It’s unfortunate that the league season in my country, Ghana, could not end simultaneously with that of England as planned. I was so excited that for once our local league was going to end as originally programmed but once again something cropped up and a special match in memory of the 127 football fans who were killed in a stampede at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra on May 9 2001 had to be honoured in place of the final league matches.

The Ghanaian football public could hardly complain about the change in the league programme. The general feeling was that, the special match which was played instead of the league schedule between the nation’s two best supported clubs, Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak, was a fitting tribute to the memory of the fans who perished in that worst stadium disaster in Ghana’s football history.  At any rate, the incident happened at the end of a league match between these same two most popular clubs and football purists have all along been worried about the inability of the authorities to arrange the annual memorial match as recommended by the Okudzeto Presidential Commission that probed the disaster.

And so it came to pass that after a series of “peace talks” involving officials of Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak and the Ministry of Sports, it was agreed that the 9^th anniversary of the disaster which incidentally fell on May 9 2010 should be celebrated. And indeed it turned out to be a memorable event. Supporters of both Kotoko and Hearts turned up for the match in quite an appreciable number many of them displaying banners with the inscription “Never again May 9 2001”.

Asante Kotoko added some more spice to the occasion by parading a youthful side that surprisingly succeeded in mesmerizing the regular side of Hearts and ultimately winning the day 1-0. The reaction from the camp of Hearts in dismissing Coach Yusif Abubakar has surprised the football public and the suspicion is that maybe it had already been planned to fire the coach since the day Hearts lost to Kessben in the 13^th week league match against Kessben, a defeat that completely knocked out the defending champions from the title race.

For the records, Coach Abubakar is the fifth to be fired by Hearts within two years.  The others are Eyal Lachman from Israel, Kosta Papic from Serbia, Ghanaian Nii Noi Thompson and Ayman El Yamani from Egypt.

With only a game more to end the league season, some are arguing that Abubakar should have been allowed some respite to play his last game against Heart of Lions in Accra on Wednesday. It could be that not much importance is attached to this last game since Hearts third position on the log can’t be altered no matter the result of the match.

In contrast, there are two exciting matches which would determine the ultimate winner similar to the final matches in the English league where Chelsea, one point ahead of Manchester United had to win to clinch the title. Here in Ghana Obuasi Ashgold lead new entrants Aduana Stars by one point and should beat Bechem Chelsea at Berekum to win their fourth crown in 15 years.

Aduana face regional mates Berekum Arsenal and it would be interesting to see how motivated they would be to stop Aduana Stars from bringing honour to the less endowed football region in Ghana.

As for Ashgold, their supporters will definitely expect them to take inspiration from English Club Chelsea who made sure Abramovich did not throw his millions into the gutter by winning the final match in grand style. Ashgold from the gold mining city are three points ahead and must be able to secure that one point incidentally from the golden city park at Berekum. Many skeptics doubt whether Chelsea would go that extra mile to help Aduana win the league in their very first attempt, something they could not achieve when they made their debut three seasons ago. In local parlance we call it “skinpain”.

No matter what happens at Dormaa and Berekum, the certainty is that for the first time in the 52 year old history of the national league of Ghana the champion club will be crowned in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The region really deserves worthy mention for providing three strong premier divison clubs, Aduana, Arsenal and Chelsea who have really made their presence felt in the competition despite the mild murmurs of protest about  the foreign names adopted by  the last two clubs.

Ironically, whilst Brong Ahafo Region is represented by three solid teams in the premier league the Western region that used to be the cradle for exciting footballers will have no representative next season. Sekondi Eleven Wise affectionately called the “Western Show Boys” and Sekondi Hasaacas dubbed Giants of The West are seriously facing relegation occupying the bottom two in the table.

The two clubs are founding members of the national league in 1958. Sadly, they are most likely to be joined by another founding league member Accra Great Olympics who can only be saved from relegation if only they manage to conjure one of their trade mark wonders and beat Asante Kotoko at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi and if their nearest relegation threatened side Edubiase Stars, lose at home to Liberty Professionals which could be a tall order.

It is obvious that many of the so called traditional clubs who pioneered the league 52 years ago are gradually losing their shine. Maybe the old guards will take some consolation from the fact that Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs, another foundation member that have been in the wilderness for nearly a decade have regained their Premier league status and will be in action next season, thanks to a narow 1-0 win over Medeama of Tarkwa in a deciding match at the Ohene Djan Stadium on Monday.

On the whole, it has been quite a remarkable football season and the pundits who have been clamouring for a halt to the Kotoko – Hearts duopoly of the league would have the last laugh.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports

From My Archives

May 10th 1994: Bryan Robson bows out after 13 years at Manchester United after playing his 534^th game of an illustrious career.

He said “I wish I could lose 10 years to be part of this emerging United. It’s the best side I’ve seen in my long and happy association with the club”.