Samir won their much-awaited clash via a 7th round knockout to spark celebrations among his fans, and lefe fans of Bukom Banku stunned.

On Monday, Banku said in an interview with Accra-based Kasapa FM that he wanted a rematch with Samir on the 6th of March, 2018 and in a response given on Citi FM’s Traffic Avenue, Samir said a rematch would be very possible.

“I heard that he said he wanted a rematch. I am ready and I will give him that, but he will be given three months to rest. I am planning to fight in December to wrap the year up.

I want to make a mark and get a world title by the end of 2018. So, if Banku wants a rematch, I am ready for that.”

Samir revealed that, the knockdown was not the main focus of the fight plan put together by his coach, Ofori Asare, but he was open to the opportunity of flooring his long-time rival.

“My coach and I trained and prepared very well. I was ready if the bout traveled the distance and I was also ready to take the chance if a knockout presented itself.”

The victory was Samir’s 16th of his professional career with a solitary draw being the only dent.

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By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bastie Samir ready to give Bukom Banku rematch appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

October 22, 2017 marked the end of the Ghana Premier League season. Finally, the torture has ended and calm can return.

To the discerning mind, Ghana has no business running a professional league based on the standards we have witnessed from the just-ended campaign.

A club licensing scheme put together by the GFA which was essentially meant to ensure that participating teams meet certain standards in order to be eligible has been flouted with impunity by all clubs involved.

Indeed if the FA are to strictly go by the standards that they themselves have set not even Wa All Stars, owned by FA President Kwesi Nyantakyi will make the required grade.

As important as structures and the administration of these clubs are, greater evils that have been prevalent throughout the years are now threatening to become a staple feature of the Ghana Premier League.

The manipulation of matches through referees, players, club officials, fans and now betting companies.

Indeed the rot has become accepted among “football people” in Ghana as the appropriate procedure.

Club administrators don’t even bother to debunk allegations of bribery and match-fixing any longer but just casually engage in the act of finger pointing and snitching on each other.

This was the case when Dr. Nduom, owner and bankroller of Elmina Sharks FC took to social media to complain about blatant biased officiating and generic corruption in the game after his team lost to Aduana Stars in a match that eventually handed them the league crown.

One would expect, that a direct accusation of match manipulation would be met by stern anger and denial but instead Chief Executive Officer of Aduana, Albert Commey, merely shrugged it off and proceeded to counter-accuse Dr. Nduom of being equally guilty of paying bribes.

In other instances, players have been heard on record confessing to betting on matches involving their own teams, while fans and club officials have openly threatened to beat up Television crew members and journalists that cover the league.

It is important to note that none of these incidents that are on record have been tackled to a logical conclusion by the FA.

In the buildup to the last round of matches, reports were rife that deals had allegedly been cut between clubs that were relegation-threatened and ones that were in the position to be benevolent.

Despite the awareness created by the media to deter such occurrences, Bechem United went ahead to block the entrance to their stadium with a trailer truck, preventing Startimes from accessing the grounds to telecast perhaps their most important match of the season against Olympics.

In the past the FA have blamed the bad mouthing of the league by certain media houses and individuals for the league’s inability to secure a headline sponsor but one needs to only witness a Ghana Premier League match to witness “unprofessionalism” in its full glory.

A league that has substandard stadia prevents media from doing their work, have no minimum standards of remuneration and allow bribery and corruption to become part of everyday pleasantries is evil and destructive for the game of football.

At this rate, it is safe to say the Ghana Premier League lacks credibility, right from the players and coaches to the club officials and also media men who have witnessed for years the rot and have watched on with arms folded.

Only a probe and a possible cleansing by FIFA with collaboration from government will save this sinking ship.

Bastie brings Banku to earth

The unrivaled king of trash talk of Ghana boxing, the undefeated and controversial Braimah Kamoko better known as Bukom Banku had once again managed to whip up enough interest to almost sell out the Bukom Boxing Arena in the much-anticipated bout against his longtime nemesis Samir Bastie.

