Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
THE last stage of group matches in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations ends in Tamale today with Group D teams upping their games to gain qualification into the next round of the tournament.
The Carthage Eagles of Tunisia lock horns with the Palancas Negras of Angola in Tamale, while the Bafana Bafana of South Africa and the Teranga Lions of Senegal battle it out at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi. Both matches will be played simultaneously at 5p.m.
Tunisia and Angola top the group with four points apiece, with Senegal and South Africa trailing them with a point each.
All the Carthage Eagles and the Palancas Negras need is a draw to enable them qualify from the group.
If that happens, then the results of the match between Bafana Bafana and Teranga Lions will be insignificant.
It is for this reason that fans would expect a very competitive duel between Tunisia and Angola to do away with fears being harboured by many that the two teams may play it soft to their own advantage.
Both teams have, however, discounted such unfounded suspicions and said they are going to put up their best to win the match to brighten their chances in subsequent matches and for record purposes.
Tunisia coach, Roger Lemerre, said he was taking one game at a time and promised to come out with a workable strategy to enable his team to fetch the maximum three points at stake.
For his part, Coach Oliviera Goncalves of Angola said his youthful team was prepared to carry the day to boost their morale. He commended his boys for their vintage performance so far.
Angola will certainly want to advance to the quarter-finals for the first time after failed attempts in 1996, 1998 and 2006.
The Palancas Negras, who will host the next Africa Cup of Nations in 2010, hope to achieve this feat by relying on both experience and youthfulness.
Their linchpin and Manchester United-bound Alberto Mateus Manucho, who has so far scored three goals, will lead the Angolan attack, with support from Amando Flavio, who scored their only goal in their 1-1 draw against Iran at Germany 2006, and Batista Nsimba, who was voted the man of the match in their last game.
As to whether Carlos Alonso and his colleagues, who worked tirelessly to contain the Senegalese attack in their last game, would be able to match up to the fast pace and skilful Tunisians is what fans are awaiting to witness at the Tamale stadium today.
But the likes of Francileudo dos Santos, who has netted two goals so far, Mejdi Traoui who has a goal to his credit, and Issam Jemaa of Caen Club in France will be thorns in the flesh of the Angolan defence.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
CAMEROUN, EGYPT QUALIFY FROM GROUP C ...Eto'o sets all time record (1b)
Story: Kwame Asare Boadu in Kumasi
& Zakaria Alhassan in Tamale
EQYPT and Cameroun yesterday emerged the top nations in Group C at the ongoing MTN 26th Africa Cup of Nations tournament to ensure their places in the quarter-final round of the competition.
But at the end of the day, it was Camerounian striker Samuel Eto’o Fils, who cut a significant slice of football history as he eclipsed Ivorian legend Laurent Pokou to become the Africa Cup of Nations all-time leading goal scorer after scoring twice in the Indomitable Lions’ 3-0 victory over the Sokoor Al-Jediane of The Sudan at the Tamale Stadium.
His goals, one in each half of the match, took the striker’s tally to 16, two goals more than the 38-year-old record held by Pokou who achieved the magical 14-goal mark at the 1970 Nations Cup in Sudan.
Cameroun’s emphatic victory not only propelled the team into the quarter-finals stage of the tournament but also sent The Sudan packing home as the only team which failed to score a single goal in the tournament after losing all group matches.
It was a double celebration for the Barcelona striker who was voted MTN Man of the Match and also became the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals. His record-shattering goal came in the 25th minute through spot kick after team-mate Achille Emma was heavily brought down in the penalty box.
Cameroun’s opening goal appeared to have unsettled the Sudanese who subsequently lost focus and succumbed to intense pressure after conceding an own goal in the 34th minute when the ball bounced off Mohammed Alikhidir.
The well-composed Sudanese defence, built around Kuku Damar, Lado Jastein and Hado Yousif frustrated the hungry Lions attackers who were on the prowl in search for more goals.
Determined to redeem their battered image in the tournament, Sudan resumed the second half more strongly but failed to utilise the scoring chances that came their way as they paid dearly for poor shooting and hardly troubled Cameroun goalie Idriss Kameni.
In the dying minutes of the game, Eto’o raised the bar even higher with his all-time 16th goal after capitalising on a counter-attack to fire home Cameroun’s third goal.
Sudan’s only consolation was the Samsung Fair Play award won by Mustafa Karar.
And in Kumasi, hopes by Egypt to complete the group outings unblemished fizzled out as a determined Zambia held them to 1-1 drawn game at the Baba Yara Stadium last night.
The North Africans had plucked a first half goal and were coasting to a marginal victory when the Chipolopolo clawed back valiantly in the 88th minute.
But the Egyptians who topped the group on seven points would remain in Kumasi to meet the runner-up in Group D in the quarter finals.
A vociferous group of supporters from Cairo numbering about 100 and sponsored by Pepsi provided an inspirational back-up to the Pharaohs but that was not enough for the Egyptians to finish on a clean sheet. By the 10th minute it had become clear that the battle was going to be fought on an even keel.
Zambia were defiant even under excessive pressure, fortifying their defence and trying to catch the Egyptians on the break through the middle.
Lanky Zambian striker Jacob Mulenga and skipper Christopher Katongo kept showing signs of changing the game in their favour but persistently lacked the fire power to find a way past experienced Egyptian goalkeeper Esam El-Hadary.
Finding himself in firing range in the 21st minute, Mulenga attempted to deceive El-Hadary with a back flick but failed, while Katongo was denied in the box in the 25th minute by Wahed Said.
When they attempted to secure the wings, Egypt probed for the opener which came after 15minutes.
A sweeping move from the middle saw wing back Wahed Said released in space on the left , and he swung in a crosss for Zamelek striker Amr Zaky to whip the ball past Michal Poto in post for Zambia.
The pendulum remained balanced but it remained clear that Hosni, Abdrabou was missing the partnership of Mohammed Zidan who was kept on the bench by trainer Hassan Shehata.
The Chipolopolo’s game plan was to deplore more men on Hosni and whereas the Ismaily midfielder remained anonymous in the game, the Egyptians could harldy click.
Malian referee Coulibaly Koman booked Zambia’s Isaac Chansa in the 41st minute for a violent tackle as the Zambians tried to cut out the Pharaohs from all angles.
Amr Zaky came up with some unpardonable misses in the second part of the game and he was pulled out after 60minutes for Mohammed Abou Treka.
Zidan was also introduced into the game in the second half but his typical surging runs were absent as Joseph Musonda and Hmonde Hichani trapped him in his tracks.
Unconvinced by the Zambians inability to advance, Coach Patrick Phiri came up with substitutions and this turned the game in their favour. Substitute Phiri Adubelo who replaced Mulenga was industrious and the Egyptian backline found him difficult to handle.
The equalizing goal came two minutes to regulation time when Katongo who had dashed to the left trapped a long ball and turned his marker inside out before powering a right-footed angle shot past El-Hadary. It was a brilliant goal and the Egyptians attempt to fight back failed.
& Zakaria Alhassan in Tamale
EQYPT and Cameroun yesterday emerged the top nations in Group C at the ongoing MTN 26th Africa Cup of Nations tournament to ensure their places in the quarter-final round of the competition.
But at the end of the day, it was Camerounian striker Samuel Eto’o Fils, who cut a significant slice of football history as he eclipsed Ivorian legend Laurent Pokou to become the Africa Cup of Nations all-time leading goal scorer after scoring twice in the Indomitable Lions’ 3-0 victory over the Sokoor Al-Jediane of The Sudan at the Tamale Stadium.
His goals, one in each half of the match, took the striker’s tally to 16, two goals more than the 38-year-old record held by Pokou who achieved the magical 14-goal mark at the 1970 Nations Cup in Sudan.
Cameroun’s emphatic victory not only propelled the team into the quarter-finals stage of the tournament but also sent The Sudan packing home as the only team which failed to score a single goal in the tournament after losing all group matches.
It was a double celebration for the Barcelona striker who was voted MTN Man of the Match and also became the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals. His record-shattering goal came in the 25th minute through spot kick after team-mate Achille Emma was heavily brought down in the penalty box.
Cameroun’s opening goal appeared to have unsettled the Sudanese who subsequently lost focus and succumbed to intense pressure after conceding an own goal in the 34th minute when the ball bounced off Mohammed Alikhidir.
The well-composed Sudanese defence, built around Kuku Damar, Lado Jastein and Hado Yousif frustrated the hungry Lions attackers who were on the prowl in search for more goals.
Determined to redeem their battered image in the tournament, Sudan resumed the second half more strongly but failed to utilise the scoring chances that came their way as they paid dearly for poor shooting and hardly troubled Cameroun goalie Idriss Kameni.
In the dying minutes of the game, Eto’o raised the bar even higher with his all-time 16th goal after capitalising on a counter-attack to fire home Cameroun’s third goal.
Sudan’s only consolation was the Samsung Fair Play award won by Mustafa Karar.
And in Kumasi, hopes by Egypt to complete the group outings unblemished fizzled out as a determined Zambia held them to 1-1 drawn game at the Baba Yara Stadium last night.
The North Africans had plucked a first half goal and were coasting to a marginal victory when the Chipolopolo clawed back valiantly in the 88th minute.
But the Egyptians who topped the group on seven points would remain in Kumasi to meet the runner-up in Group D in the quarter finals.
A vociferous group of supporters from Cairo numbering about 100 and sponsored by Pepsi provided an inspirational back-up to the Pharaohs but that was not enough for the Egyptians to finish on a clean sheet. By the 10th minute it had become clear that the battle was going to be fought on an even keel.
Zambia were defiant even under excessive pressure, fortifying their defence and trying to catch the Egyptians on the break through the middle.
Lanky Zambian striker Jacob Mulenga and skipper Christopher Katongo kept showing signs of changing the game in their favour but persistently lacked the fire power to find a way past experienced Egyptian goalkeeper Esam El-Hadary.
Finding himself in firing range in the 21st minute, Mulenga attempted to deceive El-Hadary with a back flick but failed, while Katongo was denied in the box in the 25th minute by Wahed Said.
When they attempted to secure the wings, Egypt probed for the opener which came after 15minutes.
A sweeping move from the middle saw wing back Wahed Said released in space on the left , and he swung in a crosss for Zamelek striker Amr Zaky to whip the ball past Michal Poto in post for Zambia.
The pendulum remained balanced but it remained clear that Hosni, Abdrabou was missing the partnership of Mohammed Zidan who was kept on the bench by trainer Hassan Shehata.
The Chipolopolo’s game plan was to deplore more men on Hosni and whereas the Ismaily midfielder remained anonymous in the game, the Egyptians could harldy click.
Malian referee Coulibaly Koman booked Zambia’s Isaac Chansa in the 41st minute for a violent tackle as the Zambians tried to cut out the Pharaohs from all angles.
Amr Zaky came up with some unpardonable misses in the second part of the game and he was pulled out after 60minutes for Mohammed Abou Treka.
Zidan was also introduced into the game in the second half but his typical surging runs were absent as Joseph Musonda and Hmonde Hichani trapped him in his tracks.
