Tamale, Feb. 25, GNA - Supporters and sympathizers of Real Tamale United (RTU) on Sunday expressed their excitement after their team beat Kumasi Asante Kotoko 1-0 i9n their Onetouch Premier league match at the Robert Mensah Sports Stadium in Cape Coast on Sunday.
Taxi drivers and motor cyclists waving RTU paraphernalia and flags went on a float along major streets of the Tamale Metropolis shouting and singing praises of the team for recording their first away match this season.
Speaking in an interview with the GNA Sports in Tamale, some of the jubilant supporters said the premiership would not be exciting if RTU do not make any in-roads since the whole of the Northern sector would be cut off from watching the premiership.
Mr. Nashiru Taminu alias "Alhaji Alhaji" said he was particularly happy with the victory because the team managed to beat no less a team than one of the strongest sides in the premiership adding that if RTU should maintain their fighting spirit no team can beat them again before the end of this season's premiership.
He said the team's home poor performance was due to intimidation of the players by the supporters and spectators and appealed to all supporters to pray with the team and support them to survive the premiership.
Mr. Reuben Baye, an Accra Hearts of Oak supporter who is also a sympathizer of RTU said there is the need for RTU to continue to be in the premiership to ensure that all the big teams come to Tamale and for the up and coming players to get the opportunity of learning some skills from the ir experienced colleagues.
He said should RTU go on relegation, the new stadium under construction for the CAN 2008 would become a white elephant and urged the players, management and supporters as well as stakeholders to invest in RTU to make the team a formidable one.
Mr. Tetteh Sackey also a fun of RTU said the tam has the fighting spirit and wondered why they often fail to win their home matches and attributed the problem to ill motivation and that if there was adequate funding for the team they could perform better than the so-called big teams.
Mr. Kofi Appiah who said he is a supporter of the two teams noted that he was happy for RTU due to the fact that the team is closer to relegation and alleged that the match was prefixed to be a drawn game but regretted that RTU reneged and disappointed Kotoko. Other Kotoko supporters who spoke to the GNA Sports claimed that Kotoko did not want to score to further worsen the plight of RTU and wished RTU the best of luck in their remaining matches.
Visiting Kumasi King Faisal on Sunday held Kpando Hearts of Lion to a one all drawn game in their Onetouch Premier League match at the Kpando Sports Stadium.
The game started on a fast note after referee J.K. Mortey, a Tema Class One referee whistled for hostilities to commence. Lions registered their goal through Yussif Issah in the 15th minute when Sulemana laid a diagonal cross after an infringement for Issah to beat Faisal's advancing goalie Shuraj Mohammed.
King Faisal equalized on the stroke of the half when Owusu Agyemang connected home from a Bobie Ansah's corner kick. King Faisal lifted their game after the recess as bombarded the Lions goal area with ease but their goal bound balls either missed the posts narrowly or were saved by Lion's goalie Ahorlu. Ansah in the 50th minute scored a goal but his effort was disallowed by referee Mortey for an offside positioning to end proceedings.
An eleventh minute strike by visiting Sekondi Hasaacas' Isaac Donkor powered his side to a 1-0 victory over Power FC in their Onetouch Premier League clash at the Ho Sports Stadium on Sunday. Donkor beat an offside trap set by Power's defenders to fire a low grounder of a shot past Alfred Mills in goal for Power. Power made all efforts to find the equalizer but they were denied the opportunity on several occasions by Hasaacas goalkeeper Joseph Addo ably supported by his defenders.
After the recess, Power increased the pressure on Hasaacas but they were unable to change the score line and also lost their player, Thomas Mensah who was shown the red card for hard tackling.
In the dying minutes of the game, Power blew away beautiful scoring chances with substitute Felix Nii Ayi Tetteh being the worst culprit as he continued to volley his goal bound balls even as he was faced with only th Hasaacas goalie to beat to the displeasure of vociferous fans of Power.
The defenders of Hasaacas stood tall throughout the entire 90 minutes with high concentration and held on to their lone goal till the final whistle to end the game 25 Feb. 07
