Liberty proposes memorial match against Hearts

Accra, June 9, GNA - Liberty Professionals Football Club has proposed a memorial match to be played in honour of Emmanuel Ofei Ansah, head coach of Accra Hearts of Oak who died last Wednesday.

Ofei Ansah guided his team to victory in a gruelling league match against city rivals, Dansoman-based liberty Professionals at the Ohene Djan Sports stadium in the eighth-week GT Premier League match on Tuesday. He later collapsed and was immediately rushed to the Ridge Hospital in Accra but unfortunately he passed away in the early hours of Wednesday.

Alhaji Sly Tetteh, President of Liberty Professionals Football Club in a statement copied to the GNA Sports Desk expressed the Club's deep-felt condolence to both the bereaved family and Club. He said he hoped the special match between the two sides in memory of 'this humble Coach who dedicated his entire life to the cause of Accra Hearts of Oak and died in the line of duty' would be a worthy cause.

The statement said, "The coach had just started to settle down after guiding Hearts to a resounding 1-0 victory over Liberty last Tuesday but alas when things had started to go well with the indomitable O! Ansah, the icy hands of death felt it was time for him to move on". Coach Offei Ansah who was 52, started out as a footballer with Hearts in 1973, after a brief stay with the club's nursery team, Auroras and later branched into coaching after 13 years of an active football career

The Coach, who died in the line of duty, was reported to have visited the hospital earlier on Tuesday ahead of the epic match with a cardio related illness but however managed to join the team's bench to guide his side to the much needed victory. In recent times, Ofei Ansah ably partnered former head coach, Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, now with Liberty to conquer Africa in the Champions League in 2000 and the Super Cup in the same year.