At the Aliu Mahama Stadium on Wednesday, Tamale City handed Hearts of Oak a 4-1 defeat. Sampson Eduku scored twice in the first half to give the Citizens a 2-0 lead going into halftime. In the 56th minute, Tamale City added another goal through Mohammed Yahaya’s impressive performance.
Although Hearts introduced Gideon Asante and Victor Aidoo for Eric Esso and Suraj Seidu, it was Aidoo who scored just four minutes after coming in to reduce Hearts’ deficit to 2. However, Tamale City sealed their victory with a final goal from Isaac Mensah in stoppage time.
As a result, Hearts of Oak now sit in 5th position, while Tamale City have climbed to 13th with 35 points.
Inaki Williams, the Ghanaian international, has been nominated for the Spanish La Liga Player of the Month award for April.
The Athletic Bilbao attacker has been in exceptional form for his team throughout the month, making him one of the seven players in the running for the award.
The other nominees include Marco Asensio, Ronald Araujo, Antoine Griezmann, Kang-In Lee, Selim Amallah, and Youssef En-Nesyri.
Hearts of Oak suffered a defeat at the hands of Tamale City in week 28 of the Ghana Premier League.
Tamale City, the debutants in the league, secured a 4-1 victory over the Accra-based team at the Aliu Mahama Stadium on Wednesday.
Tamale City’s in-form striker Sampson Eduku scored twice, while Mohammed Yahaya and Isaac Mensah scored one each to help their team clinch a convincing victory.
Tamale City took the lead through Eduku’s penalty in the 17th minute, and he doubled the lead in the 35th minute. Yahaya made it 3-0 before Victor Aidoo pulled one back for Hearts of Oak. Mensah sealed the victory for Tamale City in stoppage time.
The win takes Tamale City to 13th place in the league table with 35 points, while Hearts of Oak drop to 6th place with 42 points after 28 matches.
The Ghana Premier League remains one of the top-flights on the continent to have produced exciting goalkeepers in the past and present.
The league has produced a countless number of professional goalkeepers, although few have been able to move out to join top European teams.
In the professional era, the league brought up Sammy Adjei, George Owu, Osei Boateng, and Eric Nii Baah, just to mention a few.
Currently, the likes of Ibrahim Danlad, Joseph Addo, Felix Kyei, Frederick Asare, and Gregory Sekyere are performing creditably well!
Andrews Owusu is a 22-year-old Ghanaian goalie with Accra Lions Football Club who is one of the best to feature in the 2022–23 Ghana Premier League season.
In the 2022/23 season, which is his maiden season, he has made 24 appearances, keeping eight clean sheets after his debut against Tamale City.
The lanky shot-stopper had his breakthrough at the club this season as the side’s number one shot-stopper following the departure of Frederick Asare and Appiah Kubi.
Andrews Owusu, in an exclusive interview with footy.ghpush.com/, showed a clear idea of who he is, his craft as a goalkeeper, and how he wants his career to progress in the years to come.
He made great revelations, indicating strong sense in his football ideas, his aspirations, and life in general.
The interview spans his rise through the youth sides of the clubs he has played for and the future of his footballing career.
His mother, Stella Owusuaa, and father, Kwabena Tween, hail from Sunyani in the Bono region of Ghana.
Owusu tells how his parents ensured he reached the level he desired in his career.
He joined Accra Lions in the year 2020 after helping Young Apostles FC gain qualification for the Zone of the Division One League.
It is the dream of most players in Africa to join top teams in Europe, and Andrews Owusu is not unaware of the seeming lack of opportunities for African goalkeepers at the top level of world football, but he is confident of reaching the summit of world football in the near future.
Away from football, Andrews Owusu loves watching films and videos that will improve his goalkeeping.
He is hoping to help young people realize their dreams after his football career.
Early playing days:
He started his football career with colt club Young Kotoko in Sunyani before moving to Union Rovers, which is a Division Two outfit.
His performance caught the eye of Division One League side Young Apostles, who were then in Division Two.
He qualified Young Apostles for Division One in the same season he joined before moving to Accra Lions the following season.
Education
Although Andrews Owusu had an interest in becoming a professional player at a young age, his parents, Mr. Kwabena Tween and Mad. Stella Owusuaa, ensured that he had to have an education to a certain level before pursuing his long-term dream.
Andrews Owusu had his basic education in the Bono region before enrolling at Jinijini Senior High School for his secondary education, which was his last level in terms of the education ladder.
During his SHS days, he guided his school to emerge as zonal champions in the soccer competition but placed second in the regional games, which got him selected for the regional team.
He helped the regional team place second in the national games, which were held in Wa.
On His Role Model
My role model is the person who usually stands in front of me to teach me, so my team’s goalkeeper trainer, Osei Boateng, is one of them.
What most people don’t know is that I used to play before quitting for the goalkeeping role.
In those days, you hardly got videos of goalkeepers on the local scene.
But I was hearing about former Ghana goalkeeper Abukari Damba on the radio frequently, so I said to myself that I’d work hard to become like him.
Since then, I have been following everything about him and listening to him as well.
Life at Accra Lions
The Scouts of Accra Lions were impressed with my performance after guiding Young Apostles to the Division One League.
My days at the Lions have not been easy because we had good goalkeepers and needed to compete with the likes of Frederick Asare (currently with Kotoko) and Appiah Kubi (also with Medeama). Both helped me a lot. We had a healthy competition.
The officials were good to me, as they had confidence in me that I would be great despite the presence of those two goalkeepers. We have a great relationship. I am glad that I’m playing for them.
