Today in history: Azumah TKO Jesse James Leija to retain WBC Super featherweight title

On this day 1 June 1996 (Exactly 24 years ago today) Azumah Nelson knocked out Jesse James Leija in sixth round to retain the WBC super featherweight title. “The Professor” was just six weeks shy of 38 and it ended up being the final victory of his distinguished, Hall-of-Fame career.

Leija suffered hard knockdown from Nelson straight right hand hard near the end of round 1. Leija rose on unsteady legs and survived the round. The fight was stopped due to two severe cuts over Leija’s right eye.

Leija had drawn with Nelson and beat him by unanimous decision in 1993 and 1994.

Though Jesse James Leija had been the more active, dangerous fighter in two matchups against Nelson, including a dominating unanimous-decision victory in May 1994, Nelson was not shy about his prediction for this World Boxing Council super-featherweight title bout at the Boulder Station hotel.

“Nobody beats me a second time,” Nelson said before the fight. “I’m telling you, I’m going to stop him in the first round–in the first or second round. The guy beat me before, nobody beats me twice. If he tries to go more than one round, he’ll be in a coma.”

In their first meeting, in Leija’s hometown of San Antonio in September 1993, Leija and Nelson fought to a draw, though many observers thought Leija, eight years younger than the champion, controlled the fight.

In the rematch, Leija knocked Nelson down, then won the title easily.

Leija would win a fourth fight between the two by unanimous decision in 1998, a week before Nelson turned 40.

On this day 1 June 2012 (Exactly 8 years ago today) Ghana’s Black Stars ran riot in Kumasi to finish 7-0 winners over Lesotho in a World Cup qualifying match heavily delayed by floodlight failure.

Braces from Dominic Adiyiah and Jordan Ayew, as well as further goals from Sulley Muntari, Christian Atsu and Jerry Akaminko, sent Ghana on their way to a convincing victory against a Lesotho side that finished with 10 men.

The game, though, was sadly delayed for a long period just before the hour mark when floodlight failure stopped the encounter at 4-0. It was eventually restarted with the Black Stars completing their straightforward win.

Goals Scored

Sulley Muntari (19)

Dominic Adiyah (25,50)

Jordan Ayew (45,88)

Christian Atsu (85)

Jerry Akaminko (90)

Ghana Line-up: Adam Kwarasey — Samuel Inkoom(Opare), John Boye, Jerry Akaminko, Harrison Afful — Derek Boateng, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, Sulley Muntari (Atsu), Kwadwo Asamoah — Jordan Ayew, Dominic Adiyiah.

Lesotho Line-up : K. Phasumane M. Ntobo T. Mokhehle N. Lerotholi T. Masualle T. Maile T. Koetle R. Mokhahlane T. Bereng D. Monaphathi T. Tale

On this day 1 June 2008(Exactly 12 years ago today) The Black Stars of Ghana spanked the Greens of Libya 3-0 in their opening encounter of the 2010 FIFA World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations (ACN) Qualifying match played at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.

It was the Libyans, who went into attack when referee Maillet Eddy Allen of Seychelles whistled for hostilities to begin and nearly took the lead in the second minute as a result of a defensive blunder but Skipper John Mensah came in quickly to save the situation before Osam Ben Saleh could cause any havoc.

The Libyans went on attack again in the fifth minute with Ali Khalifa Alsbay missing the post narrowly with a grounder. He had another opportunity in the sixth minute but again missed narrowly.

After the scary moves by the Greens, Black Star lifted their game up and started sending forays into their opponents’ half of the field and one of such yielded a corner kick in the eight minute which was taken by Laryea Kingston but Prince Tagoe’s header went over the bar.

The Black Stars stepped up the heat and in the 16th minute, Manuel Agogo gave a pass to Prince Tagoe, who raced with the ball and shot it into the net leaving Libyan Goalkeeper Samir Abbud sprawling.

The goal spurred on the Stars and they probed for more goals. In the 21st minute, Sulley Muntari delivered one of his characteristic shots but Keeper Abbud parried it to corner. The resultant corner kick was wasted.

In the 30th minute, Osama Hamadi pushed a goal-bound shot from Prince Tagoe to corner, which was also wasted. Osama Ben Sella was flashed the yellow card in the 34th for rough play.

In the 53rd minute Agogo failed to connect a cross from Prince Tagoe, he, however, made amends in the 54th minute when he headed home a cross from Kingston.

Agogo wasted an opportunity in the 51st minute and in the 63rd minute Mutari’s shot hit the upright.