Indeed the ability of Banku to draw out a crowd is unparalleled in Ghana, but that would be his only meaningful contribution on the fight night.

The bout dubbed “Make or Break” exposed the aging Banku to the sharp jabs and hooks of the younger and more agile Samir who eventually floored Banku in the third round.

The 12 round untitled bout exposed Banku to more punishment than he had ever received in his professional career and his feet could not hold out much longer as he succumbed to a flurry of punches in the 7th round that sent him to the canvas for a second and final time.

To the crowd present, not only had a loud mouth been handed a deserved beating, but it also came at the hands of one who had long been considered underappreciated and underrated.

For Banku a rematch with Samir will make sense for his pockets but anyone present at the Bukom Boxing Arena would admit that the two boxers are gulfs apart in quality.

Samir must capitalize on the popularity he has gained from the bout to reignite his Professional career while Banku must seriously begin to think about life after boxing because the end is almost here for him.

NBA week one thrills

It’s only the opening week in the NBA, but we can already talk about broken tibia’s, rookie meltdowns, buzzer beaters, fines to star players and managerial casualties.

Gordon Hayward’s Celtics debut lasted barely a quarter and left a sour taste in the mouths of many as he dislocated his ankle and broke his tibia, ruling him out for the season.

This means that rookie Jason Tatum will have to step up big time, while guys like Marcus Smart will have to take on more responsibility.

The Los Angeles Lakers prized asset and number draft pick Lonzo Ball was given a rude awakening by Patrick Beverly of the Clippers in his NBA debut that saw him record 3 points,4 assists and 9 rebounds.

He, however, bounced back in emphatic fashion and was 1 assist shy of a triple-double when he recorded 29 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists against the Phoenix Suns.

His progress might be slow but he looks a really solid long-term prospect for the Purple and Yellow’s.

On the other side of the Pacific Division, Eric Bledsoe of the Phoenix Suns has reiterated his desire to leave the organization after their terrible 3-0 start to the season and who can blame him.

The Suns are regarded as one of the worst run organizations in the league with their star players like Isaiah Thomas and Goran Dragic all exiting in the past.

They seem set to lose another who is not interested in the painful process of rebuilding alongside a bunch of rookies and sophomores.

The team has already fired its coach after just three games; yes Earl Watson has already been fired.

Kyrie Irving has already attracted a fine from the NBA after responding with obscene language to a fan who sought to create mischief by asking Kyrie the whereabouts of Lebron following the Celtics loss to the Sixers.

Meanwhile, after signing a max deal with the Timberwolves Andrew Wiggins has shown that this could be his coming out year after he hit a buzzer beat to sink the OKC Thunder in a crunch Division match up on the road.

His poise and certainty in hitting the game-winning shot should be a feature of this campaign if the Timberwolves will thrive in a highly competitive Western Conference.

He is my early season pick for most improved player of the season.

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By: Benjamin Nketsia/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Final whistle: Compromised league, Bastie feeds banku, NBA thrills appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The defeat was Banku’s first in his career after 27 straight wins. Banku was floored in the 7^th round after a series of quick combination punches from Bastie which also resulted in a cut to his right eye.

[contextly_sidebar id=”doUq6lFRbjVWnJpQwsh1RwbSnZdRKgr1″]Speaking on Accra based Kasapa FM on Monday, Banku challenged Samir to a rematch on 6^th March 2018.

“I have accepted I lost the fight. Bastie is a good fighter and he beat me fair and square. I have seen my mistakes and I want to fight him again on the 6^th of March.

“I am not feeling bad that I lost because all the great fighters have lost before even Azumah Nelson. So I am going to correct my mistakes and come back,” he said.

Bastie also said after Saturday’s bout that he was willing to accept a rematch if Banku proposed one but is yet to officially respond to Banku’s latest challenge.

