On this day 22 January 1961 (Exactly 58 years ago)
The 1960/1961 Ghana Football League season came to an end with Sekondi Eleven Wise emerging as Champions of Ghana.
The 1960 /61success story of Eleven Wise was dramatic and amazing. It was a sharp rise from the bottom of the table the previous year to the top. Led by prolific scorer, Edward Acquah, the “Show Boys” fought a terrific neck and neck race with Asante Kotoko, the defending champions.
By the last game of the season, Eleven Wise had scored 21 points and Asante Kotoko were only a point behind them. Wise had a final game against local rivals Hasaacas while Kotoko also had a local derby against Cornerstone. Hasaacas almost succeeded in jolting the championship hopes of Eleven Wise by taking a confident lead for 84 minutes. In fact, it was an 85th minute equalizer by Edward Acquah “the man with the sputnik shot” that revived the spirits of Wise.
With fingers crossed, Eleven Wise waited impatiently for the result of the Kotoko- Cornerstone encounter in Kumasi. Then the news flashed. Kotoko had been beaten 2-0 by Cornerstone. You can imagine the excitement in the camp of Eleven Wise. Kumasi Cornerstone by their action had won the League Cup for Eleven Wise.
Unfortunately after this victory Eleven Wise have hardly come near the title again.
In contrast, Eleven Wise have ignobly tasted demotion thrice . The first demotion was in the 1990-91 season.
The “Show Boys” admirably bounced back to premier status four years later and took active part in the 1995-96 season. Unfortunately this was short-lived and in 1998, they went down again to the lower division where they remained for the a decade.
“The Western Show Boys” earned premier status again in the 2008-2009 season after 10 solid years in the wilderness, but they were relegated again after two seasons and have remained there since.
On this day 22 January 2000 (Exactly 19 years ago) Co-hosts Ghana salvaged a 1-1 draw with Cameroon in the opening match of the 22nd Africa Nations Cup at the Accra Sports Stadium
Cameroon took a 20th minute lead through the late Marc-Vivien Foe, dominated the first half and could have comfortably wrapped up the game with more accurate shooting.
Instead, the Black Stars, four times Nations Cup champions, hit back with a classy strike by Kwame Ayew in the 57th minute and came close to snatching three points in a group which also featured Togo and Ivory Coast.
Foe headed in from a rebound after Lauren Mayer’s shot had rebounded off the bar as Cameroon took early control.
Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingston saved a Rigobert Song header on the line with his legs, then Joseph-Desire Job contrived to fire the ball over the bar from four metres from a chance created by a Salomon Olembe overhead kick.
Kingston saved Ghana again just before halftime, blocking a shot from Job after the home side’s rearguard was breached.
Ghana managed only one decent effort before halftime, when Christian Gyan fired wide from the edge of the penalty area.
Cameroon were guilty of another astonishing miss in the 49th minute when Patrick Mboma emulated Job’s earlier blunder by firing over an empty goal from point-blank range.
Eight minutes later, Ayew equalised, finishing clinically after a neat one-two with substitute Peter Ofari-Quaye.
Cameroon goalkeeper Boukar Alioum made a tremendous save to deny Otto Addo, then blocked a close-range effort by Ofori-Quaye with his legs as Ghana came close to winning.
Scorers: Ghana – Kwame Ayew 57
Cameroon -M.arc Vivien Foe 20
Ghana Line-up : Richard Kingston, Samuel O. Kuffour, Stephen Baidoo, Mohamed Gargo (Mark Edusei 55), Alex Nyarko, Augustine Ahinful (Peter Ofori-Quaye 31), Charles Akonnor, Christian Gyan, Samuel Johnson, Kwame Ayew, Otto Addo (Stephen Appiah67)
Coach : Guissepe Dossena
Cameroon Line-up : Alioum Boukar , Lauren Etame Mayer, Rigobert Song, Raymond Kalla, Pierre Wome, Pierre Njanka, Geremi Njitap, Marc Vivien Foe, Solomon Olembe (Lucien Mettomo 81), Joseph Desire Job (Pius Ndiefi 64), Patrick Mboma (Samuel Eto’o
80)
Coach :Pierre Lechantre
Referee: Ali Bujsaim (UAE)
On this day 22 January 1960 (Exactly 59 years ago) Paul Pender beat Sugar Ray Robinson by split decision for middleweight boxing title at the Boston Gardens, Bosten.
On this 22 January 1973 (Exactly 46 years ago) George Foreman TKOs Joe Frazier in 2 rounds to win WBC & WBA heavyweight boxing titles at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica; Frazier was knocked down 3 times in both 1st & 2nd rounds
On this day 22 January 1988 (Exactly 31 years ago ) Mike Tyson TKOs an ageing Larry Holmes in round 4 at the Convention Center in Atlantic City to retain his undisputed heavyweight boxing title; 38-year old former champion was floored 3 times in 4th before the fight was stopped by referee Joe Cortez .
On this day 22 January 2006 (Exactly 13 years ago) Kobe Bryant scored a staggering 81 points — the second-highest total in NBA history — and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 122-104.
With the fans at Staples Center chanting “MVP! MVP!” Bryant made two free throws with 43.4 seconds remaining for his final points, putting him behind only Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time scoring list.
Chamberlain scored 100 points for Philadelphia against the New York Knicks at Hershey, Pa., on March 2, 1962. His second-highest total was 78 against the Lakers in three overtimes on Dec. 8, 1961.
“I couldn’t even dream of this when I was a kid,” Bryant said. “There was no way possible.”
Bryant left to a standing ovation with 4.2 seconds remaining, having shot 28-of-46 from the floor and 18-of-20 from the foul line.
Elgin Baylor held the previous franchise record of 71 points at New York on Nov. 15, 1960.
Michael Jordan’s career high was 69 points, and only four players had ever scored more than 70 — Chamberlain, David Thompson, Baylor and David Robinson. Bryant made it five.
By George ‘Alan Green’ Mahamah
