On this day 20 April 2011(Exactly 9 years ago today) Former Black Queens player Patricia Ofori was killed in a car accident in Huntsville in the United States.
The 29-year-old, who played in two World Cups, lost control of her Ford Mustang while driving south on Pulaski Pike just outside Huntsville.
Her car slid into the northbound lane, where it was hit by a pickup truck and caught fire.
Patricia Ofori was an alumini of Alabama A&M University where she excelled in a football and studies.
“This is the biggest shock of my life,” A&M women’s soccer coach Frank Davies said. “It’s unbelievable.”
Ofori, 29, played for the Bulldogs from 2005-2007 and led the team to the 2007 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
She was a second-team All-SWAC selection in 2005 and also played on two World Cup teams with Ghana.
According to Diane Wilkinson Snoddy, an instructor at A&M, Ofori, who was in graduate school, was on the way to class when the accident happened. “She was a wonderful person and one of the world’s great soccer players,” Snoddy said.
Ofori started her career in Ghana with Mawuena Ladies before she was called to the national team in 2003.
Elsewhere;
On this day 20 April 2008(Exactly 12 years ago today) The Black Princesses of Ghana, the national Under 20 female soccer team mauled their counterparts from Botswana 9-0 at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra. The Ghanaians qualified into the next stage of the qualifiers with a 13-1 aggregate, having won the first leg encounter by 4-1 a fortnight earlier in Botswana.
The marks-girl of the day for the Ghanaians was Agnes Aduako who netted four times to take a lion’s share of the haul. The young striker got onto the score sheet on 23 minutes when she spiked home a decent shot to make the count two after Rita Asare had opened the floodgates in the fourth minute.
Three minutes on, Faiza Ibrahim cushioned Ghana’s lead with the third goal to announce game over for the visitors. Despite the incessant pressure, the Princesses failed to hit the back of the net in the remaining minutes of the first half. Agness Aduoko produced eight minutes of sheer brilliance during which she scored three times to put Ghana on a comfortable 6-0 lead. The sparkling Princess netted in the 60th, 66th and 68th minutes to condemn the Botswana ladies to the nadir.
And to worsen the plight of the visitors, substitute Florence Dadson went haywire soon after coming on, scoring two goals on 69 and 83 minutes.
As if that was not enough, Elizabeth Addo went on the score sheet in the final seconds of the match to raise the tally to nine goals without any reply from the visitors.
On this day 20 April 2008 (Exactly 12 years ago today) The 35th Edition of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Cup ended successfully at the Kumasi Baba Yara Sports Stadium with the Porcupine Warriors and then league leaders Kumasi Asante Kotoko beating AshantiGold 2-1 to lift the trophy. Francis Coffie scored both goals for Kotoko, first in the 45th minute through a penalty and a second from open play in the 83rd minute.
The only goal of Ashanti Gold was scored by Alex Asamoah when the match was only 29 minutes old when he beat two defenders in a counter and planted the ball at the blind side of goalkeeper Soulama Aboudulaye.
The match, which was sponsored by the SIC and patronized by a sizeable number of spectators was nearly marred by Mr Kofi Manu, popularly called ‘Blue Blue,’ then Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of AshantiGold who instigated the AshantiGold boys to boycott the match when referee William Agbovie whistled for a penalty against them in the 44th minute.
Skipper Osei Kufuor was given a pass in the vital area of AshantiGold and when he was about to pick it, Anthony Baffoe, a defender impeded his movement and brought him down in the box and the referee whistled for an infringement against the defender. The penalty award angered ‘Blue Blue’ who was in
AshantiGold colours asked his boys to leave the field. When matters were brought under control, Coffie scored from the resultant kick to level up for Kotoko.
Most of the decisions of the match officials incurred the displeasure of both set of players and the fans and the most conspicuous was in the 67th minute when the referee blinked at a penal offence when substitute Kwadwo Poku of Kotoko was fouled in the box of AshantiGold.
On this day 20 April 2016 (Exactly 4 years ago today) Yahaya Mohammed announced his return to top form by bagging a hat trick as Aduana Stars romped to a 4-0 win over miserable travellers Sekondi Hasaacas at home.
Mohammed on five minutes broke the deadlock by finishing off a sweet pass from Elvis Opoku.
His first attempt was blocked by goalkeeper Michael but he was clinical from the rebound.
Two minutes after the break, Bright Adjei was the architect of the second when he dribbled past the defenders of Hasaacas before teeing up Mohammed to slot home.
His third was a cool finish after some ponderous defending by the visitors.
Adjei converted a spot-kick to register the fourth goal after Zakaria penalty won.
On this day 20 April 2008 (Exactly 12 years ago today) Ashley Young and John Carew both scored twice as Aston Villa outclassed Birmingham 5:1, keeping their local rivals deep in relegation trouble.
Young’s rasping shot gave Villa the lead and Carew nodded home the winger’s free-kick shortly before the break.
Carew tapped in from close range for Villa’s third and Young beat two players before scoring his second goal.
Mikael Forsell scored a consolation for Birmingham, but there was still time
for Gabriel Agbonlahor to grab a fifth.
On this day 20 April 2018 (Exactly 2 years ago today) Arsene Wenger announced that he will leave Arsenal at the end of the season, ending a near 22-year reign as manager.
The Frenchman departs a year before his latest contract was due to expire.
The Gunners were sixth in the league and set to miss out on a top-four spot for the second straight season, with their hopes of reaching the Champions League resting on winning the Europa League.
Wenger, 68, won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, including the Double in 1998 and 2002.
“I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years,” said Wenger. “I managed the club with full commitment and integrity.
“To all the Arsenal lovers, take care of the values of the club.”
Wenger’s departure with this tweet
Arsenal majority shareholder Stan Kroenke described the announcement as “one of the most difficult days we have ever had in all our years in sport”.
He added: “One of the main reasons we got involved with Arsenal was because of what Arsene has brought to the club on and off the pitch.
“His longevity and consistency over such a sustained period at the highest level of the game will never be matched.”
BY: GEORGE ‘Alan Green’ MAHAMAH