Meanwhile, Samir Bastie has already indicated that he is prepared to face Bukom Banku in another boxing encounter.

He said in an interview immediately after his victory that he will fight Bukom Banku if the latter is willing.

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post I want a rematch – Bukom Banku begs Bastie Samir appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Sarkodie on Sunday morning described how saddened he was by the defeat of his favourite Ghanaian boxer Bukom Banku.

According to him, he believed that Banku wasn’t fit for the bout.

The former WBO Africa Cruiserweight champion, Brimah Kamoko, popularly known as Bukom Banku was defeated by former Ghana Amateur boxing team captain, Bastie Samir at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra on Saturday night.

Prior to the bout, Bukom Banku had promised to knock out the Bastie in the 6th Round but ironically he started losing it in 3rd Round after receiving hard punches from Bastie. He was defeated in the 7th round.

Sarkodie whose ‘Highest’ album was recently released has been nominated in the African Act category of the 2017 Music of Black Origin (MOGO).

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By: Kwame Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post I’m sad for Bukom Banku – Sarkodie appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Banku was finally ‘eaten’

After 27 bouts, the unbeaten run held by Ghana’s most popular boxer in modern times, Braimah Kamoko aka Bukom Banku, was torn apart in rather spectacular fashion on Saturday at the Bukom Boxing Arena.

He came up against rival, Bastie Samir, in a much-hyped “Make Or Break” bout and truly, it was made for Bastie and it broke for Banku but it was not without incident. How could it have made headlines if it was all smooth?

First, there was a hold up for close to 20 minutes due to disagreements over the size and mass of Bastie’s gloves and I found it very distasteful since the bout was live on SuperSport and by extension, the whole of Africa.

But eventually, the bell went and it was seven rounds of great action. Banku won the first two rounds and perhaps, it was because he was looking to end it quickly and make good on the promise of a knockout.

That did not happen and Bastie gathered himself and boxed on the front foot. His strengths and skills from years of boxing at an amateur level (including the 2008 Olympic Games where he captained Ghana’s boxing team) began to show and he landed great combinations to win the 3rd, 4th and 7th rounds when he finally sent Banku down to the canvas and leave fans either stunned or standing for joy.

Takeways? Yes. It seems Banku’s fall has excited a lot of people. The trash talking and the overt disrespect towards Bastie seems to have either rubbed people the wrong way or they just wanted to see a good contest and they got one for sure.

The other point for me is the Bastie Samir’s exhibition on the day. He proved that he could really slug it out and that he had the ability to succeed but I wonder if it not too late for that. I do not know if he is considering making a push for bigger recognition but with good management and his own application, a good try will be worth his time.

The bout goes into the top ranks of my favourite boxing bouts but as for Bukom Banku, the trolls will continue. He needs to take them on the chin.

The teams in red

On Saturday’s installment of the Premier League which was live on Citi 97.3 FM, I saw a sickening performance from Man United at Huddersfield and it sent my day into a dark spiral. There was no attitude, no guts and certainly, no urgency leading to a 2-1 loss and to add to that, my taps at home ere left unclosed and so, I was called home to meet a flood.

But the water could not cool the rage in my mind as I reflected on Juan Mata’s silly error of losing a pass and failing to stop Aaron Mooy from going on a run that led to Huddersfield’s first goal.

I was even angrier at Victor Lindelof at his school-boy decision not to clear a long ball which set up Huddersfield’s second goal.

I think Jose Mourinho said it well when he underlined the fact that a loss to a team which fared better on attitude was a bad loss. I side totally with him. I would rather lose to a super team than one which ran more and showed more willingness.

I hope the manager will take hard decisions to punish the unserious players. Plus, we do need players back from injury. The team will look, feel and play better, I believe.

But then, I looked at Liverpool and I kept shaking my head. They gave four goals to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. Dejan Lovren gave two away, Joel Matip handed one over and the entire defensive group gave the fourth away in the second half after a free kick.

