Sports
Leaders Karela face fierce task against Aduana

It might be dawning on Karela United that they can only carve out a piece of history in Ghana football by giving their all in battles ahead of them.
So far, they have been tremendously consistent even though they had fallen a few times in the fierce campaign.
The good thing for the westerners is that they had remained impregnably solid at home until that pride was crushed by Asante Kotoko a couple of weeks ago and as they plunge into battle tomorrow against Aduana Stars, they would be bitterly reminded of that home pain.
For the visitors, they would have to work on their away record, having only notched one in their game against Kotoko on match day 10. Sitting seventh on the league log with four points behind leaders Karela, the Dormaa-based side could count on the experience of their lads such as Yahaya Mohammed, Emmanuel Akuoku, Samuel Bio and a few others, to deliver the goods.
But after going blank in his last two games, Karela’s Diawusie Taylor – who tops the goal chart with 10 goals, could use this test to rediscover his scoring form. The likes of Richard Berko, Umar Bashir and Sadiq Alhassan are all players who can pull the strings for the leaders.
Elsewhere in Techiman, it would be a battle of survival for King Faisal who welcome struggling Liberty Professionals to the Nana Ameyaw Park today.
Both sides have been poor in the campaign with three wins from each side and a point difference between 16th-placed Liberty and 17th-positioned King Faisal.
Faisal still stands a chance of avoiding relegation should they snatch a win against Kotoko in their outstanding game. The count on talisman Kwame Peprah, who hold eight goals for his side, will be huge for the ‘Insha Allahu’ boys. Liberty, on the other hand, will eagerly see the return of Brite Andoh.
At the Golden City Park in Berekum tomorrow, Berekum Chelsea will welcome in-form Medeama in a mouth-watering clash. After a poor start, the Tarkwa-based side has now gone unbeaten in their last meetings as they sit fourth with four points behind Karela. Chelsea on the other hand, have picked up one defeat in their last five games and could be aiming to end the fine form of the visitors.
The return of Ahmed Toure for the Mauve and Yellow lads could be deadly for the hosts as the Ivorian import has scored three goals in his first two games for the side.
Their last trip to Accra resulted in a slim 1-0 defeat to Inter Allies, but poor away travelers WAFA SC, will be eager to make amends against Hearts of Oak tomorrow. The Phobians have gradually found the missing link after the departure of Kosta Papic with two wins and a draw in their last games.
With the announcement of Samuel Boadu as new Hearts gaffer, the former Medeama trainer will take charge of his first game and would hope to start on a good note to seal all three points.
Ebusua Dwarfs will travel to face Bechem United on Sunday afternoon at the Bechem Park in a tight contest. With just a point separating eighth-placed Bechem and 10th-placed Dwarfs, the hosts will hope to keep their fine home form against Dwarfs who also have a good away record with wins against Legon Cities, Liberty Professionals and Inter Allies. A tough game it could turn out to be.
At the Nana Ameyaw Park in Techiman, Eleven Wonders are tipped to see off an improved Legon Cities who have gone five games unbeaten. Nevertheless, Bashir Hayford can make it his second away win of the season and could count on new boy Hans Kwofie, who has found the back of the net three times in two games for the Royals.
High-flying Dreams will lock horns with Great Olympics tomorrow at the Theatre of Dreams in Dawu. Both sides are enjoying a good run in the league and would be aiming to keep their consistency. A ferocious game is guaranteed.
BY LINU SIAW NARTEY
Sports
We look forward to working closely with you for sports development …NSA staff tells Kofi Adams

