Day: January 4, 2022

Former Asante Kotoko and Ebusua Dwarfs coach, J.E Sarpong says Black Stars cannot win the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations [Afcon] title.

The senior national team having won the continent trophy four times will be hoping to win their fifth title in Cameroon.

Milovan Rajevac and his side have been in camp in Doha ahead of the tournament which kicks off from January 9 to February 6.

The 63-year-old will have a full complement of his team today at their training camp.

The Serbian who is on a one-year renewable contract has been tasked by the Ghana Football Association [GFA] to win the trophy.

However, the former Great Olympics gaffer says the Black Stars cannot win the trophy and will be surprised if the team make it to the quarterfinals stage of the tournament.

“I doubt Ghana can win the title in Cameroon,” the veteran gaffer told GTV Sports Plus.

“If the team reaches the quarter-final stage of the tournament, that would come as a credit for the team,” he added.

Milovan Rajevac has named his final 28-man squad for the 33rd edition of the Afcon.

The Black Stars will kick start the tournament against giants Morocco on Monday, January 10 before taking on Gabon and Comoros in the other Group C matches.

Ghana will play a friendly International against African Champions Algeria on Wednesday, January 05, 2022, at the Education City Stadium in Doha to wrap up preparations before the team fly to Yaounde on January 7.

Milovan Rajevac led the Black Stars to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola where Ghana lost 1-0 to Egypt in the final.

Source: Modern Ghana

Twenty-Four key music actors in the Central Region, have been honoured for their vision, knowledge and integrity in advancing the development agenda of the music industry in the Region.

The awards ceremony, an initiative of Mr. Clarence Kenneth Ekow Pieterson widely known as King Pee, an aspirant for the Chair Person of the Regional Music Association (MUSICA) was organised in memory of Nana Kwame Ampadu , a veteran highlife musician of blessed memory.

Nana Ampadu was honoured posthumously for his contribution to lifting the image of the industry both locally and at the international level.

It was also to honour veteran musicians , inspire youngsters, producers , and all others who have played significant roles in raising the standards of the industry in the Region.

Notable Awardees were ; Mrs Christiana Buckman , Mr. Albert Scott Lutterodt, Mr. Tony Hawkson , Mr. Robert Scott Benyin, Mr. Francis Ferguson , Mr Robert Tachie Menson, and Mr. Francis Obo .

The event was spiced with dinner and crowned with good musical performances.

Mr. Pieterson said the awards was to ease the struggles of musicians and other actors , make them feel much more appreciated and to set the pace for young musicians to follow.

Going forward , he said the event had come to stay and it would be organised annually to honour more industry players who deserved the honour.

He took the opportunity to campaign for the Chairmanship slot, stating “I am the best man for the chairmanship race because I have the aged and the youth at heart and I am so bent on putting up strategic initiatives that would satisfy their needs”.

Mr. Victor Owusu , the General Secretary of Aging Musicians Welfare Fund (AMWEF), said welfare policies for veterans must be strengthened in the Region to ensure they benefited fully from the scheme.

He urged youngsters to willingly contribute to the fund while they were young for them to reap the benefits later in life.

Nana Akua Apeatsewah II , Queen Mother of Abura Yamoa Traditional Area and the MUSICA chair in the Region, advised young musicians and producers to get any of the various insurance policies to secure their future.

She said Nana Ampadu was worth remembering because he has been a fighter with issues of AMWEF and music in general adding” he fought to the very end and this is worth emulating”

Source: Ghana News Agency

With few days to kick start the 33rd edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), host Cameroon will be looking to put on one of the best continental showpieces in recent years.

The hosts are in Group A together with Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Cape Verde in one of the toughest groups of the tournament.

Cameroon

Host Nation Cameroon, having won the AFCON five times (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, and 2017) and appearing in the competition for the 20th time, are one of the favorites to win the tournament based on their past performances.

The team managed to reach the final of the AFCON three times in a row between 1980 and 1990 and won the title in 1984 and 1988.

The Indomitable Lions who are currently placed 50th on the FIFA rankings would be looking forward to a host and win, to make it the the sixth time after beating Egypt in 2017 to win the trophy for the fifth time.

Portuguese Antonio Conceição, who has been in charge of the team since 2019 is expected to come into this tournament with his usual formation, where his wing-backs are expected to defend and attack in equal measure.

Cameroonian legend and President of the Cameroon Football Association, Samuel Etoo, who won the just ended FA elections, would be looking forward to leading his country in winning the 33rd African Cup of Nations tournament.

Burkina Faso

Kamou Malo’s Burkina Faso would be making their 12th appearance at the continental showpiece and would be a tough nut to crack for other group teams.

The “Stallions” as they are nicknamed bring to the 2021 AFCON some top world footballing stars including Edmond Tapsoba, Bertrand Traore, Issa Kabore, and the likes.

