Soccer-King Faisal pip Olympics 1-0

Accra (Greater Accra), 31st May 99 -

A 10-man King Faisal, inflicted a painful 1-0 defeat on wonder club, Accra Great Olympics in their 15th week ABC premier league match, played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.

Top marksman, Joe Louis made victory certain for the visitors when he scored the only goal in the 55th minute.

The match, which started on a rather temperamental note, saw Yahaya Massaudu of King Faisal and Laryea Kingston being booked for rough play in the first three minutes.

However, when both sides settled, the visitors took control of the game and for 15 minutes, Olympics failed to find their rhythm.

In the 17th minute, King Faisal came close to scoring through Joe Agyemang, but his header missed the target narrowly.

Olympics, who were visibly feeling the absence of their top striker, Charles Taylor, managed to put their act together and nearly scored in the 23rd and 31st minutes through Noble Tedika and Wisdom Abbey respectively.

Tedika shot wide from close range while veteran goalkeeper Sampson Appiah saved Abbeys shot.

In the 33rd minute, King Faisal's J. B. Danquah was sent off for a second book-able offence for challenging the decision of referee W. A. Buckman-Yanney of Cape coast, after he had been booked for fouling Abbey.

Even with their numerical advantage, Olympics found it difficult venturing the visitor's goal area and had to pull out Tedika for Gariba Yusif in the 41st minute.

The Olympics' side lost the services of their midfield dynamo, Laryea Kingston who was injured towards the end of the first half, and was substituted with Solomon Quainoo after the break.

Ten minutes, later, George Eranio of King Faisal pounced on a loose ball in the Olympics half and fired a shot which beat goalkeeper Osei Boateng but Nana Eshun cleared the goal bound shot off the line for a corner kick.

When the kick was effected, Bernard Fordjour out-jumped the Olympics defenders and got to his head to it but the ball took a ricochet off the woodwork and fell into the path of Louis, who shot into the roof of the net.

The goal invigorated Olympics as they started attacking form all angles but the visitors proved unyielding.

The persistent pressure by Olympics, however, earned them a penalty in the 69th minute when hard-pressed, Ebenezer Asare of King Faisal fouled Abbey inside the '18'.

Goalkeeper Appiah saved Nii Noi Dowouna's kick.

After squandering this opportunity, Olympics maintained the pressure but erratic shooting in front of goal and good goal keeping by Appiah robbed them of an equaliser.

Their last chance of redeeming the goal fell to Abbey in the 88th minute, but with only the goalie to beat, the striker delayed for the King Faisal defence to clear the danger.

After the final whistle, Olympics fans stood rooted in the stands as they rained insults on the players and handlers of the team for losing two matches on the trot.

GRi