Unconvinced by the Zambians inability to advance, Coach Patrick Phiri came up with substitutions and this turned the game in their favour. Substitute Phiri Adubelo who replaced Mulenga was industrious and the Egyptian backline found him difficult to handle.
The equalizing goal came two minutes to regulation time when Katongo who had dashed to the left trapped a long ball and turned his marker inside out before powering a right-footed angle shot past El-Hadary. It was a brilliant goal and the Egyptians attempt to fight back failed.
Monday, January 28, 2008
ANGOLA SHOCK SENEGAL 3-1 (Back Page)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
A TACTICALLY disciplined and determined Palancas Negras of Angola yesterday brightened their chances of advancing past the group stage of the MTN Africa Cup of Nations for the first time after taming the Teranga Lions of Senegal 3-1 in Tamale.
Three well-struck goals by Angola, two of them scored through powerful headers in the second half, dazed the Senegalese who lost focus and began chasing their opponents’ shadows on the field in the cold harmattan weather in a desperate bid to redeem their image.
In their three previous Nations Cup appearances in 1996, 1998 and 2006, Angola were eliminated in the first round but yesterday they had other ideas and unleashed a torrent of attacking football that caught the Lions off guard after the Lions had taken a first half lead through Abdoulaye Faye who opened the floodgates with a 19th minute headed goal.
The Angolans fought back and cancelled the lead on 30 minutes when Alberto Mateus, alias Manucho, outjumped the Senegalese defenders to head home a deserved equaliser.
The Palancas Negras found their rhythm and continued to push forward, stringing together a combination of short and long passes, with Amado Flavio running the show from midfield, and two-goal hero Manucho providing the killer punch in attack. Their telepathic passes, combined with individual brilliance, were greeted with deafening cheers and applause by their supporters until Manucho shot his side into the lead in the 66th minute when he took advantage of a goalmouth scramble to score from a tap-in.
With their pride at stake, the Senegalese doubled their efforts and tried to outwit their opponents with counter-attacks, but they met a resolute Angolan defence marshalled by Carlos Alonso and his lieutenants who thwarted the efforts of the Lions, led in attack by skipper El Hadji Diouf.
Coach Henry Kasperczak brought on Babacar Gueye for Frederic Mendy in the 61st minute, while Henri Camara took over from Diomansy Kamara in the 68th minute to beef up the attack but neither player could turn the game around.
Indeed, on a day that the inspirational captain Diouf failed to glitter, coupled with the lacklustre performance of their previously reliable goalkeeper, Tony Sylva, the Lions could not break the resolve of the more aggressive Angolan side which was desperately searching for more goals to seal the doom of the former.
With time running out on Senegal to claw back into the game, Al Ahli striker Flavio drilled the final nail in their coffin as he scored Angola’s third goal in the 78th minute when he headed home a well-taken corner kick.
It was double celebration for Angola as Batista Nsimba was voted the man of the match, while Moustapha Bayal received the fair play award.
A TACTICALLY disciplined and determined Palancas Negras of Angola yesterday brightened their chances of advancing past the group stage of the MTN Africa Cup of Nations for the first time after taming the Teranga Lions of Senegal 3-1 in Tamale.
Three well-struck goals by Angola, two of them scored through powerful headers in the second half, dazed the Senegalese who lost focus and began chasing their opponents’ shadows on the field in the cold harmattan weather in a desperate bid to redeem their image.
In their three previous Nations Cup appearances in 1996, 1998 and 2006, Angola were eliminated in the first round but yesterday they had other ideas and unleashed a torrent of attacking football that caught the Lions off guard after the Lions had taken a first half lead through Abdoulaye Faye who opened the floodgates with a 19th minute headed goal.
The Angolans fought back and cancelled the lead on 30 minutes when Alberto Mateus, alias Manucho, outjumped the Senegalese defenders to head home a deserved equaliser.
The Palancas Negras found their rhythm and continued to push forward, stringing together a combination of short and long passes, with Amado Flavio running the show from midfield, and two-goal hero Manucho providing the killer punch in attack. Their telepathic passes, combined with individual brilliance, were greeted with deafening cheers and applause by their supporters until Manucho shot his side into the lead in the 66th minute when he took advantage of a goalmouth scramble to score from a tap-in.
With their pride at stake, the Senegalese doubled their efforts and tried to outwit their opponents with counter-attacks, but they met a resolute Angolan defence marshalled by Carlos Alonso and his lieutenants who thwarted the efforts of the Lions, led in attack by skipper El Hadji Diouf.
Coach Henry Kasperczak brought on Babacar Gueye for Frederic Mendy in the 61st minute, while Henri Camara took over from Diomansy Kamara in the 68th minute to beef up the attack but neither player could turn the game around.
Indeed, on a day that the inspirational captain Diouf failed to glitter, coupled with the lacklustre performance of their previously reliable goalkeeper, Tony Sylva, the Lions could not break the resolve of the more aggressive Angolan side which was desperately searching for more goals to seal the doom of the former.
With time running out on Senegal to claw back into the game, Al Ahli striker Flavio drilled the final nail in their coffin as he scored Angola’s third goal in the 78th minute when he headed home a well-taken corner kick.
It was double celebration for Angola as Batista Nsimba was voted the man of the match, while Moustapha Bayal received the fair play award.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
CHANCES REALLY OPEN IN GROUP D (Back Page)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
THE chances of group ‘D’ teams in the ongoing MTN African Cup of Nations for qualification to the next stage of the competition have been thrown open following the two drawn games registered in their first matches played at the magnificent Tamale sports stadium last Wednesday.
It is for this reason that their numerous fans are waiting anxiously to know the fate of their respective countries, come Sunday January 27, when the men would be separated from the boys on the lush playing field at the stadium.
The four Tamale-based teams are the Palancas Negras of Angola, Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, Bafana Bafana of South Africa and Teranga Lions of Senegal.
In last Wednesday’s opening matches, Tunisia and Senegal treated fans to an exhilarating 2-2 drawn game, while in the second match Angola and South Africa also sold out an entertaining football to the cheering crowd. It ended 1-1.
As a result, all the four teams have three points each but only separated by goals aggregate. It is for this reason that fans in Tamale are discussing the chances of the teams in their next matches tomorrow.
The first match will be between Senegal and Angola at 5pm, while Tunisia and South Africa would also lock horns at 7 p.m.
The Bafana Bafana Coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira was right after all when he described the group as fairly balanced, and that ‘‘any team that qualifies from our group is likely to go far in this tournament.’’
Senegalese midfielder, Kamara Diomansy, is hopeful that the Teranga Lions have the potential to lift the unity cup for the first time in this tournament. He was happy that his team was able to secure a draw with Tunisia whom he described as a good team.
Diomansy, who clinched the second goal in the game and was also voted the man of the match in the said match, gave the assurance that, ‘‘I am prepared to score more goals in our subsequent matches.’’
The Angolan Coach, Oliviera Goncalves, also observed that African Football had come of age with every team having its own uniqueness to excel.
According to him, even though his boys caused some blunders in their match against South Africa that resulted in the equalizing goal in the 87th minute, ‘‘we hope to do better in our remaining matches.’’
The technical brain of the Carthage Eagles, Roger Lemere, described this year’s tournament as the most competitive, and that each of the competing teams had the ability to cause upsets.
Come tomorrow, the field will surely determine which of the four teams would qualify to the next stage of the competition. Time will surely tell.
THE chances of group ‘D’ teams in the ongoing MTN African Cup of Nations for qualification to the next stage of the competition have been thrown open following the two drawn games registered in their first matches played at the magnificent Tamale sports stadium last Wednesday.
It is for this reason that their numerous fans are waiting anxiously to know the fate of their respective countries, come Sunday January 27, when the men would be separated from the boys on the lush playing field at the stadium.
The four Tamale-based teams are the Palancas Negras of Angola, Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, Bafana Bafana of South Africa and Teranga Lions of Senegal.
In last Wednesday’s opening matches, Tunisia and Senegal treated fans to an exhilarating 2-2 drawn game, while in the second match Angola and South Africa also sold out an entertaining football to the cheering crowd. It ended 1-1.
As a result, all the four teams have three points each but only separated by goals aggregate. It is for this reason that fans in Tamale are discussing the chances of the teams in their next matches tomorrow.
The first match will be between Senegal and Angola at 5pm, while Tunisia and South Africa would also lock horns at 7 p.m.
The Bafana Bafana Coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira was right after all when he described the group as fairly balanced, and that ‘‘any team that qualifies from our group is likely to go far in this tournament.’’
Senegalese midfielder, Kamara Diomansy, is hopeful that the Teranga Lions have the potential to lift the unity cup for the first time in this tournament. He was happy that his team was able to secure a draw with Tunisia whom he described as a good team.
Diomansy, who clinched the second goal in the game and was also voted the man of the match in the said match, gave the assurance that, ‘‘I am prepared to score more goals in our subsequent matches.’’
The Angolan Coach, Oliviera Goncalves, also observed that African Football had come of age with every team having its own uniqueness to excel.
According to him, even though his boys caused some blunders in their match against South Africa that resulted in the equalizing goal in the 87th minute, ‘‘we hope to do better in our remaining matches.’’
The technical brain of the Carthage Eagles, Roger Lemere, described this year’s tournament as the most competitive, and that each of the competing teams had the ability to cause upsets.
Come tomorrow, the field will surely determine which of the four teams would qualify to the next stage of the competition. Time will surely tell.
Friday, January 25, 2008
SENEGAL, TUNISIA STICK WITH OFFICIAL HOTEL ...(G/S PAGE 7)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
THE Teranga Lions of Senegal and the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia are the only teams that have pitched their camps at the designated tournament hotel at the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) 2008 Hostel at the University for Development Medical School campus in Tamale.
The two other teams, the Bafana Bafana of South Africa and the Palancas Negras of Angola, have decided not to join their counterparts at the hotel but are rather putting up at the Miriam and Bigiza hotels respectively.
No immediate reasons have been given for the action of the South African and Angolan teams.
However, sources from Tamale Venue Organising Committee (TVOC) indicate that their decision was informed by the fear that work on the UDS hostel which was started last year might not be completed before the commencement of the tournament.
The Graphic Sports further learnt that the teams wanted to have their privacy by staying away from the privy eyes of their colleagues in order to have full concentration to make an impact on the tournament.
The construction of the three-star status UDS hotel was facilitated by the GetFund to afford comfortable accommodation for the teams that woudld be based in Tamale. The facility, would, however, be taken over by the UDS after the tournament in February this year.
The 126-room three-star hotel facility includes 32 suites, offices for CAF officials who would be based there and specially designed rooms for the physically challenged.
Other facilities at the hotel are a gym fitted with up-to-date equipment, laundry, security features such as Closed Circuit Television (CCT) cameras and an automatic switchover standby generator.
The hotel is being managed by officials of Crystal Rose Hotel Limited in Kumasi, and according to the manager, Mr Akwasi Kumah, “ we also have an ambulance and sick bay includes a doctor’s room and a 200-seater capacity cafeteria and conference hall, all attached.”
He gave the assurance that with the recruitment of a disciplined and professional staff, they were well prepared to offer the best of services to the teams and officials during their stay there.