It is now reaching laughable levels when Liverpool’s defence is mentioned and Jurgen Klopp has to do something now. The odd occurrence will be glossed over and not a lot of sleep will be lost. They will be fixed quickly because it is out of character. A quick jolt to the system will put things right.

But when a problem keeps showing its head very often after only 9 rounds of a 38-game league season, then the manager must wake himself up first, see the reality and work on his charges until they are immune to sleep.

Until Liverpool do that, a lot more of the comedy shows will be aired for the world to see.

Spurs, though, were brilliant. Knowing when to hold their shape and when to break forward accentuated their readiness for the match and it further underlined their willingness to adapt and succeed.

And when they were breached, Hugo Lloris was magnificent.

Arsenal get high marks for their classy away victory at Everton. Even after conceding a goal from Wayne Rooney, their old enemy, they never looked in danger.

They pulled it even through Nacho Monreal and it was an onward march towards the three points from that point.

Ozil and Sanchez reprised their roles from seasons past with some great passing and movement while Lacazette and Ramsey played with energy and great tempo.

The future is unclear when Sanchez and Ozil are mentioned but while the Gunners have them in their hands, they need to get the best from their most creative sources.

Bye bye to Olympics and Tema Youth

It was never in doubt and on Sunday, what was known was confirmed. Great Olympics performed their usual routine of getting themselves relegated a season after promotion.

The stumbles were too many at the start of the season and the confusion involving Godwin Attram and Tom Strand in the head coach’s role rocked the boat too strongly.

Attram tried to set things right but that was not to be.

However, Tema Youth started well but they went on a skid and even when they knew the value of beating Elmina Sharks at home in Week 28, they failed woefully.

The departure of Joseph Paintsil to Hungary affected them but a better collective effort was needed. Their coach, Edward Odoom, complained of poor officiating a few times but he should have built his team to withstand the tough nature of the league.

Thumbs up to the survivors: Bechem United, Berekum Chelsea, Inter Allies, Liberty Professionals and Elmina Sharks. Some took advantage of their final home games and others were tough on their travels.

However, the people at Bechem United should be strongly reprimanded for the shenanigans surrounding the inability to broadcast the match live. They claim a truck blocked the entrance of the stadium and that prevented the Startimes television crew from getting in to beam the match.

Are there no towing services in Bechem? Are there no mechanics? Fans of the team team vowed to prevent the game from aired live and the episode clearly shows that they delivered on the promise.

Will we see any punishment? Aduana Stars essentially walked away unscathed when their fans went down the same  road so Bechem United could walk as well and we say we want corporate bodies to sponsor the league? I do not think we are serious about that objective.

Congrats to AshGold’s Hans Kwofie for winning the top scorer’s award. He scored four times against Aduana Stars to bag 17 goals and beat Stephen Sarfo who was leading the chart with 15 goals heading into the final round of matches.

That’s it folks!!!

Hit me up on Twitter @nathan_quao

The post QUAO’s Monday Moanings: Banku floored, poor defending and GHPL goodbyes appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Bukom Banku, whom John Mahama described as a friend and brother, suffered a humiliating defeat at the Bukom Boxing Arena after being knocked out by former amateur boxing team captain, Samir Bastie in the 7th Round.

[contextly_sidebar id=”PNka9eG4E3YM11u6dZOoRxxailY6GD1T”]John Mahama, who enjoyed massive support from Bukom Banku especially during the 2012 and 2016 election campaign periods, wished Bukom Banku good luck for his future bout.

While declaring the two fighters as “winners” of the night, John Mahama said he believes the Bukom Boxing Arena which he commissioned in the dying days of his administration in November 2016, will become an “incubator for the next generation of Ghanaian boxing champions.”