Burkina Faso first qualified to the AFCON in the year 1978 but missed out on six subsequent editions before making it to the 1996 edition in South Africa.

Their best finish in the tournament was in 2013 after finishing as runners-up after being beaten by Nigeria in the finals.

The team is currently placed 60th on the FIFA rankings. The Stallions after missing the 2019 edition of the AFCON tournament would be looking forward to a better performance in this year’s tournament.

Burkina Faso would be among the favourites to qualify to the Round of 16 of the competition.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia, popularly known as Walia Ibex, who won the competition in 1962 and have also qualified for the tournament since 2013, would be looking forward to their 11th appearance in the tournament.

The team, who are 137th on the FIFA ranking, would be looking forward to a miracle in the Group Stages of the tournament facing the likes of Cameroon and Burkina Faso who have dominated in the competition for quite a long time.

Coach Wubetu Abate, having players like Shemelis Bekele, Abubeke Nasir would be hoping to repeat their 1962 record once more.

Ethiopia might be considered to be outsiders to secure qualification to the next round but can certainly spring a surprise and upset the odds.

Cape Verde

The Blue Sharks of Cape Verde, are among the few teams who have not had that much experience in the AFCON tournament yet, tries to impress their supporters all over the world.

Cape Verde would be appearing at the African Cup of Nations for the third time. The team last appeared in the tournament in 2015 after reaching the quarterfinals in 2013.

The team’s performance over the years has been able to book them a 73rd spot on the FIFA rankings.

Coach Bubista this time round is sure of defeating the host nation, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso to make it to the round of 16 of the 2021 African Cup of Nations.

Fixtures for Group A:

January 9: Ethiopia vs Cape Verde, Cameroon v Burkina Faso

January 13: Cameroon vs Ethiopia, Cape Verde vs Burkina Faso.

January 17: Burkina Faso vs Ethiopia, Cape Verde vs Cameroon.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Kumasi, Jan. 04, GNA – Authorities at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana’s second-largest health referral facility, have said theatres at the facility “are operating normally”.

“We are working. We are doing emergencies. We are operating normally. All our cases in the main theatre are almost done.

We are working more efficiently than before,” Professor Akwasi Antwi Kusi, Head of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Directorate, KATH, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in Kumasi, on Tuesday.

The assurance is coming in the wake of the recent nationwide industrial action by the Certified Registered Anaesthetists (CRA).

The nurse anaesthetists on Saturday, January 1, 2022, laid down their tools in protest of the expiration of their license.

According to the CRA, “members cannot provide anaesthesia services across the country, because members do not hold license to practice.

“CRA is unable to provide anaesthesia services until a determination is made by the Ministry of Health (MoH),” a statement issued by the nurse anaesthetists noted.

Per the regulations, members are expected to renew their licenses each year with the Medical and Dental Council, which makes them eligible to practice.

Prof. Antwi Kusi said, “nothing has changed at the KATH.”

This is because the doctor anaesthetists had been providing anaesthesia services as usual.

According to him, cases at the main theatre as well as the Accident and Emergency and Obstetrics, which all fall under his Directorate, had been dealt with.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The first Super Clash of the 2021/22 Ghana Premier League season has been rescheduled to February 20, 2022.

The game was initially expected to be played in December 2021 but had to be postponed due to the CAF Champions League exploits of the Phobians.

Although it was later pushed to be played this month, the Ghana Football Association has in a new release announced that the game will now be honoured on February 20.

“The Super Clash match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko SC has been scheduled for Sunday, February 20, 2022,” part of a communique on the website of the GFA has said.

The postponed matchday 7 encounter of the Ghana Premier League will be played at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The kick off for the game is at 15:00GMT.
The Ghana FA notes that this will be final outstanding match to climax the first round of the 2021/22 League season.

Source: Modern Ghana

Accra, Jan.4, GNA – The non-teaching staff of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) in the Ghana Education Service (GES) have withdrawn their services across the schools due to non-payment of their Continuous Professional Development(CPD) allowances for two years.

The Union is informing the government and its agencies, parents, and the public that the non-teaching staff would not be at the post from tomorrow, January 5, 2022, as the Senior High Schools re-opened for academic activities.

The non-teaching staff on strike include but are not limited to the Domestic Bursars, Matrons, Cooks, Pantry Hands, Labourers, Cleaners, Administrators, Accountants, Librarians, Logistics and Supply Officers, and Internal Auditors.

Mr Mark Dankyira Korankye, the General Secretary of TEWU announced the indefinite strike on Tuesday in Accra at a press briefing in Accra.

Mr Korankye said the non-teaching members of the Union have been sidelined in the payment of the CPD allowance, while their teaching counterparts have received two tranches of the allowance since the package was announced by the government in 2020.