Another significant development at the hotel is the tarring of the road leading to the facility.
THE Teranga Lions of Senegal and the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia are the only teams that have pitched their camps at the designated tournament hotel at the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) 2008 Hostel at the University for Development Medical School campus in Tamale.
The two other teams, the Bafana Bafana of South Africa and the Palancas Negras of Angola, have decided not to join their counterparts at the hotel but are rather putting up at the Miriam and Bigiza hotels respectively.
No immediate reasons have been given for the action of the South African and Angolan teams.
However, sources from Tamale Venue Organising Committee (TVOC) indicate that their decision was informed by the fear that work on the UDS hostel which was started last year might not be completed before the commencement of the tournament.
The Graphic Sports further learnt that the teams wanted to have their privacy by staying away from the privy eyes of their colleagues in order to have full concentration to make an impact on the tournament.
The construction of the three-star status UDS hotel was facilitated by the GetFund to afford comfortable accommodation for the teams that woudld be based in Tamale. The facility, would, however, be taken over by the UDS after the tournament in February this year.
The 126-room three-star hotel facility includes 32 suites, offices for CAF officials who would be based there and specially designed rooms for the physically challenged.
Other facilities at the hotel are a gym fitted with up-to-date equipment, laundry, security features such as Closed Circuit Television (CCT) cameras and an automatic switchover standby generator.
The hotel is being managed by officials of Crystal Rose Hotel Limited in Kumasi, and according to the manager, Mr Akwasi Kumah, “ we also have an ambulance and sick bay includes a doctor’s room and a 200-seater capacity cafeteria and conference hall, all attached.”
He gave the assurance that with the recruitment of a disciplined and professional staff, they were well prepared to offer the best of services to the teams and officials during their stay there.
Another significant development at the hotel is the tarring of the road leading to the facility.
SEVERE HARMATTAN HITS TAMALE ....(Page 29)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
A SEVERE harmattan has descended on the people of the Northern Region. The prevailing situation is compelling most of them to stay indoors.
The cold dry winds are also forcing many people to retire early to bed, with some workers reporting late to work.
Even though some schools have re-opened for academic work, many pupils and students are yet to report following the harsh weather conditions in the area.
Cosmetic and second-hand protective clothing dealers are reaping the benefits as most residents are rushing to them to buy their pullovers and jackets to protect themselves against the cold and their skins from becoming dry, particularly the lips that easily crack if not well oiled.
According to a 72-year old retiree, Mallam Iddrisu Musah, ‘‘I suffer so much under this weather for which reason I hardly come out, except during the day. At night, they have to prepare fire to warm my room to enable me to feel comfortable.’’
An 18-year-old rheumatic patient, Ms Helena Amoako, said as a result of her illness, ‘‘I sometimes cry at night and at dawn when it becomes too cold, because those are the times I feel severe pains in my bones, particularly the joints’’.
This year’s harmattan began slowly about three weeks ago, becoming severe at the weekend. Even though the weather is windy and hazy, the Northern Regional Officer incharge of the Meteorological Service Department, Mr Dominic Soami Pokperlaar, told the Daily Graphic that ‘‘the weather is moderate and not too bad to affect the safety of aircraft in the area; they can land safely.’’
He debunked the notion by some residents that the heavy rains in the north last year accounted for this season’s severe harmattan winds.
‘‘Heavy rains have no direct relation to the harmattan as they are two different weather conditions altogether,’’ the officer explained, adding that, ‘‘The general trend is that harmattan began in November the previous year, and sometimes ends in February or March the following year.’’
Mr Pokperlaar, however, acknowledged that his outfit did not have the necessary equipment to give accurate data on the situation, for which reason it relied on the headquarters in Accra for such information.
The seasonal phenomenon occurs in most parts of the country, especially in the northern sector, where the dry winds are blown down from the neighbouring Sahelian regions.
A SEVERE harmattan has descended on the people of the Northern Region. The prevailing situation is compelling most of them to stay indoors.
The cold dry winds are also forcing many people to retire early to bed, with some workers reporting late to work.
Even though some schools have re-opened for academic work, many pupils and students are yet to report following the harsh weather conditions in the area.
Cosmetic and second-hand protective clothing dealers are reaping the benefits as most residents are rushing to them to buy their pullovers and jackets to protect themselves against the cold and their skins from becoming dry, particularly the lips that easily crack if not well oiled.
According to a 72-year old retiree, Mallam Iddrisu Musah, ‘‘I suffer so much under this weather for which reason I hardly come out, except during the day. At night, they have to prepare fire to warm my room to enable me to feel comfortable.’’
An 18-year-old rheumatic patient, Ms Helena Amoako, said as a result of her illness, ‘‘I sometimes cry at night and at dawn when it becomes too cold, because those are the times I feel severe pains in my bones, particularly the joints’’.
This year’s harmattan began slowly about three weeks ago, becoming severe at the weekend. Even though the weather is windy and hazy, the Northern Regional Officer incharge of the Meteorological Service Department, Mr Dominic Soami Pokperlaar, told the Daily Graphic that ‘‘the weather is moderate and not too bad to affect the safety of aircraft in the area; they can land safely.’’
He debunked the notion by some residents that the heavy rains in the north last year accounted for this season’s severe harmattan winds.
‘‘Heavy rains have no direct relation to the harmattan as they are two different weather conditions altogether,’’ the officer explained, adding that, ‘‘The general trend is that harmattan began in November the previous year, and sometimes ends in February or March the following year.’’
Mr Pokperlaar, however, acknowledged that his outfit did not have the necessary equipment to give accurate data on the situation, for which reason it relied on the headquarters in Accra for such information.
The seasonal phenomenon occurs in most parts of the country, especially in the northern sector, where the dry winds are blown down from the neighbouring Sahelian regions.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
TUNISIA, SENEGAL IN THRILLING 2-2 DRAW (1b)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
FOOTBALL fans in Tamale were treated to 90 minutes of rare individual brilliance and team spirit displayed by the Taranga Lions of Senegal and the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, culminating in a pulsating 2-2 drawn game in their first match in this year’s MTN Africa Cup of Nations tournament at the plush Tamale Sports Stadium.
Both teams began the match on a cautious note but the Tunisians were more purposeful and in the ninth minute Jemaa Issam of FC Caen of France slotted in a beautiful pass from a counter attack that beat goalkeeper Tony Sylva of Senegal.
The Senegalese captain, El Hadji Diouf, then rallied his men to counter attack but their efforts were thwarted by the resilient Tunisian defence that was marshalled around their captain, Jaidi Radhi.
Incessant forays into the half of the Carthage Eagles by the Senegalese, however, yielded the needed equaliser in the 45th minute when Moustapha Bayal set the stadium agog with his 25-yard bullet of a shot into the yawning net of the Tunisians.
Both teams came back from recess more vitalised but the Senegalese looked more determined. They, however, squandered a number of glorious chances, especially in the 48 minute when Diomansy Kamara failed to direct a goal- bound shot into the net.
Senegal was again denied a goal when Diouf’s effort was blocked by the Tunisian keeper, Hamdi Kasraoui, in the 51st minute.
When it became apparent that the Tunisians were tired, they resorted to diving in the 18-yard box of the Lions to win the sympathy of Japanese referee Nichimura Yuichi for a penalty. But the practice rather earned their danger men, Dos Santos and Traoui Mejdi, yellow cards in the 50th and 56th minutes.
The Senegalese, who were cheered on by their vociferous fans, pressed hard for another goal and they were eventually rewarded in the 65th minute when the indefatigable Diomansy Kamara capitalised on a goal mouth melee.
That was after coach Henry Kasperczak of Senegal had pulled out Frederic Mendy in the 60th minute for enterprising Henry Camara to bring more bite upfront.
The substitution of Ousmane Ndoye for Papa Bouba Diop made the Senegalese more potent in attack, as Diouf failed to glitter. And in the 68th minute an incursion by the West Ham player, Camara, was foiled by the resolute Tunisian defence.
Realising that their pride was at stake, the Carthage Eagles became more aggressive, stringing their passes together to the admiration of the excited spectators.
However, Kamel Zaiem was shown the yellow card for a foul in the 70th minute and in the 80th minute Ben Dhifallah came in for Chaker Zouaghi.
It was a matter of course when, in the 81st minute, Mejdi Traoui, who plays for Etoile Sahel of Tunisia, hit a long shot to beat keeper Sylva again, to the consternation of the Senegalese and the admiration of the spectators.
A glancing header by Camara that nearly gave the Senegalese the winning goal in the 85th minute brushed over the wood work.
Mikari Yassin then came to take over from Issam Jemaa, who was visibly tired, in the 85th minute, while Babacar Mbaye of Senegal also came in for Mamadou Niang in the 88th minute. Diomansy Kamara was shown the yellow card in the dying minutes of the interesting game.
FOOTBALL fans in Tamale were treated to 90 minutes of rare individual brilliance and team spirit displayed by the Taranga Lions of Senegal and the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, culminating in a pulsating 2-2 drawn game in their first match in this year’s MTN Africa Cup of Nations tournament at the plush Tamale Sports Stadium.
Both teams began the match on a cautious note but the Tunisians were more purposeful and in the ninth minute Jemaa Issam of FC Caen of France slotted in a beautiful pass from a counter attack that beat goalkeeper Tony Sylva of Senegal.
The Senegalese captain, El Hadji Diouf, then rallied his men to counter attack but their efforts were thwarted by the resilient Tunisian defence that was marshalled around their captain, Jaidi Radhi.
Incessant forays into the half of the Carthage Eagles by the Senegalese, however, yielded the needed equaliser in the 45th minute when Moustapha Bayal set the stadium agog with his 25-yard bullet of a shot into the yawning net of the Tunisians.
Both teams came back from recess more vitalised but the Senegalese looked more determined. They, however, squandered a number of glorious chances, especially in the 48 minute when Diomansy Kamara failed to direct a goal- bound shot into the net.
Senegal was again denied a goal when Diouf’s effort was blocked by the Tunisian keeper, Hamdi Kasraoui, in the 51st minute.
When it became apparent that the Tunisians were tired, they resorted to diving in the 18-yard box of the Lions to win the sympathy of Japanese referee Nichimura Yuichi for a penalty. But the practice rather earned their danger men, Dos Santos and Traoui Mejdi, yellow cards in the 50th and 56th minutes.
The Senegalese, who were cheered on by their vociferous fans, pressed hard for another goal and they were eventually rewarded in the 65th minute when the indefatigable Diomansy Kamara capitalised on a goal mouth melee.
That was after coach Henry Kasperczak of Senegal had pulled out Frederic Mendy in the 60th minute for enterprising Henry Camara to bring more bite upfront.
The substitution of Ousmane Ndoye for Papa Bouba Diop made the Senegalese more potent in attack, as Diouf failed to glitter. And in the 68th minute an incursion by the West Ham player, Camara, was foiled by the resolute Tunisian defence.
Realising that their pride was at stake, the Carthage Eagles became more aggressive, stringing their passes together to the admiration of the excited spectators.
However, Kamel Zaiem was shown the yellow card for a foul in the 70th minute and in the 80th minute Ben Dhifallah came in for Chaker Zouaghi.
