On this day 20 December 1970 (Exactly 48 years ago) Ghana’s Football League season ended with Great Olympics winning the league for the first time pipping local rivals, Hearts of Oak by a solitary point 23-22.
The league system was changed this season. A lower league comprising 50 clubs from all over the country were grouped in eight zones for a special zonal tournament to select the best for 15.
Seven zones provided two teams each and the Northern /Upper zone had one.
The 15 top clubs then competed national one zonal Upper League.
The qualifiers were;
Greater Accra: Hearts of Oak and Great Olympics
Eastern: Susu Bribi and Koforidua Mighty Rovers
Central: Dwarfs and Swedru All Blacks
Western: Eleven Wise and Hasaacas
Ashanti: Asante Kotoko and Cornerstone
Brong Ahafo: B. A United and Bofoakwa Tano
Volta: Ho Sunset and Holy Mighty Eagles
North/Upper: Gbewa
For the records Gbewa became the third club to complete a league season without a single win after Vipers (1958) and Dwarfs (1959).
On this day 20 December 1992 (Exactly 26 years ago) Ghana’s Black Stars beat Algeria 2-0 in a 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying match played at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Goals Scored: Prince Polley 24
Kwame Ayew 80
On this day 20 December 2010(Exactly 8 years ago) Samuel Eto’o was named African player of the year for a record fourth time. The then forward for Inter Milan and Cameroon finished ahead of Ghana forward Asamoah Gyan and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba in votes cast by the coaches of African’s 53 national teams.
Eto’o helped Inter Milan win an unprecedented treble of Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League titles the previous season.
Ghana won the team of the year award and Serbian Milovan Rajevac, who quit as Ghana coach’s in September,2010 was voted coach of the year.
Ahmed Hassan won the African-based player of the year award after leading Egypt to the African Cup of Nations title
On this day 20 December 2014(Exactly 4 years ago) Real Madrid won the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014 after defeating San Lorenzo 2-0 in the final in Marrakech.
The UEFA Champions League winners scored on either side of the half thanks to goals from defender Sergio Ramos and winger Gareth Bale.
On this day 20 December 2015 (Exactly 3 years ago) A brace from Luis Suarez and a Lionel Messi strike saw Barcelona claim their third FIFA Club World Cup crown with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over River Plate in Yokohama.
On this day 20 December 1994 (Exactly 24 years ago) Former FC Barcelona and Bulgarian forward Hristo Stoichkov was named as winner of Ballon d’Or for Europe’s best football player ahead of Juventus striker Roberto Baggio and Milan defender Paolo Maldini.
By: George “Alan Green ” Mahamah