He said the Minister for Education in 2020 announced the approval of the CPD allowance to both teaching and non-teaching staff of the GES,

GH¢1,200.00 for professional teachers, GH¢800.00 for non-professional teachers, and GH¢600.00 for non-teaching staff.

Mr Korankye said since the announcement of the payment of the allowance, the Professional Teachers and the non-Professional Teachers were paid, leaving the non-teaching staff completely out.

“The leadership of TEWU have been following up to ensure that the non-teaching staff benefits from their allowances, but all our efforts have not yielded any results,” he said.

He said to make matters worse, in March last year, President Akufo-Addo in the State of the Nation’s Address presented to Parliament, announced the payment of the CPD allowance to both Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff of the Ghana Education Service.

This announcement by the President, the General Secretary said caused a lot of agitation among its members with different accusations, stressing that the members were not ready for any more explanations.

“TEWU leadership, need not remind our education authorities that, both the non-teaching and teaching staff, play complementary roles in creating the environment that will promote quality teaching and learning.”, he said.

He said a formal complaint had been lodged with the National Labour Commission with the hope that the management of GES and other stakeholders would play their roles to resolve the problem with the payment of the CPD allowance for the non-teaching staff, to avoid any action that will disturb the industrial harmony in the educational institutions, especially in our second cycle institutions but nothing came out of it.

“At the last National Executive Council meeting held in December 2021, it was resolved among others, that if by the close of the year 2021, the CPD allowance was not paid to the non-teaching staff of the Ghana Education Service, then as schools re-open for the last phase of the second semester of 2020/2021 academic year, our members will withdraw our services to push home our demand for the payment of this CPD allowance.”

Source: Ghana News Agency

Romelu Lukaku has apologised and will return to the Chelsea squad for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Tottenham, manager Thomas Tuchel says.

Lukaku was dropped for Sunday’s Premier League draw with Liverpool after comments he made in an interview recorded three weeks ago.

The pair had a “calm” meeting on Monday about the striker returning.

“He apologised and is back in the squad for today’s training,” Tuchel said.

“We have given it time to look back on. For me, the most important thing was to understand – and clearly understand – it was not intentional. He did not do this intentionally to create this kind of noise in front of a big game.”

In an interview recorded in December, Chelsea’s club-record £97.5m signing said he was “not happy” with his bit-part role under Tuchel and that he would like to return to Inter Milan in the near future.

Before Sunday’s game against Liverpool, Tuchel said he had left the 28-year-old out of the squad to “protect the preparation”.

Tuchel added: “Even before when he seemed to be, in his opinion, ready to play after his injury from the start and we thought he needed to readapt to the intensity a little bit more, there was never the slightest behaviour against the team.

“So, it was the very first time that he felt in this way. It’s very important to stay calm and understand it’s not as big as maybe people want it to be.”

Lukaku has scored seven goals in 18 appearances since he rejoined Chelsea from Italian champions Inter Milan last August.

Tuchel said Lukaku is “aware of what he has created”, adding that the striker “feels the responsibility to clean up the mess”.

The manager added: “He is still our player and we have good, good reasons to make him play for us and convince him to fight hard.”

Lukaku has also been hampered by injury and illness since returning to Stamford Bridge and, at times, was left out of the starting line-up even when fit.

However, he has had a recent upturn in form, scoring in his past two Premier League appearances, after discussions about his role with Tuchel.

Source: Modern Ghana

Accra, Jan 4, GNA – The President of the Forum for National Equity, Mr Prince Bagnaba Mba has congratulated the Inspector General of Police and other sister security organisations for the effective policing and effective security before, during and after the yuletide.

“We witnessed general safety of lives and security of property. The rate of accidents on our roads reduced drastically. Robbery and kidnapping and other forms of social vices were curtailed during the festive period.”

Mr Mba in his new year message to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday said “Much as the police staff were overstretched during the period, they exhibited high sense of professionalism that deserved commendation.

“It is therefore necessary for government to ensure the recruitment of adequate number of personnel to maintain and sustain the desirable peace and safety of all.”

Mr Mba said the country witnessed one of the best Christmas and New year celebrations despite the death threatening return of the omicron COVID-19.

He said the country needed maximum cooperation with diligence to develop as fast as possible and necessary and that could only be possible with positive thinking and by avoiding negative propaganda.

“The country is gradually emerging from the dark days of indecision to a powerful business capital of Africa. The painful period of implementation of governmental policies is springing up with good economic recovery and fast development in all spheres of our lives.

“We seize this golden opportunity to congratulate the President and his cabinet for keeping faith with the people despite the challenges.”

He appealed to all Ghanaians and non Ghanaians living in or out of Ghana to demonstrate the highest sense of patriotism by working around the clock to fast track development agenda and avoid armchair politics.

Source: Ghana News Agency