It was a matter of course when, in the 81st minute, Mejdi Traoui, who plays for Etoile Sahel of Tunisia, hit a long shot to beat keeper Sylva again, to the consternation of the Senegalese and the admiration of the spectators.
A glancing header by Camara that nearly gave the Senegalese the winning goal in the 85th minute brushed over the wood work.
Mikari Yassin then came to take over from Issam Jemaa, who was visibly tired, in the 85th minute, while Babacar Mbaye of Senegal also came in for Mamadou Niang in the 88th minute. Diomansy Kamara was shown the yellow card in the dying minutes of the interesting game.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
HIGH EXPECTATIONS IN TAMALE ...As Group D matches come alive today (Back Page)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
With hours to the commencement of the first Group D match at the Tamale Stadium, today, fans in the area are gearing themselves up to witness their first ever Nations Cup match in the metropolis.
There were long queues at the premises of the Agricultural Development Bank, the Ghana Commercial Bank and Ghana Post, areas designated for the sale of the tickets, early in the morning, with expectant fans itching to purchase tickets for the first match.
The opening game will be played between Senegal and Tunisia at 5 p.m. while the second game will be played between South Africa and Angola at 7 p.m.
Already, the atmosphere looks set for the game with the arrival of the Senegalese fans through neighbouring Burkina Faso, together with some local fans mobilised by representatives of the four teams.
The vociferous fans can be spotted in the national colours of their preferred teams. However, Senegal seem to be enjoying much patronage for the obvious reason of their captain, El Hadji Diouf, who plays for West Ham in the English Premier League.
Following their quarter final berth in Ghana/Nigeria CAN 2000 and their heroic performance in the Japan/Korea 2002 World Cup, the Taranga Lions of Senegal have risen from obscurity to become one of the respected teams on the African continent.
Since placing fourth in the 1965 and 1990 Cup of Nations tournaments, they have progressed steadily to reach the quarter finals stage on four occasions in 1992, 1994, 2000 and 2004.
Captained by the controversial and charismatic Diouf and supported by teammates such as Tony Silva, Habib Beye, Ibrahim Faye, Frederic Mendy, Papa Bouba Diop, Henry Camara and Mamadou Niang, the Lions have come to the tournament not only to roar and frighten their opponents but to conquer them as well.
Against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, the Lions coach, Henry Kasperczak, will have a tough nut to crack in seasoned players such as Francileudo Dos Santos, Issam Jomaa, Chaoukri Ben Saada, Mehdi Nafti, Chaker Zouaghi and Karim Hagui.
The challenge of the Tunisians will lie in the potency of their strikers and how they can create or convert their chances into goals.
The Tunisians, who are noted for their skilful play won the Africa Cup in 2004 as hosts. This was after they had lost in the finals in 1965 to Ghana at home and in 1994 to Nigeria.
Another team to watch in the group is South Africa. The team certainly would not want to repeat their unimpressive performances in the last two episodes of the tournament in 2004 and 2006 where they were eliminated in the first round.
The only time they won the cup was in 1996 when they hosted it for the first time. Since then, they have been runners-up in 1998, bronze medalists in 2000 and quarter finalist in 2002 in Mali.
The head coach of the Bafana Bafana, Alberto Parreira, and the skipper, Aaron Makoena, described the group as balanced and that any of the teams stood the chance of advancing to the next stage of the competition.
The team is a blend of young local and foreign professionals who include, Sibusiso Zuma, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Elrio van Heerden, Nasief Morris and Bryce Moon.
Against Angola, one of the under achievers in Nations Cup history, the match is likely to go South Africa’s way. But the Palancas Negras may prove the bookmakers wrong if their performance in the past three years is anything to go by.
They qualified at the expense of Nigeria as one of the five countries to represent Africa at the 2006 World Cup in Germany in a group that included Eritrea, Kenya and Swaziland.
As host of the 2010 Nations Cup, the Angolans would want to improve on their performance in the tournament and progress past the first round elimination they have always suffered in their four appearances.
With hours to the commencement of the first Group D match at the Tamale Stadium, today, fans in the area are gearing themselves up to witness their first ever Nations Cup match in the metropolis.
There were long queues at the premises of the Agricultural Development Bank, the Ghana Commercial Bank and Ghana Post, areas designated for the sale of the tickets, early in the morning, with expectant fans itching to purchase tickets for the first match.
The opening game will be played between Senegal and Tunisia at 5 p.m. while the second game will be played between South Africa and Angola at 7 p.m.
Already, the atmosphere looks set for the game with the arrival of the Senegalese fans through neighbouring Burkina Faso, together with some local fans mobilised by representatives of the four teams.
The vociferous fans can be spotted in the national colours of their preferred teams. However, Senegal seem to be enjoying much patronage for the obvious reason of their captain, El Hadji Diouf, who plays for West Ham in the English Premier League.
Following their quarter final berth in Ghana/Nigeria CAN 2000 and their heroic performance in the Japan/Korea 2002 World Cup, the Taranga Lions of Senegal have risen from obscurity to become one of the respected teams on the African continent.
Since placing fourth in the 1965 and 1990 Cup of Nations tournaments, they have progressed steadily to reach the quarter finals stage on four occasions in 1992, 1994, 2000 and 2004.
Captained by the controversial and charismatic Diouf and supported by teammates such as Tony Silva, Habib Beye, Ibrahim Faye, Frederic Mendy, Papa Bouba Diop, Henry Camara and Mamadou Niang, the Lions have come to the tournament not only to roar and frighten their opponents but to conquer them as well.
Against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, the Lions coach, Henry Kasperczak, will have a tough nut to crack in seasoned players such as Francileudo Dos Santos, Issam Jomaa, Chaoukri Ben Saada, Mehdi Nafti, Chaker Zouaghi and Karim Hagui.
The challenge of the Tunisians will lie in the potency of their strikers and how they can create or convert their chances into goals.
The Tunisians, who are noted for their skilful play won the Africa Cup in 2004 as hosts. This was after they had lost in the finals in 1965 to Ghana at home and in 1994 to Nigeria.
Another team to watch in the group is South Africa. The team certainly would not want to repeat their unimpressive performances in the last two episodes of the tournament in 2004 and 2006 where they were eliminated in the first round.
The only time they won the cup was in 1996 when they hosted it for the first time. Since then, they have been runners-up in 1998, bronze medalists in 2000 and quarter finalist in 2002 in Mali.
The head coach of the Bafana Bafana, Alberto Parreira, and the skipper, Aaron Makoena, described the group as balanced and that any of the teams stood the chance of advancing to the next stage of the competition.
The team is a blend of young local and foreign professionals who include, Sibusiso Zuma, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Elrio van Heerden, Nasief Morris and Bryce Moon.
Against Angola, one of the under achievers in Nations Cup history, the match is likely to go South Africa’s way. But the Palancas Negras may prove the bookmakers wrong if their performance in the past three years is anything to go by.
They qualified at the expense of Nigeria as one of the five countries to represent Africa at the 2006 World Cup in Germany in a group that included Eritrea, Kenya and Swaziland.
As host of the 2010 Nations Cup, the Angolans would want to improve on their performance in the tournament and progress past the first round elimination they have always suffered in their four appearances.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
PARREIRA SINGS THE PRAISES OF GROUP D ....(G/S Page 11)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
THE South African national team coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, has described his team’s group as one of the most balanced in the tournament, noting that, “ any country that qualifies from his group stands the chance of making it to the finals.”
According to him, his team intends to achieve that feat by playing good and entertaining football to “achieve the desired results that can lead us to annex the trophy.”
He said he had a crop of well-groomed players fit to carry out the assignment of qualifying the team to the next level of the competition. Bafana Bafana is in the Tamale based group ‘D’ that is made up of Tunisia, Senegal and Angola.
This was corroborated by the Captain of the side, Aaron Mokoena, who intimated that “we are well prepared and hope to go as far as we can; our biggest event, though, the tournament was going to be a tough one. The team was determined to surmount the task to be among the best.
Both the coach and captain were speaking to the press after touching down at the Tamale Airport directly from South Africa at about 6:5 pm on Saturday. The 31-member contingent was led by a national executive member of the South African Football Association (SAFA), Mr Mandha Mazibuko.
The team was cheered on arrival by enthusiastic local fans that had thronged the airport on Benz buses amidst drumming and dancing.
The Communication and Media Officer of the SAFA, Mr Sifisco Cele, expressed appreciation for the warm reception accorded the team and hoped that more fans would rally behind the team in their matches.
The Tamale Metropolitan Chief executive, Mr Mohammed Amin Adam Anta, officials of the Tamale Venue Organising Committee (TVOC) and some district chief executives were at the airport to receive the team.
So far all the four competing countries have arrived in the metropolis for the tournament.
The first match in group “D” kicks-off tomorrow between Tunisia and Senegal.
THE South African national team coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, has described his team’s group as one of the most balanced in the tournament, noting that, “ any country that qualifies from his group stands the chance of making it to the finals.”
According to him, his team intends to achieve that feat by playing good and entertaining football to “achieve the desired results that can lead us to annex the trophy.”
He said he had a crop of well-groomed players fit to carry out the assignment of qualifying the team to the next level of the competition. Bafana Bafana is in the Tamale based group ‘D’ that is made up of Tunisia, Senegal and Angola.
This was corroborated by the Captain of the side, Aaron Mokoena, who intimated that “we are well prepared and hope to go as far as we can; our biggest event, though, the tournament was going to be a tough one. The team was determined to surmount the task to be among the best.
Both the coach and captain were speaking to the press after touching down at the Tamale Airport directly from South Africa at about 6:5 pm on Saturday. The 31-member contingent was led by a national executive member of the South African Football Association (SAFA), Mr Mandha Mazibuko.
The team was cheered on arrival by enthusiastic local fans that had thronged the airport on Benz buses amidst drumming and dancing.
The Communication and Media Officer of the SAFA, Mr Sifisco Cele, expressed appreciation for the warm reception accorded the team and hoped that more fans would rally behind the team in their matches.
The Tamale Metropolitan Chief executive, Mr Mohammed Amin Adam Anta, officials of the Tamale Venue Organising Committee (TVOC) and some district chief executives were at the airport to receive the team.
So far all the four competing countries have arrived in the metropolis for the tournament.
The first match in group “D” kicks-off tomorrow between Tunisia and Senegal.
TAMALE STADIUM FILLED TO CAPACITY (G/S Page 5)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan & Vincent Adedze, Tamale
Thousands of ecstatic residents in the Tamale metropolis moved in droves in the early hours of last Friday to witness the inauguration of the newly-constructed Tamale Stadium by President John Agyekum Kufuor.
Gates to the stadium were opened at 12 noon, and within two hours, the 20,000 capacity stadium was filled, with a lot more people standing while others leant against the hand-rails.
The excited fans who sat through for almost six hours before the arrival of the President at about 6:30 p.m. were treated to music by some local artistes in the area.
And when the President was finally ushered into the stadium, there was a spontaneous uproar of ‘Amaraaba,’ literally meaning welcome in Dagbani, by the excited crowd.
