The three way race and current positioning for the single available spot in Zone 3 to premiership soccer remained the same at the end of week 26 as all the top three teams won handily at home as expected in midweek action to leave leaders – Accra Great Olympics holding on to their 2point advantage and the pursuing Heart of Lions and Okyeman Planners tied on 52points apiece for the second and third spot respectively. On the relegation front, Roberto FC are well on their out but King Solomon punched their ticket for the exit.

At the Fire Service T.S Park, Accra Great Olympics stayed the course of a quick return to the Ghana Premier League with an impressive 2-0 revenge win over MTN FA Cup finalists, Okwawu Utd, to maintain the top spot and their 2points advantage. The Asaase Aban Boys extended their non-winning run to 4 (3 losses and 1 draw) with the loss and will have to turn things around quickly if they want to end their season in the upper half of the log. Not to be outdone, Heart of Lions added to the relegation woes of Amidaus Professionals with a 3-0 thumping that left the latter glued to the first relegation spot and the former 2points behind for the top spot. And, upstarts Okyeman Planners kept their quest for PL qualification alive with a 2-0 win over Kotoku Royals who have lost all their last three games to the top three teams and remain just three points above water.

Vision FC solidified their hold on the 4^th spot with a lone goal win over visiting SP Mirren to open a 6point gap over their closest pursuers - Okwawu Utd - and Tema Youth. Tema Youth failed to capitalize on home advantage for the win, disappointing their fans in the process with a goalless tie against Istanbul who held on to their mid-table spot with the earned point.

Elsewhere in midweek action, Nania FC did not disappoint at home as they collected all three points at the expense of Pure Joy to vault to the 12^th spot on 31points, dropping the latter to the 13^th spot in the process. Last but one King Solomon kept up their abysmal run with a goalless tie against Danbort FC to punch their ticket out of Division One soccer barring any last minute miracles. With their current 17points tally, the maximum points they can accrue should they win their last four games will be 29, a sum that can at best only catapult them to the first relegation spot. And, cellar dwellers Roberto FC continued their unstoppable downhill descent to the abyss of Division Two soccer as they failed to grab the much needed win and the maximum 3points at home to boost their survival chances after settling for a 1-1 tie with Mighty Jets. As it stands now, Roberto FC with their current total of 15points have to win all five remaining matches to give themselves an unlikely shot at survival.

DAY 26 - 20TH & 21ST AUG, 2016

SAT        LEGON                                  NANIA 1-0 PURE JOY     

SUN       KWAHU PRASO                       KING SOLOMON 0-0 DANBORT 

SUN       TEMA                                    TEMA YOUTH 0-0 ISTANBUL       

SAT        SOGAKOPE                            ROBERTO 1-1 MIGHTY JETS         

SAT        KWIMAN                               VISION 1-0 SPORTING MIRREN 

SUN       KPANDO                                LIONS 3-0 AMIDAUS      

SUN       FIRE SERVICE T.S                  OLYMPICS 2-0 OKWAWU UTD.  

SUN       OLD TAFO                             PLANNERS 2-1 KOTOKU ROYALS               

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Final matches for this season’s GN Bank sponsored Division One - zone 2 - league will be played at the various league centers this weekend with action in zone one on hold as the DOL Board conducts investigations into allegations of bribery between Brong Ahafo United and Bolga All Stars in their match Day 28 fixture. Action is ongoing in zone three where week 28 matches will come on this weekend.

Following the crowning of Elmina Sharks as Zone Two Champions and their consequent promotion to the premiership, Karela FC and Bibiani Gold Stars coming in second and third respectively, the last top four spot is the best thing left to fight for at the upper end of things. On the bottom, the fight to avoid the drop will continue with at least five teams working hard to avoid the fate of relegated Tarkwa Utd who are off to the abyss of Division Two soccer.

Thus, Dunkwa Utd who have the 15^th spot on 31points from 12 wins and 4 ties perhaps due to legal and disciplinary issues etc. will take on relegated Tarkwa Utd for the chance to improve on their points tally, two points off the first safe spot relegation threatened Venomous Vipers will welcome Gold Stars to their turf with hopes of a big win and a prayer for at least one of the three teams ahead of them on 36 points to falter and fall short of saving their season. Vipers have won their last three matches at home and that should be enough motivation for them as they go in search of one more win that may perhaps save their fate. And, the once powerful franchise - Kumasi Cornerstones - that at one them rivaled Kumasi Asante Kotoko will have much to play for as they take on 5^th placed Nzema Kotoko on the road with their survival on the line as they look to avoid the drop.

In what is definitely the most intriguing matchup of the day, two relegation engulfed sides – 11^th placed Starke FC and 12^th placed Proud Utd with 36points apiece will duke it out at the Essipong stadium for a shot at redemption with the loser likely bound for the exit in case of a Vipers/Cornerstones win. And 10^th placed on 37points Achiken will need all but a point go across the finish line as they host Wassaman Utd with a strong chance of picking up the maximum points.