“Great night of boxing at the Bukom Boxing Arena yesterday [Saturday]. The patronage, entertainment and competitive spirit fulfills the purpose for which the facility was built. Congrats to winner Bastie, and better luck next time to my friend and brother Braimah Kamoko aka Bukom Banku. Both boxers were winners last night. I’m convinced that the Bukom Arena will become the incubator for the next generation of Ghanaian boxing champions,” John Mahama said in a Facebook post.

Bastie Samir emerged as a ‘new boxing hero’ after humiliating Bukom Banku who has nicknamed himself as the “African Mayweather.”

Samir, an undefeated former captain of Ghana’s amateur boxing team, ended Bukom Banku’s 28-0-0 unbeaten record on the exciting boxing night, that drew thousands of enthusiasts including former boxing champions, Ike Quartey and Azumah Nelson.

Ahead of the much-anticipated bout, Bukom Banku vowed to knock Bastie out in the 6th Round, and said he was going to force him into a coma on the night, but that was not meant to be.

Meanwhile, Bastie Samir has thrown a challenge to Bukom Banku that he is ready to face him again if he [Bukom Banku] asks for a re-match.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Mahama congratulates Bastie, empathizes with ‘friend’ Bukom Banku appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Bukom Banku who has nicknamed himself as the “African Mayweather” suffered an excruciating knockout in the 7th round at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra when he clashed with Ghanaian welterweight boxer Bastie Samir.

Ayittey Powers who has been defeated twice by his friend in a video after Saturday’s bout said he was certain Banku would lose against Samir.

“I knew from the beginning that Bukom Banku will lose because he had met his match…,” he said.

[contextly_sidebar id=”NVU1JdmGd40G7GMyhXgBDVYjcehHalMz”]According to him, Samir Bastie was a good match for Bukom Banku.

The exciting bout did not only end without Bukom Banku honoring his vow to knockout Bastie in the 6^th Round but also had him instead knocked out in the 7^th Round after enduring tough punches from his opponent.

Ayittey Powers, in a video after the Bukom Banku’s loss to Bastie said “I admit, I can’t match up to him [Banku] but he has now met his ‘meter’… His meter has shown him…. and is reading him left and right. Your banku has been totally destroyed.”

Bukom Banku and Ayittey Powers are known boxing enemies who have engaged each other twice; in Accra and Kumasi with Bukom Banku winning in both encounters.

In the extremely hyped second encounter dubbed “Judgement Day,” Powers failed to answer the bell for the sixth round after a rather impressive challenge in the early rounds with some overhead punches but his strength worn as the fight progressed.

Banku was presented with a SUV Range Rover, a ticket for a holiday trip to South Africa and GHc30,000 as his prize.

In the earlier encounter in Accra, Bukom Banku won by unanimous decision, after boxing his opponent into the 12th round through an intense pound-for-pound exchange.

Bukom Banku treated spectators to a very entertaining bout from the 5th round after Ayittey Powers showed signs of extreme exhaustion.

The ‘Put Up or Shut Up’ bout which pulled about 25,000 spectators was a cruiser-weight non-tittle.

Many mocked Ayittey Powers over his poor show in both bouts.

Powers has been fighting since 2000 and he has a record of 21 wins (17 KOs), 25 losses and a draw but he is yet to win a major title with his closest attempt being a loss to Daniel Baff in 2013 when they fought for the vacant PABA Cruiser Weight and WBA Pan African cruiserweight in Australia.

Watch his video reaction after Bukom Banku’s loss below:

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘You’ve met your meter’ – Ayittey Powers mocks Bukom Banku [Video] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Bukom Banku who has nicknamed himself as the “African Mayweather” suffered an excruciating knockout in the 7th round at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra on Saturday night.

Samir, an undefeated former captain of Ghana’s amateur boxing team ended Bukom Banku’s 28-0-0 unbeaten record on the exciting boxing night that drew thousands of enthusiasts including former boxing champions, Ike Quartey and Azumah Nelson.