The President was accompanied by the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Professor Dominic Fobih, the Northern and Upper East Regional Ministers, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris and Alhassan Samari respectively, as well as some District Chief Executives.
Others included Prince Oduro Mensah, Chief Executive of the National Sports Council, the vice Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Lepowura Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula, and some prominent chiefs in the metropolis.
Thousands of ecstatic residents in the Tamale metropolis moved in droves in the early hours of last Friday to witness the inauguration of the newly-constructed Tamale Stadium by President John Agyekum Kufuor.
Gates to the stadium were opened at 12 noon, and within two hours, the 20,000 capacity stadium was filled, with a lot more people standing while others leant against the hand-rails.
The excited fans who sat through for almost six hours before the arrival of the President at about 6:30 p.m. were treated to music by some local artistes in the area.
And when the President was finally ushered into the stadium, there was a spontaneous uproar of ‘Amaraaba,’ literally meaning welcome in Dagbani, by the excited crowd.
The President was accompanied by the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Professor Dominic Fobih, the Northern and Upper East Regional Ministers, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris and Alhassan Samari respectively, as well as some District Chief Executives.
Others included Prince Oduro Mensah, Chief Executive of the National Sports Council, the vice Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Lepowura Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula, and some prominent chiefs in the metropolis.
EXHIBIT GOODWILL ...JAK advises Tamale fans (G/S Page 5)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan & Vincent Adedze, Tamale
THE President, John Agyekum Kufuor, has called on Ghanaians to exhibit a high sense of goodwill and hospitality towards visitors during the Ghana 2008 Africa Nations C up tournament.
He also entreated those in the hospitality industry and catering services to bring their professionalism to bear on the tournament to make hosting of the event a success.
President Kufuor made the call when he inaugurated the new $38.5 million ultra-modern stadium in Tamale.
Work on the stadium was started on January 31, 2006 and was completed and handed over to the government on November 2, 2007.
The Shanghai Construction Company of China executed the project. The state-of-the-art stadium has a seating capacity of 20,000, and is equipped with such facilities as floodlights, electronic scoreboard, security systems and a security control room.
Also the stadium has a hotel facility, dressing rooms, lift system and a VIP lounge, as well as a restaurant that would be commercialised after the tournament.
The President described that by a strange quirk of fate, Tamale, and for that matter the north, was now getting a standard stadium several years after the area had produced enough quality players who had contributed significantly to the laurels achieved by the various national football teams in the country.
He expressed hope that “with the construction of this edifice, further opportunities would be opened for more football potential to emerge from this area”.
The President reiterated the government’s determination to construct modern stadia in the rest of the regional capitals in the country.
He commended the chiefs and people of the northern region particularly the Regent of Gulkpegu, Alhaji Abdulai Ziblim for their support that facilitated the execution and completion of the project on schedule.
President Kufuor equally commended the Shanghai Company for a “good job done”.
“I also wish to urge management of the four stadia in Tamale, Accra, Sekondi-Takoradi and Kumasi to have an exchange programme to cross-fertilise ideas on how to ensure best management practices, including safety measures for the effective maintenance of the stadia,” he admonished.
The Minister for Education, Science and Sports, Professor Dominic Fobih, noted that the facility would ultimately “open windows of opportunities for the youth to realise their full potential as well as help promote a peaceful co-existence among the people”.
He also indicated that the stadium was one huge investment that would equally boost economic activities in the metropolis and, therefore, appealed to the management of the stadium to ensure regular maintenance of the facility to enable the region derive maximum benefits from it.
Professor Fobih also paid a glowing tribute to some former footballers of northern extraction and said their exploits deserved commendation for making Ghana popular on the international football scene.
The Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Iddris, noted that “this is the biggest gift that any government could give us” and that “posterity would judge us if we don’t take good care of this facility”.
The Regent of Gukpegu, for his part commended the government for the new stadium and stressed that “we shall jealously guard the facility and assist to maintain it for posterity”.
Alhaji Ziblim equally called on the government to help revamp the cotton and rice industries in the northern region.
As part of the inaugural ceremony, a friendly football match was played between Real Tamale United (RTU) and the Catholic Stars of Bolgatanga. The match ended in a drawn game.
THE President, John Agyekum Kufuor, has called on Ghanaians to exhibit a high sense of goodwill and hospitality towards visitors during the Ghana 2008 Africa Nations C up tournament.
He also entreated those in the hospitality industry and catering services to bring their professionalism to bear on the tournament to make hosting of the event a success.
President Kufuor made the call when he inaugurated the new $38.5 million ultra-modern stadium in Tamale.
Work on the stadium was started on January 31, 2006 and was completed and handed over to the government on November 2, 2007.
The Shanghai Construction Company of China executed the project. The state-of-the-art stadium has a seating capacity of 20,000, and is equipped with such facilities as floodlights, electronic scoreboard, security systems and a security control room.
Also the stadium has a hotel facility, dressing rooms, lift system and a VIP lounge, as well as a restaurant that would be commercialised after the tournament.
The President described that by a strange quirk of fate, Tamale, and for that matter the north, was now getting a standard stadium several years after the area had produced enough quality players who had contributed significantly to the laurels achieved by the various national football teams in the country.
He expressed hope that “with the construction of this edifice, further opportunities would be opened for more football potential to emerge from this area”.
The President reiterated the government’s determination to construct modern stadia in the rest of the regional capitals in the country.
He commended the chiefs and people of the northern region particularly the Regent of Gulkpegu, Alhaji Abdulai Ziblim for their support that facilitated the execution and completion of the project on schedule.
President Kufuor equally commended the Shanghai Company for a “good job done”.
“I also wish to urge management of the four stadia in Tamale, Accra, Sekondi-Takoradi and Kumasi to have an exchange programme to cross-fertilise ideas on how to ensure best management practices, including safety measures for the effective maintenance of the stadia,” he admonished.
The Minister for Education, Science and Sports, Professor Dominic Fobih, noted that the facility would ultimately “open windows of opportunities for the youth to realise their full potential as well as help promote a peaceful co-existence among the people”.
He also indicated that the stadium was one huge investment that would equally boost economic activities in the metropolis and, therefore, appealed to the management of the stadium to ensure regular maintenance of the facility to enable the region derive maximum benefits from it.
Professor Fobih also paid a glowing tribute to some former footballers of northern extraction and said their exploits deserved commendation for making Ghana popular on the international football scene.
The Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Iddris, noted that “this is the biggest gift that any government could give us” and that “posterity would judge us if we don’t take good care of this facility”.
The Regent of Gukpegu, for his part commended the government for the new stadium and stressed that “we shall jealously guard the facility and assist to maintain it for posterity”.
Alhaji Ziblim equally called on the government to help revamp the cotton and rice industries in the northern region.
As part of the inaugural ceremony, a friendly football match was played between Real Tamale United (RTU) and the Catholic Stars of Bolgatanga. The match ended in a drawn game.
Monday, January 21, 2008
NEW EQUIPMENT INSTALLED AT TAMALE AIRPORT ... (Page 34)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
THE rehabilitated Tamale Airport has been fitted with equipment to enable flights to take off and land safely at night. A test flight to examine the facility would be carried out at the airport tonight.
The facilities include a System Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) and Simple Approach Lighting Systems. A temporary lighting system would, however, be provided for the runway for use during the period of the Ghana 2008 tournament.
The Electrical Manager of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Mr Giles Appeadu-Mensah made this known when he conducted the Aviation Minister, Ms Gloria Akuffo, round during an inspection tour of the airport.
The runway has also been marked and demarcated while some damaged portions have been patched. The 2.4-kilometre runway is the second longest in the country after the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
Other facilities the minister inspected included the terminal, the business and VVIP lounges. Work on the airport would be completed by the close of this week.
The rehabilitation work started late last year on the Tamale, Kumasi and Takoradi airports at an estimated cost of $45 million.
Ms Akuffo explained that the work was in phases and that after the tournament a permanent runway lightning system would be installed while further works would be undertaken.
According to her, ‘‘we are also holding ourselves in readiness for international direct flights to the airport during this tournament period.”
Madam Akuffo said for that reason, officials of the Immigration Service and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) were preparing themselves for the challenges.
She expressed appreciation for the quality of work done and commended the contractors, the Airforce Command and all other stakeholders for their tremendous support and commitment that had ensured the early completion of the work.
The acting Garrison Commander, Group Captain Caesar, thanked the minister for her efforts towards the improvement of facilities at the airport.
At the moment, talks are ongoing between the command and the aviation authorities on relocating the military from the airport to a permanent site to expand facilities at the place to meet international standards.
THE rehabilitated Tamale Airport has been fitted with equipment to enable flights to take off and land safely at night. A test flight to examine the facility would be carried out at the airport tonight.
The facilities include a System Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) and Simple Approach Lighting Systems. A temporary lighting system would, however, be provided for the runway for use during the period of the Ghana 2008 tournament.
The Electrical Manager of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Mr Giles Appeadu-Mensah made this known when he conducted the Aviation Minister, Ms Gloria Akuffo, round during an inspection tour of the airport.
The runway has also been marked and demarcated while some damaged portions have been patched. The 2.4-kilometre runway is the second longest in the country after the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
Other facilities the minister inspected included the terminal, the business and VVIP lounges. Work on the airport would be completed by the close of this week.
The rehabilitation work started late last year on the Tamale, Kumasi and Takoradi airports at an estimated cost of $45 million.
Ms Akuffo explained that the work was in phases and that after the tournament a permanent runway lightning system would be installed while further works would be undertaken.
According to her, ‘‘we are also holding ourselves in readiness for international direct flights to the airport during this tournament period.”
Madam Akuffo said for that reason, officials of the Immigration Service and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) were preparing themselves for the challenges.
She expressed appreciation for the quality of work done and commended the contractors, the Airforce Command and all other stakeholders for their tremendous support and commitment that had ensured the early completion of the work.
The acting Garrison Commander, Group Captain Caesar, thanked the minister for her efforts towards the improvement of facilities at the airport.
At the moment, talks are ongoing between the command and the aviation authorities on relocating the military from the airport to a permanent site to expand facilities at the place to meet international standards.
Friday, January 18, 2008
TAMALE SET FOR GHANA 2008 (Page 20)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
TAMALE is set to host the Ghana 2008 African Cup of Nations tournament. The metropolis is one of the four host cities of the soccer fiesta and Group D teams - Senegal, Tunisia, Angola and South Africa – would be based there.
At the moment, work on the hostel facility for the competing teams, stadium, hospitality industry, security, health and sanitation are almost complete.
The GETFund 2008 Hostel, which would host the teams, is ready for occupation.
The 126-room three-star hotel has facilities that include 32 suites, offices for the CAF officials who would be based there and specially designed rooms for the physically challenged.
Other facilities at the hotel are a gymnasium fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, laundry, security features such as Closed Circuit Television(CCTv) cameras and an automatic switch-over standby generator.
The hotel is being managed by officials of Crystal Rose Hotel/Hostel Limited in Kumasi. According to the manager, Mr Akwasi Kumah, ‘‘we also have an ambulance and sick bay that includes a doctor’s room, as well as a 200-seater capacity cafeteria and a conference hall all attached.’’