Elsewhere, Eleven Wise will take on Karela FC for a shot at the last top four spot, Samartex FC will welcome Asokwa Deportivo and King Faisal who are well beyond the relegation fray will host Division winners – Elmina Sharks.

DAY 30 - 17TH & 18TH SEPT., 2016

SUN       EJUSU                                                   KING FAISAL VS SHARKS               

SUN       CAPE COAST                                          VENOMOUS VIPERS VS GOLDSTARS       

SUN       ADANSI HWEREMOASI                            ACHIKEN VS WASSAMAN UTD. 

SUN       ESIPONG                                               PROUD UTD. VS STARKE              

SUN       GYANDU                                                ELEVEN WISE VS KARELA             

SUN       SAMRABOI                                             SAMARTEX VS DEPORTIVO         

SUN       DUNKWA                                               DUNKWA UTD VS TARKWA UTD               

SUN       ASANDA                                                 NZEMA KOTOKO VS CORNERS  

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Week 27 games of the GN Bank Division One – zone three - league came on as scheduled this weekend with the already tight race for the Division title getting a tad tighter as the points differential dropped to one at the top end of things. On the bottom end, King Solomon FC and Roberto FC for all intent and purposes confirmed their relegation to the abyss of Division two soccer with three games to the end of the season.

Premier League hopefuls and zone 3 leaders - Accra Gt. Olympics - saw their bid stonewalled in their must win or at worse play for a tie game as they emerged on the wrong side of a five-goal thriller (2-3) against relegation threatened Amidaus Professionals who remain in the hole but boosted their survival chances. With the loss, Olympics saw their 2point lead drop to one as Heart of Lions played it safe on the road, salvaging a point against SP Mirren to hold on to the second spot and draw a point closer to the top spot. Not to be outdone, third placed Okyeman Planners played it safe on the road in a 1-1 tie against relegation engulfed Nania FC who needed the maximum three points badly to increase their odds of avoiding relegation.

Fourth placed Vision FC’s quest for a top four finish remained intact despite falling by two goals to nothing at Mighty Jets who moved to mid-table with the win to distance themselves from the relegation brouhaha encircling the last 6 teams on the table. The struggles continued for Danbort FC as they extended their non-winning run to 5 straight games against the visiting Tema Youth with a 1-1 tie.

Elsewhere on the weekend, MTN FA Cup finalists - Okwawu Utd - extended their non-winning run to four straight games as they played to a goalless tie at home against the visiting Kotoku Royals. Pure Joy improved their survival chances with a 2-0 home win over the now relegation bound King Solomon, and Roberto FC sealed their exit from Division One soccer following their 3-0 trouncing at the hands of Istanbul FC who improved to the 6^th spot with the win.

DAY 27 – 10^TH & 11^TH September, 2016

SAT        NUNGUA                            DANBORT 0-0 TEMA YOUTH       

SUN       PRAMPRAM                         PURE JOY 2-0 KING SOLOMON  

SUN       NKAWKAW                          OKWAWU UTD 0-0 KOTOKU ROYALS      

SAT        TEMA                                 AMIDAUS 3-2 OLYMPICS             

SUN       AQUINAS                            SPORTING MIRREN 1-1 LIONS   

SAT        MATS TESHIE                     MIGHTY JETS 2-0 VISION              

SUN       AKIM TAKYIMAN                  ISTANBUL 3-0 ROBERTO               

SAT        LEGON                               NANIA 1-1 PLANNERS   

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With three games to the end of the GN Bank Division One – Zone three – league, the chase to the elite division still remains too close to call with Gt. Olympics holding a point advantage over fellow division title hopefuls – Heart of Lions and Okyeman Planners, and for this weekend it looks like the positioning will remain the same as the three teams revert to their favorite home turfs with leaders Gt. Olympics hosting Sporting Mirren in a must win match as they look to rebound from this past weekend’s 2-3 loss at Amidaus.

GN Bank Division One League – Zone 3 – Week 28 games came on as scheduled without any major changes in the standings as all the top three teams won as expected to leave the standings the way it was at the beginning of the match day.

Accra Gt. Olympics rebounded remarkably well from their week 27 loss at Amidaus with a 4-0 thumping of visiting Sporting Mirren to hold on to the top spot and their one point advantage over the pursuing Heart of Lions who improved their unbeaten run to 5 games (4 wins and a tie) after defeating Mighty Jets at home by 2 goals to nothing. Not to be outdone in the winning column on the day, Newbies Okyeman Planners taught their seniors in the division – 2015/16 MTN FA Cup finalists Okwawu Utd – how to get it done as they battered the latter to a 4-0 humiliating defeat to maintain the pressure on Olympics and Lions. The chase for the single spot to the PL division remains tight with Olympics atop with a point advantage over Lions and Planners respectively.

