The second edition of the Division One League Super Cup will kick off on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at the Kyebi in the Eastern Region.
The off season competition that is meant for top performers’ ion the Division One League features eight teams of four in each Group. In this edition wee bring you the profile of the four clubs in Group B, namely Tamale City FC, Young Apostles, Samartex 1996 and giants Tema Youth SC.
Find below the profile of the Tamale City and Samartex 1996 FC.
Tamale City Football Club
Founded: 2018
Tamale City Football Club is a newly qualified Ghana Premier League side established in 2018. The Club has played in the second tier for straight seasons before making it to the elite level in 2022 for the 2022/23 betPawa Ghana Premier League campaign.
Tamale City FC was formerly called Guan United – then owned by former President of the Ghana Football Association Alhaji M.N.D Jawula. The young Group of administrators led by the late Jones Alhassan Abu brought on board Ibrahim Mahama and former Bank of Ghana Governor Dr. Nasiru Issahaku as Board Members to run the Club. Tamale City Football Club have been very consistent in the Zone since its foundation as they always fought for the first spot since 2018.
The Club qualified for the Premier League this time after recording one win and one draw from the three club play offs that was played at the Accra Sports stadium and will for the first time in history compete in the Ghanaian top flight.
Notable players: Collins Boateng, Emmanuel Quartey, Sam Ortis, Ekow Benson, Leventus Atta, Mark Acquah (now with Ebusua Dwarfs).
Samartex 1996 Football Club:
Founded: 1996
Football Club Samartex 1996, more commonly known as Samartex, is a professional football team based at Sameraboi that plays in Zone Two of the Ghana Division One League. The club was founded in 1995 by the Samartex Timber & Plywood Company as a recreational football club, and gained promotion from the Third Division to the Second Division of the Western Region in their first season.
They have since played in the Division One League until last season when they outwitted New Edubiase United FC and Mysterious Ebusua Dwarfs for the single Premier League slot in the Zone.
With then a working population of over 3,000 workers, the Board of Directors and Management of Samartex Company in conjunction with the Workers Union decided to ignite the passion for the game among the workers and the community at large as a social responsibility obligation to entertain the entire community where the workers reside.
The management of Samartex Timber & Plywood Company Limited registered FC Samartex in 1995 to participate in the 3rd Division of the Western Region and qualified for the 2nd Division in July 1996.
The Management team of the club included Messrs Azaleko as Chairman, Michael Abbaw, Sarfo Asiamah, and Alex O. Eshun as the Secretary. The junior staff union secretary, the late Budu Kumi was the Coach who chalked this magnificent feat.
Some of the players who played in the team were Goalkeeper Michael Addo, Robert Kwakye, Kwame Sampson, Kwame Gyebi, Abdulai, Takyi Edwin Appiah, and Kweku Appiah among others. All these players were full-time employees of the company and went for training only after they had closed from work.
From humble beginnings, Samatex have qualified to play in the 2022/23 betPawa Ghana Premier League after massing 66 points from 30 League matches with 19 wins, three draws and only two defeats. Their first game in the Division One League Super Cup is against Zone One hot shot Young Apostles Football Club.
Notable player(s) – Benjamin Yorke (now with Hearts of Oak)
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