Kumasi : RTU hold King Faisal

King Faisal and Real Tamale United (RTU) drew 0-0 in their match played at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. RTU, who outplayed the homesters, failed to take the lead in the ninth minute when a powerful shot by right winger Alex Gyimah hit the wood-work and rebounced as the defence was split open. A minute later, Faisal, in a swift counter-attack, caught the visitors' defence napping. They were awarded a spot-kick when hard-pressed RTU defender Abdul Rahman Bobby pushed down inside left J.B. Danquah in the box. FIFA referee F. K. Mensah whistled and pointed to the spot but goalkeeper John Baker of RTU stretched to his elastic limit to push out the kick, taken by wing half Stephen Amo. From then on, RTU stamped their authority on the match as they fired from all angles but Alex Gyimah hit the side-post in the 30th minute. Faisal hit back in the 32nd minute when Haruna Gariba outwitted the defence and hit a low shot which was saved by goalkeeper Baker. Rampaging RTU piled the pressure on their opponents but they failed to break the deadlock and in the 37th minute Gyimah's close range shot, after he had sneaked through an off-side trap, was punched into play by goalie Opoku Ware. Inside right Shilla Abdulai, in a brilliant dribbling run, sliced through the defence but goalkeeper Opoku Ware managed to grab the ball from his foot in the 40th minute. In the 44th minute RTU defender Dan Acquah attracted the yellow card of FIFA referee Mensah for a foul on left winger Yaw Acheampong. The two sides fought doggedly in the second half but despite two changes by Faisal as against three by RTU the deadlock could not be broken. In the 76th minute centre forward Martin Appau of RTU, who writhed in pain as a shot hit him in the abdomen in a crowded goalmouth melee, was rushed to hospital. In the dying minutes it was RTU, who attacked in bursts as Faisal played on the defensive. At Agona Swedru the match between Cape Coast Dwarfs and Kumasi Asante Kotoko did not come off while Sekondi Hasaacas lost 0-1 to Liberty Professionals at the Gyandu Park at Sekondi. Obuasi Goldfields saw off Swedru All Blacks 3-1 in their match played at the Obuasi Len Clay stadium.