The Staff of the National Sports Authority (NSA) says they are ready to work closely with Mr Kofi Iddie Adams, Minister for Sports and Recreation.
The staff, in a statement, congratulated Mr Adams for a successful vetting process following his appointment by President John Dramani Mahama.
“Your leadership comes at a crucial time when the image and leadership of the NSA is at its lowest ebb in the eyes of the general public, and we are confident that your vision and commitment will bring remarkable progress to the NSA in particular and the sports sector in general.
As key stakeholders in the administration and development of sports, we look forward to working closely with you to advance policies and initiatives that will uplift sports and recreation in our nation.
We trust that under your stewardship, the NSA, which is the technical wing of the Ministry and thus clothed with the responsibility and mandate to implement sports policies and programmes of the Ministry, will enjoy empowerment through impartial resource allocation, capacity building, human and infrastructure capacity development, as well as constant engagement and consultations regarding sports and all related matters,” the statement said.
The NSA staff also assured the Sports and Recreation Minister of their full support and commitment as they strive to achieve sports excellence. –GNA
Sports
GFA, police must bite harder

If there is a particular group of sports fans expected to learn bitter lessons from hooliganism associated with football, then that must certainly be Ghanaian football fans.
On May 9, 2001, Ghana was hit hardest by what has come to be known as the May 9 football disaster where a total of 126 football fans lost their lives on a chilling evening.
These fans had gone to the Accra Sports Stadium to watch Ghana’s version of the ‘el clasico’ involving Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
However, a referee’s decision that didn’t go well with a section of the fans sparked trouble at the Osu Cemetery end of the stands, resulting in police intervention which went in excess.
Eventually, that huge number of football fans with families and several responsibilities perished, leave that dent on the nation’s sports calendar which is observed every year with a wreath-laying ceremony.
Twenty-four years down the line, events on the football scene suggests that a section of football fans have learnt no lesson from the incident despite the many calls each year to nib that practice in the bud.
Fans continue to misbehave at match venues and take the law into their own hands by causing damage to properties.
Tomorrow is exactly a week when another infamous incident occurred at the Nsoatreman Stadium where the home team, Nsoatreman FC defeated Asante Kotoko by 1-0.
It did not come anywhere near the 2001 incident though, but happenings on the field that led to the death of a Kotoko fan was bad enough to plunge the football fraternity into a sombre mood.
Guided by that history, one would have expected the fans to exercise restraint irrespective of the provocation since there are sanctions to deal with offenders.
Eventually, a husband, father, uncle and many others was murdered in cold blood.
It brings to the fore the challenging circumstances under which football is played in Ghana with security being one of the major headaches.
Reports from some sections have revealed close to 150 police personnel were expected for the match but on the match day, the security presence was nothing to write home about.
And, apart from the Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Cape Coast and Essipun Stadia in the Western region, there are no other facilities good enough to ensure a proper security arrangement.
Most of these venues are fenced with wire mesh which can cave in when fans go on a rampage or under the least pressure.
As if that is not enough, some of these security personnel watch unconcerned when some of these violent acts go on.
As a result, every life in the stadium is endangered when pandemonium breaks out. With such danger looming, football becomes unattractive to many.
Sadly, the FA’s Club Licensing Board have gone ahead to approve some of these venues to host matches.
And with some particular venues gaining notoriety for such incidents, perhaps, this should force the FA to crack the whip.
But since no sanction can be equated to the life lost, it was time the FA employ new mechanisms to make the league very safe for fans.
In Ethiopia and other countries, the leagues are played in a little over three safe and secured venues which practically served as home or away venues for the clubs; even if they are not the original venues.
What this requires is that on match days, games would be divided into two or three groups and shared to the number of venues available.
As is done in Ghana already, match day games can start on Fridays and end on Mondays. In this situation, there would be maximum security to forestall any fans trouble, seeing the numbers of personnel around.
It is surely one of the ways to curb hooliganism which is gradually making the game in Ghana very unattractive and unpopular.
Moreover, it is sad the FA has been hanged and crucified in this manner for a decision of a few football fans to misbehave to put the image of the game in opprobrium.
Being the organisers of the game, the FA cannot escape blame because some concerns about lack of adequate security at venues have not been attended to wholly, apart from the closure for a few days.
Football may be on an indefinite break for now but when it returns, the focus should be on the clubs without secured venues because there are always the trouble grounds.
For those to be identified in the entire brawl, this must be the time for the FA to prove that it has the teeth to bite.
By Andrew Nortey