Ahead of the much-anticipated bout, Bukom Banku vowed to knock Bastie out in the 6th Round, and said he was going to force him into a coma on the night, but that was not meant to be.

See below 11 things you didn’t know about ‘Ghana’s new boxing hero’

1. Bastie Samir is 31 years old and was born on May 19, 1986.
2. Bastie is nicknamed “The Beast”
3. He has an impressive record of knocking out all his opponents in his 15 bouts.
4. He won the African Championships in the welterweight division in May 2007
5. He represented Ghana and won silver at the 2007 All-Africa Games boxing welterweight division
6. He qualified for the Olympics 2008 in the light-heavyweight division.
7. He relocated to the US in 2008 and won many professional bouts there.
8. Some of the opponents he has beaten are Mavin Blair, Jacob Alvarez, Joseph Dunn, Damon Reed, Billy Cunningham, and Greg Hacket
9. His 6^th round split draw with Lester Gonzalez in April 2011 is the only blemish on his record
10. In 2016, Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions signed Bastie Samir and his junior brother Issa Samir.
11. In October 2017, he knocked out famed Ghanaian boxer, Braimah Kamoko, popularly known as Bukom Banku in a much-anticipated bout.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 11 things you didn’t know about Bukom Banku’s ‘silencer’ Bastie Samir appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Bukom Banku, who promised to knock out Bastie in the 6th Round, struggled to find his feet from the 3rd Round after enduring tough punches from his opponent.

In what turned out to be the first loss in his professional career, Bukom Banku was forced by Bastie to taste the floor in the 3rd Round after a heavy blow served to his [Bukom Banku] face.

A visibly fatigued Bukom Banku struggled to complete the subsequent rounds as Bastie’s jabs proved to have what it takes to draw the remaining energy out of him.

He succumbed in the 7th Round after another punch landed him on the floor, leaving the referee, Roger Banor with no option but to end the bout.

Thousands of boxing enthusiasts, including former World boxing champion, Azuman Nelson, were present to witness the historic bout.

The bout was with the tagline ‘Make or Break,’ and was promoted by Box Office Promotions.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bukom Banku suffers humiliating defeat in cruiserweight bout appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

However, the fans including men, women and children did not have it easy in making it into the Bukom Boxing Arena to watch their heroes engage in what turned out to be an anti-climatic battle of words.

First, they had to part with 1GHC at the entrance of the initial conference venue, endure a change in venue to the Arena and face a security search before taking a seat (or stand depending on their preference) in the 4,000-seater facility.

When they finally settled into their places leaving the facility half full, they found their voices again, singing cheer songs with sexually explicit lyrics in honour of their preferred boxer and in some cases to taunt the fans of the opposing boxer.

After bout promotor, Alex Ntiamoah Boakye delivered an apology to pressmen for a three-hour delay to the start of the conference, Banku who had earlier vowed to decimate his opponent on his entry to the facility seized the moment and hugged his opponent, surprisingly stating that they were all friends and were delighted to have the opportunity to entertain Ghanaians.

Samir, 31, was the first to take his turn at addressing the spectators and struggled to excite the crowd with his oratory.

He said: “I want to say that this is boxing… it’s not fight we are all friends and we are going to be together after all this… (sic)”.

“I am going to change boxing image, boxing is my destiny… I am ready for Bukom Banku and after that fight we are friends but for now we are friends”.
When Banku took his turn, the crowd was noticeably much louder and he boldly predicted a sixth round stoppage of undefeated Samir.

“Ayittey Powers will even do better than Bastie in the ring,” he stated in reference to his effortless double over close pal Ayittey Powers.

Banku stated: “I don’t want any petty fights or insults among fans because even what I have not done, they said I did it.

“I want to assure my fans that I will win the fight, I will stop Bastie in Round 6, all Ghanaians know me…”.

The pair of Bukom-based brawlers later engaged in a very jovial face-off.

Source: Graphic Online

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