Premier League: Liberty 4-0 Faisal

At the Dansoman Carl Reindorf Park in Accra, Liberty Professionals began the soccer season on a high note when they thrashed Kumasi King Faisal 4-0 in the opening match of the 2007 Onetouch Premier League on Sunday.

Two goals in each half ensured that Liberty grabbed the maximum points at the expense of a Faisal side who looked too ordinary for the match.

Midfielder Samuel Ayew Yeboah grabbed a brace with a goal each from Yaw Antwi and Kojo Asamoah completing the rout against the Alhaji Gruzah boys.

The game itself started on a low note as both teams struggled to find their feet in the opening minutes of the match.

It was, however, the homesters who made their intentions clear of picking the maximum points in the sixth minute when Antwi broke the deadlock with a spectacular volley outside the penalty area, which caught Faisal's goalie Osei Boateng off guard. From then onwards Liberty continued to dictate the pace of the game as Faisal who played striker Edmund Owusu Peprah as the lone ranger up front failed to string their passes together.

In the 31st minute, Ayew doubled the lead by connecting home Kofi Nti Boakye's pass from a Kennedy Korley cross on the right flank. The closest the visitors came to scoring was in the 12th minute but Peprah shot wide after being put through by Malik Akowuah. Faisal resumed the second half strongly following the introduction of Abdul Samad Oppong and Ofosu Mickey for Nana Yaw Darlington and Alhaji Alhassan respectively, but the Kumasi lads still failed to break through the Liberty rear.

Antwi wasted a glorious effort in the 71st minute to increase his side's tally but shot wide from a one-on-one with the Faisal goalie. Three minutes later, Ayew made it three by slotting the ball home from a goal mouth action after substitute Mustapha Essuman failed to bury the ball after beating the Faisal goalie.

Asamoah completed the rout with the fourth goal eight minutes to full time after a solo effort from the midfield before shooting beyond stranded Boateng in post for Faisal.