Ghanaian Players in Singapore

Currently there are few lads in Singaproe awaiting registration. Those who have been registered are Fred Addae - Sporting Afrique FC and Kim Grant (ex-Black Stars) - Sengkang Punggol FC.

Kim played his first game last weekend and scored to earn his team their first point after 8 straight loses.

Buoyant Dolphins through to last eight

Muhd Shah Reza

info@sleague.com

Sengkang Punggol?s first clean sheet of the season also saw them earning their first win as they came through the preliminary rounds of the RHB Singapore Cup, narrowly beating Gombak United 1-0.

Striker Jon Angelucci?s header from a corner in the 78th minute was enough to settle the tie and put the Dolphins into the quarterfinals of the cup competition. Sengkang?s win at the Hougang Stadium follows last week?s draw against SAFFC that saw them earn their first point of the season in the league.

Coach Trevor Morgan was expectedly a happy man as his side has shown steady improvements over the last few matches.

He said: ?I?m delighted with the win. We just carried on with our play from last week?s draw with SAFFC and built up on it to get the win tonight. ?It?s also our first clean sheet of the season and I?m very happy that we managed to do that,? added the Englishman.

Interestingly enough, for more than half the match, both teams played with only 10 men as Ruhaizad Ismail and Eric Kwek were given their marching orders in the 40th minute.

Gombak were reduced to just nine men in the dying seconds of the game when captain Sevki Sha'ban was shown his second yellow card for kicking out at Angelucci. The Bulls started the match spotting a new look as the brother of Precious Emuejeraye, Alfred, was drafted into the squad.

The 23-year-old Nigerian was signed to replace misfiring Thai striker, Pongpisut Pue-On, who had been released by the club.

However, Alfred failed to create an impact on the game and was quiet for large parts of the match.

Sengkang, too, sported a new attacking front as new boy, Kim Grant, teamed up with former SAFFC player Angelucci.Though it was only their first match together, the duo worked well to torment the Bulls' defence and their excellent link-play was evident as early as the eighth minute.

Angelucci whipped in an excellent cross into the penalty box that was met by Kim Grant. However, Grant?s header was too tame to trouble Gombak custodian Adi Salleh.

Kim Grant had another excellent opportunity to put the Dolphins a goal up mid-way through the first half. However, he was denied by the woodwork after rising the highest to connect with a Rudy Khairon cross.

The match then exploded in the 41st minute after Ruhaizad Ismail whacked the ball at Richard Waddell who was on the ground after the referee had blown for an infringement. Eric Kwek, clearly unhappy with Ruhaizad, marched up to him and grabbed him by the neck, causing a mini-melee as players from both sides confronted each other. Referee M.Ganesan was quick to keep the situation under control and promptly showed Ruhaizad Ismail the red-card. He, too, sent Eric Kwek in for an early shower after consulting his assistants. Sengkang piled the pressure on Gombak United in the second half and their efforts finally paid off in the 78th minute. Angelucci, guilty of missing a few excellent opportunities earlier, broke the deadlock as he headed home a flick-on from a corner. The Australian could have doubled the lead for his side just a few minutes later. But with only the keeper to beat, Angelucci put his shot wide, much to the dismay of the home crowd. But he had already done enough to help his side knock Gombak United out of this year?s RHB Singapore Cup.