Fourth placed Vision FC solidified their grip on that spot with a lone goal win over visiting Istanbul to make the position theirs to lose as Okwawu Utd continue to maintain their 5 game winless stupor, and Danbort FC ended their 5 games winless run with a 3-1 win over already relegated Roberto FC who picked up their 11^th defeat of the second round.

Elsewhere on the weekend, relegation engulfed Pure Joy put up a spirited performance against Tema Youth on the road to pick up a point and improve to 3points above the first relegation spot held by Amidaus who fell by a lone goal at Kotoku Royals who built a 4points buffer against the first relegation spot on 35points and the 11^th spot, and already relegated King Solomon continued their elusive search for their 5^th home win of the season to give their fans something to smile about.

DAY 28 - 17^th & 18^th SEPTEMBER

SUN       KWAHU PRASO                         KING SOLOMON 0-2 NANIA

SUN       TEMA                                      TEMA YOUTH 1-1 PURE JOY

SAT        SOGAKOPE                              ROBERTO 1-3 DANBORT

SAT        KWEIMAN                               VISION 1-0 ISTANBUL

SUN       KPANDO                                  LIONS 2-0 MIGHTY JETS

SUN       FIRE SERVICE                          OLYMPICS 4-0 SPORTING MIRREN

SUN       ODA                                        KOTOKU ROYALS 1-0 AMIDAUS

SUN       OLD TAFO                               PLANNERS 4-0 OKWAWU UTD.

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Week 28 of the GN Bank Division One League came on as scheduled this past weekend across the various stadiums with Cape Coast based Elmina Sharks capitalizing on their home advantage to defeat Bibiani Gold Stars by three goals to one to clinch their division and a historic spot in next season’s edition of the Ghana Premier League with two games to the end of the season. It is a well-deserved qualification for the Elmina based Sharks who unquestionably put up one of the best performance in Division One soccer history in recent times, winning 20, drawing 5 and losing 3 thus far from 28 matches.

With the race for the top spot completely over, the fighting and jockeying for morale boosting positioning towards next season’s competition and relegation avoidance will have to continue, and continue it did with the second placed Karela FC capping off an excellent second round performance that saw them give chase for the elusive top spot notching a hard-fought 1-1 tie at Achiken to up their points tally thus far to 54 and also wrap up the runners-up spot in the division over Gold Stars who with their 3-1 at the Sharks gave up their shot for the second spot. Western Show Boys – Sekondi Eleven Wise maintained their push for a top four finish with a 3-0 thumping of Tarkwa Utd for just their third win of the second round and an end to their 3 games non-winning run. With the loss, Tarkwa Utd confirmed their departure from the wilderness of Division One soccer to the abyss of Division Two soccer with two matches to go given their current tally of 24points and the fact that taking the maximum of 6 from their next engagements will still not be enough. And Nzema Kotoko maintained their push for a top four finish with a 2-0 win over visiting Dunkwa Utd to remain a point adrift of the fourth placed Eleven Wise.

Elsewhere on the weekend, one time cellar dwellers – King Faisal – kept their push to distance themselves from the relegation places with a hard-fought 2-1 win over visiting Wassaman Utd to move up to the eleventh spot, albeit, just 2points adrift of the first relegation spot. Proud Utd made hay at home with a 2-0 win over Asokwa Deportivo to up their tally to 36 and 3points away from the first cut-off spot, FC Samartex added to the relegation woes of one-time Kumasi based giant side – Cornerstones – after handing them a lone goal defeat that have them currently holding on to the first relegation spot on 33 points, and Venomous Vipers kept up the push to beat relegation with their second straight win in as may outings, a 3-1 home hammering of Stake FC to improve to the 12^th spot on 34points. The loss dropped Starke FC to the 13^th spot and left them tied on 33points with Cornerstones for the first relegation spot though they have the advantage of keeping their heads above water for now by virtue of superior goal difference etc.

DAY 28 – 3RD & 4TH AUG., 2016

SUN       ELMINA                                                  SHARKS 3-1 GOLDSTARS

SUN       EJUSU                                                    KING FAISAL 2-1 WASSAMAN

SUN       CAPE COAST                                          VENOMOUS VIPERS 3-1 STARKE

SUN       ADANSI HWEREMOASI                             ACHIKEN 1-1 KARELA

SAT        GYANDU                                                PROUD UTD 2-0 ASOKWA DEPORTIVO

SUN       GYANDU                                                 ELEVEN WISE 3-0 TARKWA UTD

SUN       SAMRABOI                                             SAMARTEX 1-0 CORNERS

SUN       ASANDA                                                 NZEMA KOTOKO 2-0 DUNKWA UTD

Log table and game day scores courtesy of ghanafa.org

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