On this day 21 December 1969 (Exactly 49 years ago) The 10th Ghana Football League season came to an end with Abuakwa Susu Biribi missing a golden chance to win their first league title.
Asante Kotoko won by a narrow margin, beating Susu Biribi by only a point. Kotoko, then in the thick of the African campaign, had a backlog of outstanding matches to clear. At one stage when Susu Biribi had played 16 matches, with 22 points, Kotoko had played only 10 matches and had 13 points. Susu Biribi, then the leaders, had the uncomfortable experience of watching Kotoko systematically clear their five outstanding fixtures to dislodge them from the top by only one point.
Susu Biribi had themselves to blame for they blew a chance to win the cup when the Ghana Football Association(GFA) ordered a replay of their controversial match against Corners.
The first match on December 21(exactly 49 years today) which officially ended the league ended abruptly.
Corners were leading 2-1 when Susu Biribi’s midfielder, Okroh was shown the red card by referee Kwaku Baah for rough play. Susu Biribi protested vehemently and in the ensuing confusion the match was called off after only 20 minutes of the second half.
The GFA upheld the protest by Susu Biribi and ordered a replay but Susu Biribi decided to rest most of their key players in this crucial replay, apparently thinking that Corners didn’t need the points. They had a rude shock when Corners won the match 2-1.
Susu Biribi, later on, lodged a protest that Corners fielded an unregistered player, Jasper Manu, but the protest was dismissed by the Disciplinary Committee, headed by Justice E. N. P. Sowah. The committee concluded that the two clubs might have fix the match because even though Corners had fielded an unregistered player, Susu Biribi failed to inspect the identity cards of the Corners players. The committee, however, fined Corners and ruled that the score, 2-1, should stand.
Susu Biribi hit back, engaging the services of three Accra based lawyers to file a writ in court to set aside the decision of the committee. The lawyers were K. Duah-Sakyi, Ofosu Asante and Peter Swaniker.
At a press conference, Mr. Henry Djagba, Chief Patron of Susu Biribi, alleged that Mr. Justice Sowah failed to properly study the rules governing the league and had arrogated to himself the role of an investigator and prosecutor. The case was later withdrawn from the court.
On this day 21 December 1975(Exactly 43 years ago) The 1975 Ghana Football League season came to an end with Asante Kotoko winning their 7th League title.
Asante Kotoko, inspired by young striker, 20 year- old Opoku Afriyie, scored a total of 76 goals in 34 matches to win the league.
Opoku’s 27 goal tally, however, fell short of Dan Owusu ‘s haul of 28. Owusu of Bofoakwa retained the goal King Crown sponsored by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG)
On this day 21 December 2011(Exactly 7 years ago) Marc Albrighton, the Leicester City midfielder, scored the 20,000th goal of the English Premier League (EPL) when he got the equaliser for Aston Villa in a 2-1 defeat at home to Arsenal
On this day 21 December 1999(Exactly 19 years ago) Former FC Barcelona and Brazilian midfielder Rivaldo was named as winner of the Ballon d’Or for best football player in Europe ahead of Manchester United midfielder David Beckham and Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko.
On this day 21 December 2013(Exactly 5 years ago) FC Bayern Munchen became the first German club to win the FIFA Club World Cup after defeating Raja Casablanca 2-0 in the final at Marrakech Stadium, wrapping up a memorable year for then European champions.
In the first meeting between the sides, Bayern asserted themselves from the start.
In the 4th minute Bayern and Germany international Toni Kroos tested Raja goalkeeper Khalid Askri with a distance shot. Askri was able to make a comfortable save.
One minute later Raja answered Bayern’s early surge when the in-form Moussine Iajour shot wide inside the Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s penalty box.
In the 7th minute Bayern defender Jerome Boateng headed a corner kick from Xherdan Shaqiri into the path of fellow defender Dante who shot past Askri from about six yards to give the European champions the 1-0 lead.
Bayern continued to control the flow of the match and in the 22nd minute went two goals ahead after Alaba cut inside from the left wing to find Spain international Thiago at the top of the 18-yard box who struck a 14-yard shot into Askri’s far corner.
On this day 21 December 2008(Exactly 10 years ago) Ten-man Manchester United won the FIFA Club World Cup, thanks to Wayne Rooney’s 73rd minute goal over Liga de Quito in Yokohama.
By: George “Alan Green ” Mahamah