Today in sports history: Ghana beats Australia to win bronze at 1992 Olympics

On this day 7 August 1992 (Exactly 28 years ago today) Ghana, who had the youngest team by far in the 1992 Olympic football tournament (18.8 years), were surprise bronze medallists, becoming the first African nation to earn a medal.

They did so in a 1-0 victory over yet another surprise, Australia, finishing the match with their No. 3 goalkeeper, Simon Addo in the nets after Ibrahim Dossey was forced out with an injury. Ghana won on a free-kick goal by Isaac Asare in the 20th minute after Dossey had saved an Australian penalty.

Ghana survived a man disadvantage in the final minutes to take the Olympic soccer bronze medal.

Playing in front of an estimated 15,000 fans at Barcelona’s Nou Camp Stadium, Ghana won despite being forced to substitute its goalkeeper because of injury.

Several other players were limping after a hard-tackling second half that left referee Manuel Diaz Vega of Spain handing out yellow cards like stadium giveaways.

Ghana’s Shamo Quaye was sent off with about five minutes remaining after drawing his second yellow card in the match. His caution for time-wasting came after one hard tackle in the 56th minute. Ghana’s Nii Odartey Lamptey, Bernard Aryee and Sammy Adjei also received yellow cards, while Milan Blagojevic was booked for Australia.

Ghana’s victory gave Africa its first medal of any kind in Olympic soccer, which has been contested since 1908. The team’s only loss came in a 2-0 decision to Spain in the semifinals.

Australia, despite its best performance in the tournament, wound up without a medal.

Asare’s goal put Ghana ahead 1-0 in the 20th minute, but it was the stellar play of starting goalkeeper Ibrahim Dossey that allowed the Africans to hold the lead.

Dossey was called upon to make several crucial saves in the half, including one penalty kick before the match was 15 minutes old.

Two minutes after a controversial call in which Australia was awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area, Ghana’s Frank Amankwah was whistled for bringing down Ned Zelic inside the area.

Taking the penalty, Paul Okon tried to ram a shot into the top part of the net, but Dossey went high to tip it away.

Ghana: Ibrahim Dossey (Simon Addo 66), Yaw Acheampong, Frank Amankwaa, Isaac Asare, Sammy Adjei, Mohammed Gargo, Ablade Kumah, Odartey Lamptey (Shamo Quaye 45), Bernard Aryee, Yaw Preko, Kwame Ayew

Coach: Sam Arday

Australia: John Filan, Ned Zelic, Dominic Longo, Shaun Murphy(Tony Popovic 26), Tony Vidmar – Damian Mori, Paul Okon, Brad

Maloney(John Markovski 72), Milan Blagojevic – Gary Hasler, Steve Refenes.

Coach: Eddie Thomson

Referee: Manuel Díaz Vega (Spain)

Medalists:

Joachin Yaw Acheampong

Simon Addo

Sammy Adjei

Mamood Amadu

Frank Amankwah

Bernard Aryee

Isaac Asare

Kwame Ayew

Ibrahim Dossey

Mohammed Gargo

Mohammed Dramani Kalilu

Maxwell Konadu

Ossei Kuffour

Ablade Kumah

Nii Odartey Lamptey

Anthony Mensah

Alex Nyarko

Yaw Preko

Shamo Quaye

Oli Rahman

Elsewhere:

On this day 7 August 2005(Exactly 15 years ago today) Margaret Simpson won Ghana’s first ever medal at the World Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Finland, when she won a bronze medal in the hepthatelon.

The 23-year-old, bronze medallist in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, recorded a new National Record and personal best of 56.36m in the javelin.

“I am really happy to win a medal, because it was such a tight competition. I think I did well today.”

“My great result in javelin (56,36 m) helped me to beat SKUJYTE. It is also a new National Record for Ghana. I also had two personal bests in the shot put (13.33m) and in the 800 metres (2:77.02) today.” Simpson said

Olympic champion Carolina Kluft of Sweden retained her world title, seeing off French arch-rival Eunice Barber in a thrilling sprint finish in the final event, the 800m.

The 22-year-old ended with a total of 6887 points, 63 ahead of Barber (6824) in the multi-discipline event.

A close heptathlon saw Eunice Barber take the early lead after winning the 100 m hurdles and high jump. A foot injury hampered Carolina Klüft who jumped 12 cm below her season best in the high jump, however, she struck back in the Shot Put with a PB.

After the first day, Barber had only a 2-point lead over Klüft. Day two started with the Long Jump, where Klüft was expected to jump poorly due to her injury. If she had problems she hid them well, winning with an SB.

In the Javeline Throw, Margaret Simpson set a new PB with an impressive 56.36 m, this would propel her to Ghana’s first ever world championship medal.

Before the final event, Klüft’s lead was 18 points and Barber needed to beat her by 1.5 sec in the 800 m to win the gold medal. Barber stuck to Kelly Sotherton, the eventual winner of the race, until the last 200 m but Klüft timed her race perfectly to beat Barber with another PB.

On this day 7 August 2005 (Exactly 15 years ago today) American sprinter Justin Gatlin blitzed the field to win 100m in 9.88 at the World Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Finland

Ghana’s Aziz Zakari was last.

Final Results:

Justin Gatlin, United States 9.88 s (SB).

Michael Frater, Jamaica 10.05 s.

Kim Collins, Saint Kitts, and Nevis 10.05 4.Francis Obikwelu, Portugal 10.07 s.

Dwight Thomas, Jamaica 10.09 s.

Leonard Scott, United States 10.13 s.

Marc Burns, Trinidad and Tobago 10.14 s.

Aziz Zakari, Ghana 10.20 s.

On this day 7 August 1948 (Exactly 72 years ago today) American Alice Coachman became the first black woman from any country to win an Olympic gold medal when she the high jump at the London Games.

Coachman leaped 1.68 m (5 ft 6? in) on her first try. Her nearest rival, Great Britain’s Dorothy Tyler, matched Coachman’s jump, but only on her second try. Coachman was the only American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics in 1948. Her medal was presented by King George VI.