Olympics beats Hearts to lift Osagyefo's Cup

Accra, Sept 26, GNA - Wonder club, Accra Great Olympics beat arch-rivals, Accra Hearts of Oak 1-0 to lift the Osagyefo's Cup in a special match played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.

Midfielder, Laryea Kingston converted a 68th minute spot kick for the only goal of the match, which was played as part of activities, marking the 90th birthday celebrations of the late Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana.

Vice president, Professor John Atta Mills presented the trophy, donated by president J.J. Rawlings to Olympics' skipper Kingston amidst cheers from the crowd. The match started on a very fast note after the vice president had inspected both teams. It was Olympics, who made the first attempt at goal in the fifth minute but Samuel Monnie's shot from Tahiru Briamah's pass missed the target narrowly.

The Phobians accepted the challenge and came close in the 10th minute but Osmanu Amadu failed to tap the ball into the net after Olympics' goalie Osei Boateng had pushed Edmund Copson's shot into his path. In the 23rd minute, the crossbar denied Olympics of the leader when Kingston's free-kick from the edge of Hearts' box bounced off it into touch.

From then on, the exciting match degenerated into rough play and FIFA referee Joseph Wellington had to pull out his yellow card on several occasions. In the 44th minute, Olympics' defence committed a blunder, but unmarked Amadu of Hearts, with only Oly's goalie Boateng to beat, shot over the cross bar.

After the recess, Olympics pulled out Braimah for Billy Sulley in the 48th minute while the Phobians brought on Joe Fameyeh and Emmanuel Yartey for Ben Acquah and Yaw Sakyi in the 53rd and 57th minutes respectively. Fameyeh announced his presence a minute later when his finish off from a two-man move between Ishmael Addo and Amadu missed narrowly.

Olympics, who slowed down the pace, bounced back strongly raiding Hearts' goal area with Wisdom Abbey and Taylor leading the attack. Their persistent pressure paid off in the 68th minute when Hearts' Emmanuel Kuffour brought down Olympics' Abbey, who was in the '18' and moving threateningly towards Hearts' goal.

After an initial protest by Hearts players, Kingston converted it for the only goal of the match. The Phobians, with their pride punctured, threw everything into the game as they forced Olympics into their own half of the field.

They exhausted their substitution by bringing on Nigerian import, Femi Franz for Amadu in the 73rd minute but that did not have any impact on the game.

Fameyeh had two chances to get Hearts out of defeat but his first attempt in the 85th minute went off target while the side post halted his second effort in injury time.