National team call-up
Sure, that is very important. I am hoping to earn a call-up to one of the national teams one day. I need to exhibit my talent to the world, and I know that if I keep doing the right things, I will surely get the call-up.
On Accra Lions winning the 2022–23 league
It is the aim of every team in the league to win the trophy at stake. When we started the season, the FA Cup was our main target, but unfortunately, we were kicked out in the first round.
It’s the aim of every player to win a trophy in his football career, so it’s my wish that we win this year’s league. Because one of my goals is to win a trophy for the club.
Moving abroad
It depends. I know I will move outside after my stint with Accra Lions. I know it’s difficult because you hardly see goalkeepers joining European teams from Africa, but I believe in myself. I see myself as someone who can reach that level.
I have the feeling that after this season or next, I will achieve that.
On Ghana League competitiveness
It’s difficult. From afar, you might think it’s easy. I had the same thought before seeing the opportunity in the posts. The points gap in the current league should tell you that it’s not that easy.
Clearly, you can see that our football is developing. It’s a tough league. Nine games to end the season, but no clear-cut winner. I never expected it to be this way. It’s been a tough season.
On Chris Hughton’s visit to league centers
It’s a big motivation for every player, including myself. I know that with a great performance in the presence of the Black Stars coach, I would get a national team call. It’s a good thing he has started. His presence alone makes us do something extra.
David Ocloo, the interim coach of Hearts of Oak, has released the squad list for their upcoming match in matchday 28 of the Ghana Premier League against Tamale City on Wednesday.
Albert Diego Dieudonne Eonde and Jeordan Otanga are back in the squad. Eonde missed the last game against Bechem United due to injury, while Otanga was suspended for accumulating yellow cards. The match will take place at the Aliu Mahama Stadium in Tamale at 3:00 pm.
The Phobians aim to secure a positive outcome against City to keep their hopes of winning the league high, following their 1-0 loss to Bechem United last weekend.
Below is Hearts of Oak’s traveling squad to face Tamale City:
Despite struggling in the ongoing 2022/23 Ghana Premier League season, Samuel Inkoom believes that Hearts of Oak still have a chance to become champions.
The team’s poor start led to the sacking of Samuel Boadu, and after a short stint, Serbian manager Slavko Matic was replaced following a poor run of results.
Assistant coach David Ocloo has since taken charge until the end of the season. With only 42 points in fifth place after 27 games, Inkoom remains optimistic about the team’s chances and believes in their strong team spirit.
Following their defeat to Bechem United, Inkoom expressed confidence that they can win all three points in their upcoming match against Tamale City and still win the Premier League title, citing the team’s quality as their main strength.
“I believe in the team because we have a good team spirit among ourselves,” he said after their defeat to Bechem United on Saturday
“We are playing Tamale City in midweek and I believe we can go there and win all three points.
“I am confident Hearts of Oak can still win the Premier League because we have quality and I believe that we can do it,” he added.
Samuel Inkoom, a defender for Hearts of Oak, has criticized the match officials’ decision after their defeat to Bechem United.
The Phobians lost 1-0 at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park during matchday 27.
Hearts’ left-back, Dennis Korsah tripped Clinton Doudu in the box as referee Joseph Kwoffie pointed to the spot without hesitating. The league’s top scorer, Konkoni, stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
However, Inkoom believes that the referees made the wrong call in awarding the penalty kick that resulted in Bechem United’s only goal.
He stated that such decisions are what tarnish the Ghana Premier League’s reputation and added that the infringement was not close to being a penalty.
“The infringement was not close to a penalty,” he told the press after the game. If we want the Ghana Premier League to be exciting, referees must stop making such decisions”
“It’s sad because that was never a penalty,” he added.
Hearts of Oak is currently in fifth place on the league table with 42 points and will be playing Tamale City in the matchday 28 games at the Aliu Mahama Stadium on Wednesday.
Ghanaian youngster Ernest Poku scored a brace as his side, AZ Alkmaar U19, mauled HNK Hajduk U19 5-0 to lift the UEFA Youth League title on Monday at Stade de Geneve.
Compatriot Jayden Addai also scored as they dominated the Croatian outfit in a one-sided game.
Addai opened the scoring from the spot in the 45th minute from the penalty won by Ernest Poku, with AZ Alkmaar going into the break with an advantage.
AZ Alkmaar ran out comfortable winners on the day over their Croatian opposition.
The 19-year-old Ernest Poku has 8 goals in 9 games in the UEFA Youth League, with Jayden Addai bagging 4 goals in 8 matches with goalkeeper Jayden Owusu-Oduro keeping five clean sheets in nine games.
🇳🇱🇬🇭 Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro in the UEFA Youth League:
👤 9 games 🧤 5 clean sheets ❌ Saved two penalties in the shootout in the semi-finals vs Sporting
James Kwesi Appiah, a former Ghanaian football player and coach, has expressed gratitude towards Asante Kotoko for positively influencing his life.
During his playing days, Appiah won several league titles, FA Cups, and the CAF Champions League with the team.
After retiring from playing, he started coaching and was given his first opportunity by Kotoko to serve as an assistant coach.
Speaking in an interview with KINGSTVGH, Appiah credited his success to the club and stated that he would find it difficult to demand payment from them.
“For me, Kotoko have done more than enough for me. I am who I am because of the club, I played and started my coaching from Kotoko,” the former Black Stars gaffer said. “It will be difficult for me to demand money from Kotoko before working for them but when we get to the river, we will cross it” he added.
He recently left Kenpong Soccer Academy and is currently without a club. Asante Kotoko is set to play against Aduana Stars in a matchday 27 game at the Baba Yara Stadium this weekend.
