Nima/Mamobi edges out Weija-Gbawe in McDan Ga-Dangme Peace Cup

Nima/Mamobi have secured their place in the next round of the 2024 McDan Ga-Dangme Peace and Unity Cup after a narrow 1-0 victory against Weija-Gbawe last Sunday at the McDan La Town Park.

The match was decided in the 36th minute when Weija-Gbawe defender Desmond Opare inadvertently scored an own goal, giving Nima the lead they maintained until the final whistle. Despite several second-half changes, the Weija-Gbawe side, captained by ex-Kotoko player Obed Owusu, could not equalize.

The game ended 1-0 in favour of Nima/Mamobi, who featured Black Galaxies’ Kassim Razak. They now advance to the round of 16, where they will face teams such as Sege, Labadi, Teshie, Ada, and Chorkor. The tournament, running from July to November, aims to promote peace in the Greater Accra Region ahead of the 2024 Ghana general elections.

Bernard Ababio of Nima-Mamobi was named man of the match. Expressing his excitement, Ababio said, “The game was tough, but our coach's strategy worked. We were expecting a win because we have a very good team. I believe in my teammates. We created very good chances early on and should have won the first half 3-0. We are delighted to qualify and I am warning all our opponents to expect good performance. We are winning this trophy.”

Nima's victory follows Chorkor’s impressive 4-0 win against Dome-Kwabenya on the opening day of the five-month-long competition.

The McDan Sports Complex in Sege will host a doubleheader next Sunday, continuing the preliminary fixtures of the 24-team competition. Madina will face Dodowa at the McDan Teshie Sports Complex on Saturday, while Sunday will see Ashaiman against Prampram and Nkwantanang versus Kpone-Katamanso.

The tournament, supported by renowned businessman and philanthropist Dr. Daniel McKorley, aims to foster peace and unity. Mrs. Abigail McKorley, wife of Dr. McKorley, expressed their family's commitment to the cause, stating, “We started this a few years ago with just four communities and we are excited about how it has grown to 24. Our aim is to promote peace and unity in our society, and there can be no better platform than football, which has always united us. We want to encourage people that we are all Ghanaians and must love each other no matter our political differences.”

The McDan Peace and Unity Cup, organized every election year, offers a GH¢10,000 cash prize, a trophy, and medals to the winners. The first and second runners-up will receive GH¢5,000 and GH¢3,000 respectively, along with trophies and medals.