On this day 14 May 2006 (Exactly 14 years ago today) Supporters of Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club poured unto the streets of Sunyani after the referee signalled for the end of their titanic GT One Touch Top Four final match against Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Coronation Park.
The match ended one all but Hearts needed only a draw to lift the GT One Touch Top Four Cup for the second time.
Kotoko took the lead in the 62nd minute of the tension-packed match through George Yamoah but Hearts staged a late rally and cancelled the deficit in the 76th minute through Kwabena Boafo.
The heightened tension around the match saw hundreds of police and military personnel at vantage points around the Sunyani Coronation Park to ensure no acts of indiscipline or violent behaviour happened.
The two rival teams exerted their energies and concentration in the first half of the epic ‘battle’ that belied their pride and image other than the cash and cup rewards for the winner.
Both sides wasted open chances they created especially in the first half, which ended without a goal. It was apparent that caution took a greater part of the players’ performance with each side being very alert not to commit any blunders that could spell their team’s doom.
Kotoko who were determined to carry the day, started strongly in the second half and it came as no surprise when the workaholic striker Yamoah slotted in the first goal amid thunderous cheers from the Fabulous supporters.
The goal came about when the Kumapem boys won a throw-in and when the ball fell on the feet of the striker he did not waste time and sent a sizzling shot to the blind side of Hearts goalkeeper Laud Quartey straight into the net.
Hearts coach Oti Akenten pulled out Tachie Mensah for Joe Louis and from then it became a ding-dong affair until Boafo equalized with a header from a free kick just outside the 18 yard box.
The final whistle sent the hundreds of Hearts supporters into a frenzy in spite of the drawn game, since the team needed only a draw to lift the GT One Touch Top Four Cup.
Elsewhere;
On this day 14 May 1994 (Exactly 26 years ago today) Manchester United defeated Chelsea 4-0 at the Wembley Stadium, London to win their 8th FA Cup title.
United went into the final as Premier League champions, having won the title by eight points over Blackburn Rovers. They were bidding to become only the fourth team of the 20th century to complete “the Double” and the first in their own history. Chelsea, on the other hand, were playing in their first FA Cup Final since 1970 and first major final since the 1972 Football League Cup Final; they had finished 14th in the Premier League.
Goals Scored
Eric Cantona (60 penalty, 66 penalty)
Mark Hughes 69
McClair 90+2
Manchester United: Schmeichel; Parker, Irwin (Sharpe, 84), Bruce, Pallister, Cantona, Ince, Giggs, Kanchelskis (McClair, 84), Keane, Hughes.
Chelsea: Kharin; Clarke, Johnsen, Kjeldbjerg, Sinclair, Burley (Hoddle, 68), Newton, Spencer, Peacock, Stein (Cascarino, 78), Wise.
Referee: D Elleray (Harrow).
On this day 14 May 1995 (Exactly 25 years ago today) At 43 years, 162 days Manchester City goalkeeper John Burridge became the oldest player to appear in an EPL match, a 3-2 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers.
On this day 14 May 1980 (Exactly 40 years ago today) Valencia won the 20th European Cup Winner’s Cup against Arsenal of England 5-4 on penalties at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels
The match ended goalless after extra – time and it was the first final to be decided on penalties.
Arsenal FC, were a typically English team with an Irish backbone of Pat Jennings in goal, Liam Brady in midfield and Frank Stapleton as target-man. A solid campaign led them as far as the semi-finals where, after conceding a 1-1 draw in London, they were expected to fall against Juventus FC, who settled for the 0-0 draw that would have been sufficient…until substitute Paul Vaessen hit the last-gasp goal which eliminated them and sent Arsenal to Brussels.
Valencia possessed formidable weaponry. Ricardo Arias ‘swept’ behind an uncompromising defence. Rainer Bonhof and Daniel Solsona blended steel and skill in midfield. And World Cup star Mario Kempes was well served by two pacy, skilful wingers. To their credit, Arsenal kept them at bay in a final which produced little to write home about. At 4-4 in the penalty shoot-out, Graham Rix failed from the spot and the trophy was on its way back to Spain.
Line-Ups
Valencia CF Arsenal FC
PEREIRA Carlos (G) JENNINGS Pat (G)
CARRETE José RICE Pat (C)
BOTUBOT Manuel TALBOT Brian
ARIAS Ricardo O’LEARY David
TENDILLO Miguel(C)NELSON Sammy
SOLSONA Daniel YOUNG Willie
SAURA Enrique BRADY Liam
BONHOF Rainer SUNDERLAND Alan
KEMPES Mario STAPLETON Frank
SUBIRATS Javier PRICE David
RODRIGUEZ Pablo RIX Graham
Head Coach
DI STEFANO Alfredo NEILL Terry
On this day 14 May 1997 (Exactly 23 years ago today) FC Barcelona won the 37th edition of the European Cup Winner’s Cup against Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 at the Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam.
Barcelona won the match thanks to a Ronaldo 38th minute penalty.
FC Barcelona :Baia, Ferrer, Abelardo, Popescu (Amor 46), Sergi, Guardiola, De La Peña (Stoitchkov 85), Fernando Couto, Luis Enrique (Pizzi 89), Figo, Ronaldo
Paris Saint-Germain: Lama, Fournier (Algerino 58), N’Gotty, Le Guen, Domi, Leroy, Guerin (Dely Valdes 69), Rai, Cauet, Loko (Pouget 78), Leonardo
Referee: Merk (Germany)
On this day 14 May 1995 ((Exactly 25 years ago today) Blackburn Rovers ended Manchester United’s monopoly on the Premier League by claiming the top- flight title for the first time in 81 years. On a dramatic final day, Rovers lost at Liverpool but triumph by a point after United could only draw at West Ham.
On this day 14 May 2011 (Exactly 9 years ago today) Manchester City ended a barren sequence of 35 years without a major trophy as Yaya Toure’s late strike gave them a deserved FA Cup Final victory over Stoke City.
Toure was City’s Wembley hero with the semi-final winner against Manchester United – and the giant Ivory Coast midfield man was on target again 16 minutes from time to set the seal on their first top-level success since the 1976 League Cup win against Newcastle United.
City claimed the FA Cup just hours after United secured a record 19th league title with a point at Blackburn Rovers.
By: George “Alan Green” Mahamah