He gave the assurance that with the recruitment of disciplined and professional staff, they were well prepared to offer the best of services to the players and officials during their period of their stay there.
Another significant development at the hotel is the tarring of the road leading to the facility. This issue had been of concern to many residents in the metropolis as the road generated a lot of dust, especially in the harmattan season.
Rehabilitation works at the Tamale airport are almost complete. When the Daily Graphic visited the place, the workers of Consar Limited, the contractors, were busily putting finishing touches to the terminal building, the VVIP Lounge, control tower and the generator house.
According to the site engineer, Mr Martin Addo, ‘‘we are very sure of meeting the deadline before the arrival of the various teams’’.
Work on the $38.5 million Tamale Stadium complex was also completed a couple of months ago. At the moment, various contractors are busy working even in the night to complete the external works before the first match between South Africa and Angola next week.
All three training pitches near the stadium, the Tamale Senior High School (TAMASCO) and the Northern School of Business (NOBISCO) are ready.
The 20,000-seater stadium is a masterpiece of aesthetic beauty and strategically located on a hill near the forest at the Education Ridge roundabout. It covers a site area of 26.834 hectares, about 22,517 square metres. Among the facilities at the ultra modern edifice are a 40-bedroom hostel, a VIP stand, a giant electronic score-board, a press box and dressing rooms and a luscious green turf that would be suitable for the exhibition of free-flowing football game.
Among the programmes lined-up for the opening game at the stadium and throughout the period the tournament would last are gymnastic displays and cultural performances.
Sources at the Tamale Venue Organising Committee indicated that an elaborate programme had been lined up for the entire period. They, however, declined to reveal what it entailed.
So far, the Northern Regional office of the Ghana Tourists Board has offered training to people in the hospitality industry, including hoteliers, bar and restaurant operators and taxi drivers in the metropolis.
The principal resource officer of the GTB in the region, Mr Alexander Kwame Nketia, said the trainees were taken through topics such as etiquette, mannerism, personal grooming, maintenance and hygiene and customer skills.
He said so far, the over 80 hotels and guest house facilities in the metropolis had more than 1,500 rooms. The officer added that several people had also registered their private homes to be used during the tournament.
A four-storey GETFund-sponsored hostel facility at the Tamale Polytechnic that can house more than 400 people has been completed for use by some of the visitors who would want to stay there.
Many taxi drivers in the metropolis are also preparing their cabs to attract patronage from visitors.
A 27-year old cabbie, Mr Iddrisu Musah, gave the assurance that ‘‘my colleagues and I are going to do our best to provide quality services to our brothers and sisters who would be coming. We are also going to dress decently and behave well towards our guests.’’
Commenting on the fare, he said, ‘‘we are going to charge the normal fares. After all, the people coming are our own African brothers and sisters.’’
On security, the police have established a Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) that has been equipped to withstand and combat violence and effectively control crowd in the metropolis during the tournament.
The Northern Regional Police Commander, Mr Ephraim Okoe Brakatu, said the setting up of the RDF would enable the personnel to deal with people in a ‘‘more professional and pragmatic way in this era of contemporary policing’’.
The 500 trainees of the RDF were taken through intervention and maintenance of order techniques, demonstrations, practical police duties, arrest, handcuffing, search, patrols and escorts. They would complement their colleagues to beef up security at the hotels, tournament venue and the metropolis in general.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, for his part, urged the personnel to step up their efforts in ensuring a successful tournament, stressing, ‘‘we want Tamale to stand out as a unique city before, during and after the games’’.
He also commended the security services for their immense contribution to the prevailing peace and unity in the region and said the area was very stable and ready to host the CAN 2008 tournament.
The Ghana Heath Service has also trained its staff in Tamale in the effective handling of emergency cases during the tournament. Among the areas touched on were cardio-respiratory emergencies, basic life support, bleeding, shock, head and spinal injury and mass casualty incident management.
The national co-ordinator of the programme, Dr Wilfred Addo, gave the assurance that the ‘‘GHS and its stakeholders are prepared to put in our best to ensure a successful tournament.’’
The Tamale Teaching Hospital and the West End Hospital at Zogbeli are the designated tournament health centres.
On sanitation, the Northern Regional Operations supervisor of Zoomlion, a waste management organisation, Prince Alhassan Baako, said his outfit had taken delivery of some sanitation equipment that included two water tankers and a road washer, to help them in their clean-up exercises during the tournament.
‘‘We have also beefed up our staff strength by employing 250 additional hands to help keep every nook and cranny of the metropolis, including the stadium, tidy at all times,’’ he added.
At the moment, the supervisor said, his outfit had, among other responsibilities, white washed the pavements along the principal streets of the metropolis.
TAMALE is set to host the Ghana 2008 African Cup of Nations tournament. The metropolis is one of the four host cities of the soccer fiesta and Group D teams - Senegal, Tunisia, Angola and South Africa – would be based there.
At the moment, work on the hostel facility for the competing teams, stadium, hospitality industry, security, health and sanitation are almost complete.
The GETFund 2008 Hostel, which would host the teams, is ready for occupation.
The 126-room three-star hotel has facilities that include 32 suites, offices for the CAF officials who would be based there and specially designed rooms for the physically challenged.
Other facilities at the hotel are a gymnasium fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, laundry, security features such as Closed Circuit Television(CCTv) cameras and an automatic switch-over standby generator.
The hotel is being managed by officials of Crystal Rose Hotel/Hostel Limited in Kumasi. According to the manager, Mr Akwasi Kumah, ‘‘we also have an ambulance and sick bay that includes a doctor’s room, as well as a 200-seater capacity cafeteria and a conference hall all attached.’’
He gave the assurance that with the recruitment of disciplined and professional staff, they were well prepared to offer the best of services to the players and officials during their period of their stay there.
Another significant development at the hotel is the tarring of the road leading to the facility. This issue had been of concern to many residents in the metropolis as the road generated a lot of dust, especially in the harmattan season.
Rehabilitation works at the Tamale airport are almost complete. When the Daily Graphic visited the place, the workers of Consar Limited, the contractors, were busily putting finishing touches to the terminal building, the VVIP Lounge, control tower and the generator house.
According to the site engineer, Mr Martin Addo, ‘‘we are very sure of meeting the deadline before the arrival of the various teams’’.
Work on the $38.5 million Tamale Stadium complex was also completed a couple of months ago. At the moment, various contractors are busy working even in the night to complete the external works before the first match between South Africa and Angola next week.
All three training pitches near the stadium, the Tamale Senior High School (TAMASCO) and the Northern School of Business (NOBISCO) are ready.
The 20,000-seater stadium is a masterpiece of aesthetic beauty and strategically located on a hill near the forest at the Education Ridge roundabout. It covers a site area of 26.834 hectares, about 22,517 square metres. Among the facilities at the ultra modern edifice are a 40-bedroom hostel, a VIP stand, a giant electronic score-board, a press box and dressing rooms and a luscious green turf that would be suitable for the exhibition of free-flowing football game.
Among the programmes lined-up for the opening game at the stadium and throughout the period the tournament would last are gymnastic displays and cultural performances.
Sources at the Tamale Venue Organising Committee indicated that an elaborate programme had been lined up for the entire period. They, however, declined to reveal what it entailed.
So far, the Northern Regional office of the Ghana Tourists Board has offered training to people in the hospitality industry, including hoteliers, bar and restaurant operators and taxi drivers in the metropolis.
The principal resource officer of the GTB in the region, Mr Alexander Kwame Nketia, said the trainees were taken through topics such as etiquette, mannerism, personal grooming, maintenance and hygiene and customer skills.
He said so far, the over 80 hotels and guest house facilities in the metropolis had more than 1,500 rooms. The officer added that several people had also registered their private homes to be used during the tournament.
A four-storey GETFund-sponsored hostel facility at the Tamale Polytechnic that can house more than 400 people has been completed for use by some of the visitors who would want to stay there.
Many taxi drivers in the metropolis are also preparing their cabs to attract patronage from visitors.
A 27-year old cabbie, Mr Iddrisu Musah, gave the assurance that ‘‘my colleagues and I are going to do our best to provide quality services to our brothers and sisters who would be coming. We are also going to dress decently and behave well towards our guests.’’
Commenting on the fare, he said, ‘‘we are going to charge the normal fares. After all, the people coming are our own African brothers and sisters.’’
On security, the police have established a Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) that has been equipped to withstand and combat violence and effectively control crowd in the metropolis during the tournament.
The Northern Regional Police Commander, Mr Ephraim Okoe Brakatu, said the setting up of the RDF would enable the personnel to deal with people in a ‘‘more professional and pragmatic way in this era of contemporary policing’’.
The 500 trainees of the RDF were taken through intervention and maintenance of order techniques, demonstrations, practical police duties, arrest, handcuffing, search, patrols and escorts. They would complement their colleagues to beef up security at the hotels, tournament venue and the metropolis in general.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, for his part, urged the personnel to step up their efforts in ensuring a successful tournament, stressing, ‘‘we want Tamale to stand out as a unique city before, during and after the games’’.
He also commended the security services for their immense contribution to the prevailing peace and unity in the region and said the area was very stable and ready to host the CAN 2008 tournament.
The Ghana Heath Service has also trained its staff in Tamale in the effective handling of emergency cases during the tournament. Among the areas touched on were cardio-respiratory emergencies, basic life support, bleeding, shock, head and spinal injury and mass casualty incident management.
The national co-ordinator of the programme, Dr Wilfred Addo, gave the assurance that the ‘‘GHS and its stakeholders are prepared to put in our best to ensure a successful tournament.’’
The Tamale Teaching Hospital and the West End Hospital at Zogbeli are the designated tournament health centres.
On sanitation, the Northern Regional Operations supervisor of Zoomlion, a waste management organisation, Prince Alhassan Baako, said his outfit had taken delivery of some sanitation equipment that included two water tankers and a road washer, to help them in their clean-up exercises during the tournament.
‘‘We have also beefed up our staff strength by employing 250 additional hands to help keep every nook and cranny of the metropolis, including the stadium, tidy at all times,’’ he added.
At the moment, the supervisor said, his outfit had, among other responsibilities, white washed the pavements along the principal streets of the metropolis.
Monday, January 14, 2008
CJA DEMONSTRATES IN TAMALE....(Page 16)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
PRESIDENT John Agyekum Kufuor at the weekend inaugurated the refurbished City Hotel, now christened Golden Tulip Kumasi City, with the firm assurance that the government was determined to restore life to state hotels that had been left to go to waste over a long period of time.
He stated that some of the hotels were sold “under questionable conditions and sale terms”, and added that the government was looking for funds to buy them back to pave the way for their restoration.
President Kufuor said the former City Hotel constituted one of the important national hotels rated in the same class as the Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Atlantic Hotel in Takoradi and the Meridian Hotel in Tema, but mismanagement had plunged them into ruins.
The $21.2-million four-star Golden Tulip Kumasi City, constructed by the China State Hualong Construction Ghana Limited, is owned by the Ghana Libyan-Arab Holding Company (GLAHCO), a joint investment venture between the Ghana Government (40 per cent) and the Libyan Government (60 per cent).