In the 65th minute, Kingston sealed the doom of the Libyans with a perfect right footer after receiving a pass from Afful Harrison.

Sensing danger the Libyans made some changes, with Nader Karra taking over from Khaled Hussen and Ahmed Elmassli coming in for Ali Khalifa Alsbaay in the 67th minute. Sulley Muntari received a yellow card for rough play in the 69th minute.

The substitution nearly paid off when the Libyan came close to scoring but Goalkeeper Richard Kingson saved substitute Emmassli’s shot in the 70th minute. The Libyans wasted another opportunity in the 71st minute when Ahmed Osmar shot wide a minute later.

Libya exhausted their substitution with Mohamed Zubya taking over from Osama Ben Saleh in the 77th minute.

In the 80th minute, the Black Stars also made two quick changes with Eric Bekoe and Haminu Dramani replacing Agogo and Muntari, respectively and exhausted their substitution with Francis Dickoh coming in for Skipper Mensah in the 83rd minute.

Michael Essien made a deep incursion in 84th minute but Goalkeeper Abbud made a dramatic save and pushed the ball to corner. Dickoh headed the corner kick over the cross bar.

The Libyans made a last minute attempt with inter positional changes and accurate passes but found the Defence of the Stats impenetrable, bringing the final score of the match, which was watched by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

Ghana Line up: Richard Kingson; John Painstil; Harrison Afful; Eric Pappoe; John Mensah/Francis Dickoh; Anthony Annan; Laryea Kingston; Michael Essien; Manuel Agogo/Eric Bekoe; Prince Tagoe; Sulley Muntari/Haminu Draman.

Libya Line-up : Samir Abbud; Ejlal Walid; Shibani Younes; Hamadi Osama; Elmughrby Mohammed; Slil Abdul Vaser; Abdusalam Nader; Hussel Khalid/Karra Nader; Osman Ahmed; Alsbaay Ali Khalifa/Elmassli Ahmed; Salen Ben Osama/Zubya Mohammed.

On this day 1 June 2010 (Exactly 10 years ago today) A storming attacking display late in the second half handed the Netherlands a convincing 4-1 win over an overwhelmed Ghana in a pre-World Cup friendly at De Kuip, Rotterdam

The Dutch took a one-goal lead into the half-time interval after striker Dirk Kuyt pounced on a loose ball on the half hour.

Back from the break, Milovan Rajevac made five quick substitutions, sending John Mensah, Andre Ayew, Prince Tagoe, Asamoah Gyan and Dominic Adiyiah as he withdrew Vorsah, Quincy, Amoah, Appiah and Sulley.

Despite missing Bayern Munich ace Arjen Robben, who was nursing a sore hip, the hosts went on to do more damage with three more goals in the final 20 minutes. Rafael van der Vaart doubled the Netherlands’ lead in the 72nd minute, only for Asamoah Gyan to reduce the arrears six minutes later.

Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder produced the masterpiece of the night with the Netherlands’ third goal on 80 minutes.

Sneijder, fresh from helping his Italian club claim an historic treble of the Serie A title, Italian Cup and Champions League, unleashed a volley from 20 yards out that flew past Ghana ‘keeper Richard Kingson and into the net. Robin van Persie made the scoreline look even more one-sided when he converted from the penalty spot three minutes from time.

Ghana Line-up :Richard Kingson, Addy, Isaac Vorsah(John Mensah),Hans Sarpei, John Pantsil, Anthony Annan(Kwadwo Asamoah) ,Derek Boateng,Stephen Appiah(Dominic Adiyah) Sule Muntari (Andre Ayew) ,Owusu-Abeyie(Prince Tagoe) ,Mathew Amoah(Asamoah Gyan)

Goals:

Netherlands Dirk Kuyt (30) Van Der Vaart (73) Wesley Sneijder (81) Van Persie (87)

Ghana Asamoah Gyan (78)

On this day 1 June 2019 (Exactly a year ago today) Liverpool beat Tottenham 2:0 to win their sixth European Cup in Madrid.

The Reds’ victory, courtesy of a Mohamed Salah penalty awarded in the first minute and converted in the second, plus a late Divock Origi effort, not only exorcised the demons of the previous season’s 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in Kyiv but also ended Jürgen Klopp’s run of six successive club final defeats.

On this day 1 June 2019 (Exactly a year ago today) Mexican-American boxer Andy Ruiz Jr produced a huge upset when he stopped English champion Anthony Joshua in round 7 at Madison Square Garden to win the IBF, WBO, IBO and WBA world heavyweight titles.