumstances, such concerns should not irritate the team’s followers because these are elements or factors a team needs to deliver.
“I am still looking for my best 11 to start and win games for Hearts; for now, I will keep trying the players until I get the right blend for the right results,” he told the media on Sunday.
The above presupposes that Koopman’s conundrum was far from over at least until he finds two things – a competent striker and a first eleven or starting team.
But one may quickly ask what has suddenly changed about a team that went on a goal-scoring spree during the pre-season; registering over 35 goals in the process.
Fascinatingly, the team keep scoring a lot of goals in the newly introduced recovery games after their league matches.
That, perhaps, should give credence to Koopman’s earlier claim that the problem should be laid at the doorstep of the team’s management for not helping him address the striking challenges.
Hearts’ only win in the competition has come against Nsoatreman at the Accra Sports Stadium with Congolese striker, Kashala Wanet, scoring the only goal of the match.
The Phobians have gone blank in the other games and that must certainly be a worry for a concerned coach who is obviously becoming frustrated with little or no effort from his bosses to address those concerns.
Interestingly, Wanet, the striker that saved his (Koopman) skin against Nsoatreman is the same player the coach is blaming for the team’s woes and asking to step up or face the drop.
In their last game, Wanet lasted for only 45 minutes, indicating Koopman’s dissatisfaction with the striker.
In the weeks before, Koopman had expressed hopes to sign another striker to strengthen the attacking department of the team, and to complement the efforts of Wanet.
In a no holds barred interview, the Dutch trainer made it clear the club was suffering from the exit of former striker,Issah Kukah, to KF Shkupi of North Macedonia on loan.
“I missed Kukah in this game (against Nsoatreman). I saw a lot of moments that he could have scored for us. We worked on him to bring him to that level but he’s gone. That is painful.”
Sadly for Koopman, that vacuum left by Kukah’s exit was expected to be filled by a Kassim Cissé from Cote d’Ivoire “but there is a problem that is above me. He trains with us. The board has brought him for me, but I want them to work on him, so he can start to play.”
Kassim is believed to be the architect, masterminding the pre-season and recovery games display for the Phobians but the failure to iron out registration issues has delayed his participation in the league.
That clearly underlines Koopman’s obstruction as he aims to remain with the elites to make a big title charge but having spelt it out clearly, it appears he has no other plan apart from the Kassim Cisse inclusion. It is a requirement the club’s management must meet, according to Koopman, to make the Phobians what they want to be.
By Andrew Nortey
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
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Cervical Cancer alert: Avoid sex at early age
The Programmes Manager of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Mary Efua Commeh, has advised young girls to avoid sex at an early age.
This, she explained, will give the cervix the opportunity to mature before they become sexually active.
“You need to delay what we call the first sexual intercourse as much as possible to give the cervix the opportunity to mature before the person becomes sexually active,” she said.
Dr Commeh stated this in an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Tuesday as a part of the Cervical Cancer awareness month.
According to her, cervical cancer was the second leading female cancer in Ghana with a total of about 3,072 cases annually, and out of that, 1,815 deaths are recorded, representing more than 50 per cent.
She indicated that “If young girls are going to be sexually active, then you need to talk to your parents about being vaccinated.”
She explained that vaccinating young girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be a very effective way of preventing cervical cancer.
“There are countries that started HPV vaccination years ago and they are not seeing any cervical cancers now because they would have eliminated most of the high-risk HPVs in their women. So if the high-risk HPV is not there, then obviously the results on cervical cancers are going to go down,” she added.
Dr Commmey said the HPV vaccination is recommended for young girls aged nine to 14 years, adding that it had been found to be highly effective, not just for cervical cancers but for other HPV-related cancers, such as anal cancers, cancers of the vagina, genital warts, amongst others.
She further elaborated that the idea is to put up a barrier before the HPV comes in and that once a young female encounters it, she is already protected.
She also mentioned that for cervical cancers, the main cause is called HPV infection, saying generally, all sexually active women acquire HPV at some point in their lives.
However, the Programmes Manager of NCDs at the GHS mentioned that the body has a way of clearing the HPV, explaining that it is a natural mechanism that goes on, unfortunately, there are a few women whose HPV persists.
Moreover, she noted that the numbers for Cervical Cancer tend to be much higher because at times, clients would wait, and try all sorts of medications before they finally report to the health facility saying “we actually lose some women before they get to the hospitals with over 75 per cent of the cases coming in its third and fourth stages.”
Dr Commey, therefore, called for public awareness while ensuring the availability of information for prevention and control.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