It was financed by the Libyan Arab African Investment Company ($4.5 million), the Government of Ghana ($3.7 million) and the Ghana Commercial Bank, which granted a loan of $13 million.
The 160-room hotel has other facilities, including a la carte restaurant, a lobby bar, a poolside bar, health club facilities, a swimming pool, conference and meeting rooms.
GLAHCO entered into an agreement with Golden Tulip Hospitality Group of the Netherlands to manage the hotel, which, at full capacity, is expected to offer employment to about 140 people.
President Kufuor said the rebirth of the hotel was timely, coming at a time Kumasi was hard pressed for hotel facilities to accommodate football teams from four nations and thousands of officials and fans for the 26th African Cup of Nations. “With this hotel and other amenities, Kumasi is ready to co-host the event,’ the President said.
Emphasising the tourism potential of Kumasi in particular and the Ashanti Region in general, President Kufuor said, “Often visitors to Ghana want to experience the indigenous culture, so they will continue to travel up country. That is why facilities must be available to house them when they come”.
He noted the infrastructure the government continued to put in place to open up the country and said that was a clear testimony of the government’s resolve to change the “development face” of the country for the better.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, traced the history of the divestiture of the former City Hotel, which dates back August 1996, when the company, Ace Hotels and Resorts Limited, acquired it.
He said problems arose in the implementation stage leading to a legal dispute between Ace Hotels and GLAHCO, which delayed the rehabilitation for a long period, prompting the Government of Ghana to intervene to settle the matter out of court in 2004.
He praised President Kufuor for his massive support in having the dispute settled out of court.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr E.A. Owusu-Ansah, expressed the hope that the completion of the project would mark the beginning of more projects from Libya to the region.
He called on the management of the hotel to create avenues for the promotion of domestic tourism, conference tourism and also the rich Ashanti culture.
The Managing Director of GLAHCO, Mr Abdulhamid Karmus, was confident that the hotel would be successful, taking into consideration the political, economic and social importance of the city of Kumasi.
The Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, said with the up-coming African Cup of Nations, the rebirth of the hotel was an exciting moment for the ministry.
PRESIDENT John Agyekum Kufuor at the weekend inaugurated the refurbished City Hotel, now christened Golden Tulip Kumasi City, with the firm assurance that the government was determined to restore life to state hotels that had been left to go to waste over a long period of time.
He stated that some of the hotels were sold “under questionable conditions and sale terms”, and added that the government was looking for funds to buy them back to pave the way for their restoration.
President Kufuor said the former City Hotel constituted one of the important national hotels rated in the same class as the Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Atlantic Hotel in Takoradi and the Meridian Hotel in Tema, but mismanagement had plunged them into ruins.
The $21.2-million four-star Golden Tulip Kumasi City, constructed by the China State Hualong Construction Ghana Limited, is owned by the Ghana Libyan-Arab Holding Company (GLAHCO), a joint investment venture between the Ghana Government (40 per cent) and the Libyan Government (60 per cent).
It was financed by the Libyan Arab African Investment Company ($4.5 million), the Government of Ghana ($3.7 million) and the Ghana Commercial Bank, which granted a loan of $13 million.
The 160-room hotel has other facilities, including a la carte restaurant, a lobby bar, a poolside bar, health club facilities, a swimming pool, conference and meeting rooms.
GLAHCO entered into an agreement with Golden Tulip Hospitality Group of the Netherlands to manage the hotel, which, at full capacity, is expected to offer employment to about 140 people.
President Kufuor said the rebirth of the hotel was timely, coming at a time Kumasi was hard pressed for hotel facilities to accommodate football teams from four nations and thousands of officials and fans for the 26th African Cup of Nations. “With this hotel and other amenities, Kumasi is ready to co-host the event,’ the President said.
Emphasising the tourism potential of Kumasi in particular and the Ashanti Region in general, President Kufuor said, “Often visitors to Ghana want to experience the indigenous culture, so they will continue to travel up country. That is why facilities must be available to house them when they come”.
He noted the infrastructure the government continued to put in place to open up the country and said that was a clear testimony of the government’s resolve to change the “development face” of the country for the better.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, traced the history of the divestiture of the former City Hotel, which dates back August 1996, when the company, Ace Hotels and Resorts Limited, acquired it.
He said problems arose in the implementation stage leading to a legal dispute between Ace Hotels and GLAHCO, which delayed the rehabilitation for a long period, prompting the Government of Ghana to intervene to settle the matter out of court in 2004.
He praised President Kufuor for his massive support in having the dispute settled out of court.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr E.A. Owusu-Ansah, expressed the hope that the completion of the project would mark the beginning of more projects from Libya to the region.
He called on the management of the hotel to create avenues for the promotion of domestic tourism, conference tourism and also the rich Ashanti culture.
The Managing Director of GLAHCO, Mr Abdulhamid Karmus, was confident that the hotel would be successful, taking into consideration the political, economic and social importance of the city of Kumasi.
The Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, said with the up-coming African Cup of Nations, the rebirth of the hotel was an exciting moment for the ministry.
Friday, January 11, 2008
TAMALE STADIUM, THE NEW TOURIST ATTRACTION .....(Page 26)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan & Vincent Adedze, Tamale
THERE is no doubt that the people of Tamale love football. Their passion for the game has been manifested in many ways that have ensured that, the ‘‘Pride of the North,’’ Real Tamale United (RTU), has survived the drudgery of the elite division for almost 30 years now without ever tasting the bitterness of relegation.
It was with the same zeal and obsession, coupled with an eagerness to have a complete view and feel of the new ultra-modern Tamale Stadium that saw hundreds of fans troop to the stadium on Sunday (Jan 6) to watch the homester’s Onetouch Premier League match against visiting Kessben FC that ended 2-0 in favour of the Tamale lads.
Some of the eager spectators that included many ladies, however, had to return home because of the frustration and chaotic situation they had to go through in buying tickets at the gates.
In spite of that handicap, the club was still able to gross an amount of GH¢11,300 at the end of the day.
Some of the ladies said they did not patronise league matches previously because the Kaladan Park was too “rough, dusty and uncomfortable” for them.
They said with the construction of the new stadium they were now prepared to invite their friends from the other regions and neighbouring countries where the tournament would not be hosted to Tamale to witness the event.
“We are encouraged by what we have seen here and we like this new stadium; we like sports and this new structure would encourage us more to watch local and international matches here,” they further stressed.
If the honouring of the ninth league fixture at the stadium was to test the facilities and the readiness to play the group ‘‘D’’ matches in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament at the new edifice, then it passed the test.
The only difficulty encountered by the spectators which many of them complained about was the winding queues at the gates. The design at the gates are such that a spectator would have to queue through the three tier handrails to gain access to the stadium.
As a result, those who could not bear the situation went back home while those who managed to go through had to watch only the second half of the match due to the delay at the gates.
According to one of the spectators who could not get access to watch the match, Mrs Azaratu Issah, ‘‘I was in the queue for more than thirty minutes, but unfortunately some people were jumping the queue in the full glare of the security and they did nothing to stop them.’’
Another female fan, Ms Augustina Bawuah, who was lucky to watch proceedings described the stadium as a ‘‘master piece of aesthetic work that should be maintained and protected at all times.’’
The 20,000 all-seater stadium is strategically located on a hill near the forest at the Education Ridge roundabout. It covers an area of 26.834 hectares, about 22,517 square meters. Among the facilities at the ultra modern edifice are a 40-bedroom hostel, VIP stand, a giant electronic score board, press box and dressing rooms.
Some of the awe stricken spectators also described the luscious green turf as very attractive for good football. The state of the art floodlights are also attached to the roof in the stadium.
It is therefore not surprising that the magnificent stadium has become one of the monumental edifices in the metropolis that is attracting many residents and visitors alike to the metropolis.
Most of the people interviewed by this reporter, however, expressed concern over its maintenance and appealed to the Ministry of Education and Sports to put in place an efficient management system to ensure that, ‘‘this monument is properly preserved for the present and future generations,’’ Alhaji Abdul-Karim Yahaya entreated.
THERE is no doubt that the people of Tamale love football. Their passion for the game has been manifested in many ways that have ensured that, the ‘‘Pride of the North,’’ Real Tamale United (RTU), has survived the drudgery of the elite division for almost 30 years now without ever tasting the bitterness of relegation.
It was with the same zeal and obsession, coupled with an eagerness to have a complete view and feel of the new ultra-modern Tamale Stadium that saw hundreds of fans troop to the stadium on Sunday (Jan 6) to watch the homester’s Onetouch Premier League match against visiting Kessben FC that ended 2-0 in favour of the Tamale lads.
Some of the eager spectators that included many ladies, however, had to return home because of the frustration and chaotic situation they had to go through in buying tickets at the gates.
In spite of that handicap, the club was still able to gross an amount of GH¢11,300 at the end of the day.
Some of the ladies said they did not patronise league matches previously because the Kaladan Park was too “rough, dusty and uncomfortable” for them.
They said with the construction of the new stadium they were now prepared to invite their friends from the other regions and neighbouring countries where the tournament would not be hosted to Tamale to witness the event.
“We are encouraged by what we have seen here and we like this new stadium; we like sports and this new structure would encourage us more to watch local and international matches here,” they further stressed.
If the honouring of the ninth league fixture at the stadium was to test the facilities and the readiness to play the group ‘‘D’’ matches in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament at the new edifice, then it passed the test.
The only difficulty encountered by the spectators which many of them complained about was the winding queues at the gates. The design at the gates are such that a spectator would have to queue through the three tier handrails to gain access to the stadium.
As a result, those who could not bear the situation went back home while those who managed to go through had to watch only the second half of the match due to the delay at the gates.
According to one of the spectators who could not get access to watch the match, Mrs Azaratu Issah, ‘‘I was in the queue for more than thirty minutes, but unfortunately some people were jumping the queue in the full glare of the security and they did nothing to stop them.’’
Another female fan, Ms Augustina Bawuah, who was lucky to watch proceedings described the stadium as a ‘‘master piece of aesthetic work that should be maintained and protected at all times.’’
The 20,000 all-seater stadium is strategically located on a hill near the forest at the Education Ridge roundabout. It covers an area of 26.834 hectares, about 22,517 square meters. Among the facilities at the ultra modern edifice are a 40-bedroom hostel, VIP stand, a giant electronic score board, press box and dressing rooms.
Some of the awe stricken spectators also described the luscious green turf as very attractive for good football. The state of the art floodlights are also attached to the roof in the stadium.
It is therefore not surprising that the magnificent stadium has become one of the monumental edifices in the metropolis that is attracting many residents and visitors alike to the metropolis.
Most of the people interviewed by this reporter, however, expressed concern over its maintenance and appealed to the Ministry of Education and Sports to put in place an efficient management system to ensure that, ‘‘this monument is properly preserved for the present and future generations,’’ Alhaji Abdul-Karim Yahaya entreated.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
NEW IMC TO RUN RTU (Page 55)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
A new Interim Management Committee (IMC) has taken over the management of the “Pride of the North,” Real Tamale United (RTU) to propel the club to higher heights.
