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13.01.2021 League Report

Match Report: Great Olympics 1-2 Ashgold

13.01.2021 LISTEN
By Diccey baffoe

One of the match awaited games in GPL week 8 was the Adade boys (Great Olympics) who hosted the Aboa kese (Ashgold) in the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, 10th January, 2020. Great Olympics were looking to bounce back after their defeat to Aduana Stars in match week seven. Coach Ibrahim stepped in for Annor Walker who is reported to be sick for some time now. Greta Olympics started with Saed Salifu in post, Philip Sackey, David Amuzu, Jamal Deen Haruna, and Ebenezer Sekyere at defense. Michael Otou, Razak Kasim and captain Gladson Awako in the middle of the pitch, Michael Yeboah, Samuel Ashie Quaye supporting Manaf Mudasiru upfront in a 4-3-2-1 system. AshantiGold were coming into this game with full confidence after overturning a goal lead by Berekum Chelsea into a 2-1 victory at Obuasi on match week seven. Coach Milovan Cirkovic went with his usual 4-4-2, that is, Felix Clottey, Apem Dacosta, Frank Akoto Michael Enu, Samed Ibrahim at the back, Eric Esso, Appiah MacCarthy, Amos Addai and David Abagna Sandan completing the midfield four, Hans Kwofie and Isaac Opoku Agyemang were the men upfront.

The referee for the game was Abdulai Ibrahim. The match started with intensity from Ashanti Gold making their intentions clear with a quick one-two pass exchanged between Hans Kwofie and Appiah MacCarthy where Appiah MacCarthy shot from 25m away from goal but went wide just two minutes into the game. Ashgold continued with their free flow football in the half of Great Olympics and had the same situation but this time around got blocked in the box of Great Olympics by Ebenezer Sekyere after a Hans Kwofie set up David Abagna in a quick transition into Olympics final third in the 6th minutes. The pressure kept on mounting on the Adade boys as Isaac Opoku Agyemang tried an audacious over head kick from Ampem Dacosta’s cross from the right which went wide on the 12th minutes. After a glimpse of dominance from Ashgold, it looked like it was the turn of the home boys. A long was sent into the area of Ashgold but was not cleared properly as it picked up by Michael Otou in the middle, who locates his captain (Gladson Awako) in zone 14, who does a half turn on the defense of Great Olympics, shot from 22m with a technique, which went into the right corner of the post of Felix Clottey after diving all he can. Great Olympics leads 1-0 on the 14th minutes. With Great Olympics dictating the pace, a long pass was sent from Michael Otou to Mudasiru Manaf on the left wing, he beats his marker and sends in a cut back to Michael Otou again but he played it into the waiting hands of Felix Clottey on the 18th minutes. Michael Yeboah interlaces through the Great Olympics defense and wins himself a free kick but plays it over the bar in the 22nd minutes. Ashgold wins the ball against the run of play where David Abagna finds Hans Kwofie in the six yard box crosses the ball to him but could not connect the ball as it went out of touch in the 31st minutes. In the 37th minutes, Mudasiru Manaf linked up with Samuel Ashie Quaye on the left wing who sent in a low cross across the face of goal but Michael Yeboah could not connect it into the back of the net. With three minutes extra time to end the first half, Great Olympics lost concentration as Isaac Opoku Agyemang weaved through with a through pass to Amos Addai in the 18 yard box, who takes a first touch and sends it low pass Saed Salifu, 1-1, game on. The first half ended in one all.

Referee Abdulai Ibrahim whistled for the second half to begin. Ashgold picked up from where they left off before the break after Isaac Opoku Agyemang picked up a pass from Hans Kwofie, beats his marker and finds Yaw Annor who came to replace the first goal scorer (Amos Addai) in the zone 14 exactly where Gladson Awako had his shot, he also turns and shot into the right corner of the post of Saed Salifu who could not do anything about it, 1-2, Ashgold leads just after recess in the 46th minutes. Great Olympics came close after a penalty call on Samuel Ashie Quaye when he had a tussle with Eric Esso but the referee was close to see the incidence and waved play on in the 49th minutes. Manaf Mudasiru heads wide a free-kick that was 30m away from goal that was taken by Kasim Razak in the 56 minutes. Great Olympics came close in the 60th and 71st minutes through Michael Otou shot but was blocked and a corner from Awako finds Ebenezer Sekyere but was just a whisker away from equalizing. After 90 minutes plus added time (4 minutes), the referee blew his whistle to bring the proceedings an end with the away team carrying all the three points to Obuasi (final score: 1-2 for Ashgold).

Great Olympics will be crestfallen for not getting at least a point from this game but will be looking forward to bounce back to winning ways. It is already back to back defeat and they come against their regional rivals Inter Allies in their next game. On the part of Ashgold, they will be looking forward to continuing their fine form as they face the never give lads (Medeama SC) in Obuasi in their forthcoming game.

Writer: Kwesi Baffoe

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