On this day 18 June 2005 (Exactly 15 years ago today) Ghana beat South Africa 2-0 in a decisive FIFA World World Cup qualifying match played at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
With three points at stake for both sides, South Africa were the first off the blocks, South Africa’s veteran striker Shaun Bartlett came close with a lob and a header during an even first half while Appiah just missed the target with a sweetly struck volley.
The second half started at a furious pace – and again it was South Africa that threatened – but still could not score.
Appiah created the first goal with a run from midfield while Bafana Bafana (The Boys) appealed for offside and the Black Stars captain centred for Amoah to tap in.
South Africa threatened all afternoon but failed to convert. The longer the match progressed the more an unimaginative South African side lacking suspended striker Benni McCarthy struggled to create openings.
Ghana made sure of all three points in the 90th minute with a second goal by Michael Essien. Bafana Bafana failed to clear a free kick to the far post Essien delivered the final blow, climbing above Nasief Morris to head past goalkeeper Calvin Marlin.
South Africa :Calvin Marlin, Ricardo Katza, Aaron Mokoena (c), Nasief Morris, Lucky Lekgwathi, Delron Buckley (Arthur Zwane 85), Steven Pienaar (Katlego Mphela 90+), Mbulelo Mabizela, Benedict Vilakezi, Shaun Bartlett, Lerato Chabangu (Siyabonga Nomvethe 69)
Coach: Stuart Baxter
Ghana: George Owu, John Painstil, Daniel Edusei, Issah Ahmed, John Mensah M. Essien, L Kingston, S. Appiah, M. Amoah, JoeTex frimpong, S. Muntari
Unused Subs: Patrick Antwi, Daniel Coleman, Emmanuel Osei Yakubu Abubakari Hamza Mohammed Godwin Attram
Elsewhere;
On this day 18 June 2016 (Exactly 4 years ago today) Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe retained his WBO African Featherweight Title against Uganda’s Edward ‘Shaka’ Kakembo after knocking him down in the sixth round in a bout staged at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Prior to the bout touted as the’ Battle of the Rising Stars’, Kakembo promise to chain Dogboe who he considered as a ‘dog’ which made the matchup a very interesting one to look forward to.
Indeed the bout did leave up to expectation as the two boxers where heated up for the contest which ended prematurely in the sixth round.
Kakembo in the early stages showed his aggressiveness despite the free flow of punches been thrown at him by the’ razzle dazzling’ Ghanaian boxer with various combination of his left and right hooks on the body of Kakembo.
Dogboe showed his determination with some blistering speed combined with technique and skill on Kakembo’s head on which he occasionally got through which made him develop a cut on his face.
Kakembo was fierce as ever, withstanding the Dogboe jabs and uppercut which were not getting through,Kakembo on various occasions complained to the referee of Dogboe hitting the back of his head which was ignored.
Dogboe was in cruise control as he executed a knowdown in the sixth round which saw Kakembo in wonder land and not being able to continue the fight.
Kakembo after the bout complained about the food he was being given prior to the fight which he said was full of vapor nonetheless he still insisted on a rematch against the Royal Storm.
On this day 18 June 1972 (Exactly 48 years ago today) West Germany beat Soviet Union 3-0 to win their 1st UEFA European Championship title, with goals coming from Gerd Müller (twice) and Herbert Wimmer at the Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium.
West Germany:Josef ´Sepp´ Maier, Horst-Dieter Höttges, Paul Breitner, Herbert Wimmer, Georg Schwarzenbeck, Franz Beckenbauer (c), Josef ´Jupp´ Heynckes, Uli Hoeness [Jürgen Grabowski 59], Gerd Müller, Günter Netzer, Erwin Kremers.
Manager : Helmut Schön
USSR:Evgueni Rudakov, Revaz Dzodzuashvili, Vladimir Kaplichny, Iouri Istomine, Murtaz Khurtsilava (c), Victor Kolotov, Vladimir Troschkine, Anatoli Baidachny, Anatoli Banischevsky [Edouard Kozinkevich 66], Anatoli Konkov [Oleg Dolmatov 46], Vladimir Onishchenko.
Manager : Alexandr Ponomarjev
On this day 18 June 1974 (Exactly 46 years ago today) Yugoslavia beat 10-man Zaire in a record biggest winning margin in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
Mulamba Ndaye was shown the red card in the 22nd minute. Zaire were already losing 4–0 by then, and finally lost 9–0. Mulamba said later that the team had underperformed, either in protest or from loss of morale, after not receiving a promised $45,000 match bonus.
BIGGEST WINNING MARGIN IN ONE MATCH
9 Goals
Hungary v El Salvador (1982)10-1
Hungary v South Korea (1954)9-0
Yugoslavia v Zaïre (1974) 9-0
8 Goals
Sweden v Cuba (1938) 8-0
Uruguay v Bolivia (1950) 8-0
Germany v Saudi Arabia (2002) 8-0
On this day 18 June 1995 (Exactly 25 years ago today) Norway scored goals from Hege Riise and Marianne Pettersen to beat Germany 2-0 and capture the second FIFA Women’s World Cup title at the Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden.
When the first women’s world soccer championship was held on an experimental basis in 1988, Norway emerged as the “unofficial” champion. Seven years later, it became legitimate.
Hege Riise and Marianne Pettersen scored first-half goals and Norway’s defense never faltered en route to a 2-0 win over Germany in the final of the Women’s World Cup at Rasunda Stadium in the Stockholm suburbs
“I can’t believe it’s true,” said Riise, who’s goal in the 38th minute wound up the game-winner. “This is the answer to my dreams.”
Amazingly, Norway won without the services of team captain Heidi Store, who received two yellow cards in the semifinal round and earned an automatic one-game suspension. But Store–the then most experienced player in international women’s soccer with 135 appearances–was hardly missed.
“After the first 15 minutes, I was never afraid,” said Norway coach Even Pellerud. “This is a great feeling because we have struggled so hard since 1991 to improve our play. My players were not afraid of the ambition of being world champions.”
On this day 18 June 2000 (Exactly 20 years ago today) Tiger Woods won his first US Open by a major championship record-setting 15 strokes over Ernie Els and Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
Tiger Woods entered the 2000 season with two major victories on his record. He would leave the season with five, but none were more impressive than his victory in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
In the Open, Woods either set or broke nine U.S. Open records. His total score of 272 tied Jack Nicklaus (1980) and Lee Janzen (1993) for the lowest total score. In 2003 Jim Furyk would also tie the record
Woods would set a record for most strokes under par in 72 holes, going 12 under par. This score of -12 gave Woods a record margin of victory, not only at the U.S. Open but all major championships, winning by 15 strokes. His margin of victory broke Old Tom Morris’s record, which stood since 1862.
Along with the records, Woods also became the all-time career money leader on the PGA Tour with his win.
What makes this one of the greatest accomplishments in sports, is not the records, but the fashion of which it was done. On his final 18 holes, Woods failed to bogey a hole. In the U.S. Open, that is unheard.
Woods took the hardest major championship in golf and turned Pebble Beach into his personal playground.
Sports Illustrated called Tiger’s performance in 2000 U.S. Open, “the greatest performance in golf history.”
It can be argued that Woods already achieved the greatest accomplishment in sports and golf when he won his first Masters in 1997 by 12 strokes. This made him the first African-American and Asian-American to put on the famed Green Jacket.
On this day 18 June 1941 (Exactly 49 years ago today) Former World heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis knocked out Billy Conn in round 13 for heavyweight boxing
title at the Polo Grounds, New York City
By: George ‘Alan Green’ Mahamah