King Faisal emerge champs

Accra, Feb 15, GNA - Two goals from Abubakar Yahuzah gave Alhaji Karim Grunsah's King Faisal the maximum points to lift this years Coca Cola Top Four championship trophy when they beat Dansoman-based Liberty Professionals at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.

The goals, all scored in the second half, gave Faisal the superior goal advantage over their city rivals, Kumasi Asante Kotoko who are on equal points having beating Hearts of Oak 2-1 in their final game in Kumasi.

Faisal who had revenge in their minds over the Dansoman-based club for beating them one nil in the first encounter in Kumasi dominated play from the blast of whistle despite the soggy nature of the pitch due to an early heavy down pour.

Lead by slippery Kwadjo Poku, King Faisal took full control of the game dominating Liberty who are firmly rooted at the four-club table with three points with good inter - positional passes in all the departments of the game.

The Grunsah lads could have gone up in the first half but their final delivery after series of onslaughts were wasted after bombarding Liberty's vital area but their finishing left much to be desired. Goalkeeper Kotie Blankson in goal for Liberty rose to duty with perfection on the half mark when he parried a Kwadjo Poku's thunder bolt shot to safety to end the half on a clean sheet.

From recess, goalkeeping error on the part of Blankson saw Yahuzah, the eventual man of the match deliver a harmless shot that entered straight into the net in the 48 minute for the opener. Yahuzah pounced on a lose ball in the Liberty goal area and sent a speculative shot upfront and which to the dismay of the scanty fans present at the stadium entered the net even with the belated effort by Blankson in a bid to save it.

Both teams played casually even though the Garden City lads stayed slightly on top with occasional search for goals and it was during one of such moves that substitute Owusu Amponsah's speculative shot at goal kissed the post and deflected to over.

Poku and his men took over from there and mounted series of attack on the homesters who looked helpless in containing the visitors. Alas, the much-awaited moment for the King Faisal bench came when Yahuzah struck again with only three minutes to end proceedings with a 20 - yard shot which zoomed to the roof of the net with Blankson woefully beating.

The winning goal saw Faisal snatching the trophy from the jaws of Kotoko via a superior goal difference.

Though the Ghana League Club Association (GHALCA), organizers of the competition crowned the new Kings as such, Faisal were not presented with the trophy as information gathered by the GNA Sports indicates the cup was sent to Kumasi as they supposedly tipped Kotoko or Hearts to win the trophy.

King Faisal and Asante Kotoko are thus to represent the nation in South Africa for another tournament later in the year. While Hearts needed just a draw to win the trophy it was a must win for Kotoko who eventually won the match 2-1.