Hearts were declared champions for the sixth time running and would represent the country in next year's CAF Champions League. Two teams from the Eastern Region Dawu and Maxbees have been relegated while the third, Power F/C would engage the third place team from the National Middle league in a play off.
Results of final matches of the Premier League played on Sunday.
Dawu: Dawu 1-0 Goldfields
Accra: Olympic 2-0 B.A United
Prestea: Mine Stars 3-0 RTU
Kumasi: Kotoko 2-1 Liberty
Sunyani: Bofoakwa 1-1 Hearts
Berekum: Arsenals 0-0 Hasaacas
Koforidua: Power FC 3-1 Maxbess Playing on Saturday:
Accra: Okwawu United 0-1 King Faisal
Hearts crowned at Sunyani
(Graphic) -- ACCRA Hearts of Oak yesterday won the Premier League Trophy for the sixth time running when they drew 1-1 with Bofoakwa Tano in their action-packed last encounter at the Sunyani Coronation Park before a capacity crowd.
Among the dignitories who watched the epic encounter were Mr Kofi Nsiah, Secretary General of GFA, Ingatius Baffour Awuah, Sunyani District Chief Executive, Dr Kwesi Botchway, an aspiring presidential candidate of the NDC, Mr Mike Gizo and Dr Mustapha Ahmed, both MPs.
By this victory, Hearts have set an enviable record of not only annexing the league cup six consecutive times but also being the only club in the country to have won the top scoring club and the goal-king award on six occasions.
No sooner had Cape Coast-based class One referee Essel Walker signalled the two teams into action than ubiquitous Don "Diouf" Bortey made incursions into Bofoakwa’s goal area and threatened goalkeeper Mohammed Alhassan with three powerful shots but the striker missed target on all occasions.
Bofoakwa took a surprise lead in the 16th minute when their striker Kwadwo Opoku beat goalkeeper James Nannor with a bulllet shot after receiving a neat pass from Pasco Amponsah and held on to this slim lead till half time. Hearts changed their pattern of play in the second half and mounted a sustained pressure on Bofoakwa.
Their efforts were rewarded in the 50th minute when Don Bortey scored the much-needed equaliser after beating a host of Bofoakwa defenders before planting the ball in the net to the admiration of their numerous supporters who had travelled from the length and breadth of the country to watch the match.
Hearts made two changes against Bofoakwa's three in the second half. Kenneth Sarpong replaced Don Bortey while Massawudu Yahaya took over from Laryea Kingston.
Bofoakwa on the other hand, pulled out Kwaku Adu for Alhaji Iddrisu, Tahiru Addulai replaced Kwadwo Opoku while good-old Ben Kusi went in for Kwaku Duah. The changes did not, however, alter the score line.
The Sunyani DCE, assisted by the GFA secretary, presented the prestigious league cup to Hearts skipper, Joe Ansah who in turn, handed it over to Thomas Okine, the Chief Executive of the champion club.
After the match, thousands of Hearts supporters, some of them in a fleet of vehicles went through the principal streets of Sunyani to celebrate their club's victory, lasting deep into the night.
Desperate Dawu win but to no avail
Cape Coast (Central Region) - Dawu Youngsters managed a 1-0 victory over Obuasi Goldfields at the Cape Coast Siwdu Sports Stadium but that could not save them from relegation after Sunday's final league matches.
They join fellow Eastern region club Suhum Maxbees who were stuck at the bottom of the 16-club league while yet another Eastern region club, Power F/C who placed 14th would have win a play off to secure their stay in the premiership.
Dawu's lone hero was Edusei Kakyiri who struck in the 47th minute after a fruitless first half. The miners tried hard to equalise but their efforts were thwarted.
Kotoko take second spot
FABULOUS Kumasi Asante Kotoko uplifted their game to beat visiting Liberty Professionals 2-1 to bring this year's premier league to a close.
The thrilling encounter, which produced all the fun needed to drive supporters of both teams into ecstasy, saw both teams making series of dangerous incursions into each other's goal area.
Though Kotoko warmed themselves into the game, stringing their passes together, they kept on missing glorious chances to the disappointment of the fans with Shilla Alhassan being the most guilty. He missed perhaps the finest chances that came the way of Kotoko in the fourth and 11th minutes after combining beautifully with Stephen Oduro.
Shilla could have fetched the opener in the fourth minute but he feebly sent a teasing lob over the defence of Liberty for goalkeeper Cudjoe Addo to grab coolly.
The second half resumed on a faster note with more midfield action, with Kotoko dictating the pace of the game. However they failed to utilise all the created chances in the early minutes.
But Kotoko managed to break the deadlock six minutes after recess through Nana Arhin Duah when he cleverly delivered a shot past the Liberty defence into the far corner of the post to beat goalkeeper Cudjoe Addo.
The visitors lifted their game and fetched the equaliser four minutes after Kotoko's goal through Ablade Morgan who predictably snatched the initiative with a cracking shot that tore into the roof of the net leaving goalkeeper Osei Boateng totally bemused.
Liberty's jubilation was short-lived as Joe Hendricks powered Kotoko back into the lead and for the winning goal in the 60th minute.
Faisal wins the double over tired Okwawu United
Alhaji Karim Grunsah's King Faisal descended on Accra on Saturday and inflicted a painful lone goal defeat on tired looking Okwawu United to draw down the curtain for the season at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The victory ensured the Kumasi lads performed an important double over the mountaineers having beaten them in the opening match of the season by an emphatic 3-1 score line in Kumasi. Faisal right from the start announced their determination to carry the day and took the game to the homesters pushing them to play on the defensive as the visitors controlled the midfield.
It did not take Faisal much time to open the scoring when in the eighth minute Eric Agawu out-raced a flat Okwawu defence to score on the rebound after his initial shot had been pushed back into play by Fatau Dauda in post.
Okwawu urged on by their tiny but vociferous supporters pushed on and nearly came close in the 30th minute but veteran Samuel Okyere in post for Faisal proved equal to the task as he punched a powerful free kick to touch.
The second half was balance with chances opening at both ends but poor shooting in front of goal ensured the second half remained goalless to give Faisal their first away victory of the season.
Olympics beat BA United
Wonder Club, Accra Great Olympics, defeated BA United 2-0 in the last match of this year's premier league at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The first ten minutes of the game did not produce any exciting football because the two sides approached the game with less determination, as the result might not have any adverse effect on any of the teams in the premiership.
Olympics however got the opener in the 16th minute when skipper Amui Quaye's header entered the net when Alex Djanie made an attempt to clear the ball to safety.
This came after Olympics had subjected the visitors to much pressure at the end of the first quarter of the game.
The game again became dull and uninteresting after the goal as the two sides concentrated their efforts in the midfield, with no clear-cut chance being created by the two side till the end of the first half.
The two sides continued with the same pattern in the greater part of the second half, but keeper Ransford Kudjo saved Richard Armah shot in the 76th minute.
Owusu Addae could have leveled up for B.A. but his header missed target narrowly in the 77th minute. However it was Olympics who made use of their chance in the last moments of the game when Richard Armah chested a cross from Joe Tagoe and fired a shot into the net for the second goal to end the day in favour of the "dade boys".