The 13-member committee is being chaired by Mr Abdallah Samande Kassim, a founding player of the club and an accomplished journalist. He is currently the executive director of Rural Media Network (RUMNET), a Tamale-based media advocacy NGO.
The other members of the IMC include persons of top management positions in the NGO community and civil service who are imbued with long years of experience at their respective organisations.
They took over from the previous committee that was headed by ace Asante Kotoko player and technical director, Mr Malik Jabir, on November 19, 2007.
According to Mr Kassim, “we intend to run the club on professional levels for which reason we have recently defined the roles of the various heads of the management team of the darling club.”
He explained that over the years the roles of the members were not clearly defined, leading to overlapping of duties and its resultant effect of laxity and low performance.
“We hope that with this new development, they would be encouraged to put up their best for the common interest of the team,” Mr Kassim added.
The Chief Executive Officer intimated that his administration intended to build RTU into one of the formidable teams in the country, and that for this season everything was being done to ensure that RTU was among the top four clubs by the end of the 2007/2008 league season.
He said the focus of his administration would be on keeping the playing body in very good shape.
“We want to create conducive environment for them to give of their best at all times to keep the club that had been touted as the most-travelled during any particular league season afloat,” Mr. Kassin gave assurance.
The CEO further disclosed that they were restructuring the teeming followers of the club into viable channels whose collective efforts and support would boost the image of the club to improve on its fortunes.
He expressed appreciation to board members of the club for the confidence reposed in him and his members and commended his predecessors, old players and supporters for the various effective roles played over the years.
A new Interim Management Committee (IMC) has taken over the management of the “Pride of the North,” Real Tamale United (RTU) to propel the club to higher heights.
The 13-member committee is being chaired by Mr Abdallah Samande Kassim, a founding player of the club and an accomplished journalist. He is currently the executive director of Rural Media Network (RUMNET), a Tamale-based media advocacy NGO.
The other members of the IMC include persons of top management positions in the NGO community and civil service who are imbued with long years of experience at their respective organisations.
They took over from the previous committee that was headed by ace Asante Kotoko player and technical director, Mr Malik Jabir, on November 19, 2007.
According to Mr Kassim, “we intend to run the club on professional levels for which reason we have recently defined the roles of the various heads of the management team of the darling club.”
He explained that over the years the roles of the members were not clearly defined, leading to overlapping of duties and its resultant effect of laxity and low performance.
“We hope that with this new development, they would be encouraged to put up their best for the common interest of the team,” Mr Kassim added.
The Chief Executive Officer intimated that his administration intended to build RTU into one of the formidable teams in the country, and that for this season everything was being done to ensure that RTU was among the top four clubs by the end of the 2007/2008 league season.
He said the focus of his administration would be on keeping the playing body in very good shape.
“We want to create conducive environment for them to give of their best at all times to keep the club that had been touted as the most-travelled during any particular league season afloat,” Mr. Kassin gave assurance.
The CEO further disclosed that they were restructuring the teeming followers of the club into viable channels whose collective efforts and support would boost the image of the club to improve on its fortunes.
He expressed appreciation to board members of the club for the confidence reposed in him and his members and commended his predecessors, old players and supporters for the various effective roles played over the years.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
NURSES QUARTERS FOR KPABIA ...(Page 22)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Yendi
THE Kpabia Area Council in the Yendi District has embarked on the construction of nurses' quarters to provide accommodation for health personnel, to improve on health delivery service in the area.
Kpabia is the second area council in the district to launch a project under the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) of the Community Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP).
The Jimli Area Council in the district was the first in the country last year to undertake and successfully complete a development project within the stipulated period of 100 days under the initiative.
The project is the initiative of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment (MLGRDE).
It is being funded by the World Bank and the Agence Francaise De Developement (AFD) at the cost of GH15, 000 in collaboration with the Yendi District Assembly.
In a speech read on behalf of the northern Zonal Coordinator of the CBRDP, Mr Baba Imoro Abdulai, he explained that the initiative basically aimed at enhancing capacity of councilors to achieve results.
He also noted that, ''the decentralisation agenda would not be complete without empowering and resourcing area councils and local communities to undertake self-help development projects to better their lot.''
Mr Abdulai expressed appreciation to the Yendi District Assembly for providing the 10 per cent counterpart fund towards the execution of the project and said it demonstrated the level of commitment of the assembly to collaborate with development partners in the long term sustainable efforts.
The Yendi District Chief Executive, Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, said the assembly was committed to the realisation of the noble objective of the decentralisation agenda and would do everything possible to empower the sub-district structures.
THE Kpabia Area Council in the Yendi District has embarked on the construction of nurses' quarters to provide accommodation for health personnel, to improve on health delivery service in the area.
Kpabia is the second area council in the district to launch a project under the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) of the Community Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP).
The Jimli Area Council in the district was the first in the country last year to undertake and successfully complete a development project within the stipulated period of 100 days under the initiative.
The project is the initiative of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment (MLGRDE).
It is being funded by the World Bank and the Agence Francaise De Developement (AFD) at the cost of GH15, 000 in collaboration with the Yendi District Assembly.
In a speech read on behalf of the northern Zonal Coordinator of the CBRDP, Mr Baba Imoro Abdulai, he explained that the initiative basically aimed at enhancing capacity of councilors to achieve results.
He also noted that, ''the decentralisation agenda would not be complete without empowering and resourcing area councils and local communities to undertake self-help development projects to better their lot.''
Mr Abdulai expressed appreciation to the Yendi District Assembly for providing the 10 per cent counterpart fund towards the execution of the project and said it demonstrated the level of commitment of the assembly to collaborate with development partners in the long term sustainable efforts.
The Yendi District Chief Executive, Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, said the assembly was committed to the realisation of the noble objective of the decentralisation agenda and would do everything possible to empower the sub-district structures.
Friday, January 4, 2008
ACCESS ROAD TO UDS HOSTEL NOT READY YET (Page 28)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
WITH almost two weeks to the commencement of the Ghana 2008 tournament, it is still not certain which outfit is responsible for the tarring of the stretch of road that leads to the University for Development Studies (UDS) Medical School Enhanced Hostel where the four competing teams and CAF officials will be based.
While the Department of Urban Roads and the contractors who worked on the ultra-modern hostel are denying any responsibility, officials of the UDS who would take over the management of the hostel after the tournament are also without the financial wherewithal to fund the project.
Anything worth doing should be done well as the sages say, after all, how does the Local Organising Committee expect the teams to get to the hostels in the mist of so much dust, particularly in this dry and harsh harmattan weather?
It would certainly be a blot on the otherwise beautiful project and the image of Tamale and the country as a whole if whoever is in charge does not get to work immediately.
It is also incumbent on the Tamale Venue Organising Committee to liaise with the LOC and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly to go into action and ensure that work on the road is expeditiously done to save everybody from embarrassment.
It is, however, heart-warming that the over GH¢ 1.4 million access road project at the new multi-billion-cedi stadium where the tournament is going to be held is almost complete.
Other components of the 21-kilometre road include walkways, sealed drains and streetlights.
According to the Tamale Metropolitan Roads Engineer, Mr William Donkor, other road works that are earnestly ongoing include access roads to the new VIP Lodge at the Tamale Airport, the Radach Hotel at Lamashegu and the Tamale Polytechnic.
He gave the assurance that work on the various road projects were within schedule and would be completed before the commencement of the tournament.
‘‘We need to protect all these investments by ensuring that we do not only use the roads judiciously but also protect them from damage,’’ he admonished.
WITH almost two weeks to the commencement of the Ghana 2008 tournament, it is still not certain which outfit is responsible for the tarring of the stretch of road that leads to the University for Development Studies (UDS) Medical School Enhanced Hostel where the four competing teams and CAF officials will be based.
While the Department of Urban Roads and the contractors who worked on the ultra-modern hostel are denying any responsibility, officials of the UDS who would take over the management of the hostel after the tournament are also without the financial wherewithal to fund the project.
Anything worth doing should be done well as the sages say, after all, how does the Local Organising Committee expect the teams to get to the hostels in the mist of so much dust, particularly in this dry and harsh harmattan weather?
It would certainly be a blot on the otherwise beautiful project and the image of Tamale and the country as a whole if whoever is in charge does not get to work immediately.
It is also incumbent on the Tamale Venue Organising Committee to liaise with the LOC and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly to go into action and ensure that work on the road is expeditiously done to save everybody from embarrassment.
It is, however, heart-warming that the over GH¢ 1.4 million access road project at the new multi-billion-cedi stadium where the tournament is going to be held is almost complete.
Other components of the 21-kilometre road include walkways, sealed drains and streetlights.
According to the Tamale Metropolitan Roads Engineer, Mr William Donkor, other road works that are earnestly ongoing include access roads to the new VIP Lodge at the Tamale Airport, the Radach Hotel at Lamashegu and the Tamale Polytechnic.
He gave the assurance that work on the various road projects were within schedule and would be completed before the commencement of the tournament.
‘‘We need to protect all these investments by ensuring that we do not only use the roads judiciously but also protect them from damage,’’ he admonished.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
TAMALE COURT REMANDS FOUR (Page 28)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
The Tamale Circuit Court has remanded four residents of Yendi in prison custody for possessing an AK 47 rifle loaded with 20 rounds of live ammunition, in a restricted area.
The four, Abdulai Mohammed, Musah Abdulai, Nuhu Muniru and Nasiru Ziblim, were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and possession of firearms without lawful excuse.
The prosecutor, Inspector Vincent Ahiabor, pleaded with the court to remand the accused persons in custody to enable the police to conduct further investigations into the matter.
They will reappear before the court on January 7, next year.
Prosecuting, Mr Ahiabor said at about 7:30 p.m. on December 21, 2007, during a joint military and police patrol in Yendi, a rifle was fired in their direction.
According to him, the security men detected that the shots were coming from an AK 47 rifle for which reason they followed the direction of the sound to a house at Zohe Fong, a suburb, where the four accused persons were arrested.
This was after they had cordoned off the house and conducted a thorough search where the AK 47 rifle with the registered number KP-4472 was retrieved.
The prosecutor said the accused were then sent to the Yendi Police Station where they were interrogated and later arraigned.
The Tamale Circuit Court has remanded four residents of Yendi in prison custody for possessing an AK 47 rifle loaded with 20 rounds of live ammunition, in a restricted area.
The four, Abdulai Mohammed, Musah Abdulai, Nuhu Muniru and Nasiru Ziblim, were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and possession of firearms without lawful excuse.
The prosecutor, Inspector Vincent Ahiabor, pleaded with the court to remand the accused persons in custody to enable the police to conduct further investigations into the matter.
They will reappear before the court on January 7, next year.
Prosecuting, Mr Ahiabor said at about 7:30 p.m. on December 21, 2007, during a joint military and police patrol in Yendi, a rifle was fired in their direction.
According to him, the security men detected that the shots were coming from an AK 47 rifle for which reason they followed the direction of the sound to a house at Zohe Fong, a suburb, where the four accused persons were arrested.
This was after they had cordoned off the house and conducted a thorough search where the AK 47 rifle with the registered number KP-4472 was retrieved.
The prosecutor said the accused were then sent to the Yendi Police Station where they were interrogated and later arraigned.
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