Day: April 1, 2022

The draw for this year’s World Cup takes place in the shadow of Doha’s skyscrapers later on Friday, with the focus on the actual football after a build-up dominated by the off-field issues surrounding the awarding of the tournament.

A star-studded draw ceremony, starting from 1600 GMT, will include former World Cup winners Cafu and Lothar Matthaeus as assistants, as holders France and their rivals discover who they will face in the group stage.

It is the most controversial World Cup in history, with Qatar dogged ever since it was named host in 2010 by accusations of vote-buying –- which were hotly denied –- and questions over the country’s suitability.

From human rights concerns to the ongoing war in Ukraine, it has been impossible to keep the spotlight solely on the sport, but Fifa president Gianni Infantino has repeated, as he did on Thursday, that it “will be a fantastic and unique World Cup”.

“We never will have another World Cup where eight stadiums are all within 50 kilometres, fans can watch several games in a day and there is no travel for teams,” he insisted ahead of the first World Cup to be played in the months of November and December.

The move away from the usual June and July slot was enforced by the summer heat in the region at that time of year.

GERMANY NOT AMONG TOP SEEDS

With the competition approaching, excitement has built around the draw.

As well as France, Pot One will be comprised of all the top seven qualified nations in the Fifa rankings as well as debutants Qatar, at 51st one of the lowest-ranked teams at the World Cup but with privileged status as hosts.

Brazil, Belgium, Lionel Messi’s Argentina, England, Spain and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal are the other top seeds, with the latter benefiting from European champions Italy’s absence.

“We’ve definitely got respectability and I think we will be a team other teams wouldn’t look forward to playing,” said England manager Gareth Southgate of his side, who were semifinalists four years ago in Russia.

Germany are the biggest name in Pot Two, which also contains the Netherlands and Croatia, runners-up in 2018

African champions Senegal, Japan and Robert Lewandowski’s Poland are among the names in the third pot, and Canada will be in the fourth pot in their first appearance since 1986.

THREE PLACES STILL TO BE DECIDED

However, three qualifying spots have still to be decided in the last 32-team World Cup before it expands to 48 teams in 2026.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to Ukraine’s qualifying play-off semifinal against Scotland being postponed until June, with the winner of that match facing Wales for a place in Qatar.

There are also two intercontinental play-offs to come in Qatar in June, with either Australia or the United Arab Emirates facing Peru for one berth and Costa Rica playing New Zealand for the other.

Teams from the same continent will be kept apart except for those from Europe. Five groups will feature two European sides.

Qatar, a tiny Gulf state of under three million people, stunned the world when it was awarded the hosting rights.

Seven of its eight venues have been newly built, while Doha also opened a new metro system in preparation for an influx of fans from around the world. However the city remains a building site in many places.

Over 800 000 tickets have already been snapped up, and by the time the matches get underway construction should be finished on the promenade on Doha’s Corniche.

‘UNACCEPTABLE CONSEQUENCES’

Concerns remain over the treatment of gay and transgender supporters coming to a country where homosexuality is illegal, as well as over the working conditions of hundreds of thousands of migrant labourers in the country, including those who built stadiums.

At Thursday’s Fifa Congress in Doha, Lise Klaveness, head of the Norwegian Football Federation, spoke out to say that the 2018 and 2022 World Cups had been awarded “in unacceptable ways with unacceptable consequences”.

“Human rights, equality, democracy, the core interests of football were not in the starting XI until many years later,” she said.

Her comments followed an open letter from global players’ union FIFPro this week, which said: “Remember, we owe the migrant workers. It was they who toiled in scorching heat to build the infrastructure and stadiums.”

The chief executive of Qatar’s World Cup Supreme Committee, Hassan al-Thawadi, insisted the first World Cup in the Middle East would leave “truly transformational social, human, economic and environmental legacies”.

Source: Modern Ghana

ShaQ Express, a courier company, has started piloting the use of electric (e) bicycles for the delivery of items in Accra.

The company deployed its first set of two e-bikes in Accra last week as part of efforts to operate in a sustainable manner and also cut down on its recurrent expenditure, particularly fuel.

Although a burgeoning business with dozens of delivery companies in operation, not many courier operators use e-bikes – making ShaQ Express one of the first companies to do so in the country.

Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Anthony Owusu-Ansah, said the pilot phase was going on well with emissions and fuel turning out to be the two main areas of improvement.

Announcing the piloting phase, Mr. Owusu-Ansah said “the future is here and it is indeed electric.”

“We have started piloting the use of our new e-bikes for deliveries as our small way of contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seven and 13 by cutting down on carbon emissions in the environment,” he said.

“This is going to be a game-changer in reducing our dependence on fuel and creating a way of serving you better economically,” he added.

Mr. Owusu-Ansah said that while the bikes performed just like the fuel-driven motorcycles on long-distance journeys, they emitted less to no carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that were found to be dangerous to the environment and humans.

That, the CEO of ShaQ said, made e-bikes the appropriate vehicle to use in delivering food and other health essentials such as medications.

Mr. Owusu-Ansah Express said the company was beginning to also realize that the use of e-bikes could help it make savings from its fuel expenditure, leading to a reduction in prices for consumers.

“The deployment will reduce our dependence on fuel and generally reduce our operation cost by about 50 percent to 60 percent. That will help with the pricing to our end-user,” he explained.

He said the savings could also be ploughed back into the business through the creation of more jobs for riders.

Mr. Owusu-Ansah said the e-bikes did not require the purchase of petrol or diesel but were charged from an electricity source.

He said they could be charged from almost anywhere, provided the electricity source had the appropriate socket to take the charging system of the motor.
According to him, this made the e-motorbikes convenient and more cost-effective to use.

The CEO of ShaQ said that at a time when the United Nations (UN) and other global institutions were rallying the world to combat climate change and mitigate its impact on the environment and lives, e-bikes were a major tool to realize that objective.

He said as cities expanded and more areas got urbanized, courier services would become more critical, resulting in the use of many motorbikes and other vehicles to get goods to consumers.

That, he said, had the potential to impact negatively on the realization of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, which calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Mr. Owusu-Ansah also noted that the advent of e-motorbikes, if properly exploited, could help mitigate the impact of a booming courier service business on the achievement of SDG 13.

Going forward, Mr. Owusu-Ansah said ShaQ Express would continue to monitor the performance of the two bikes to be able to make an informed decision on the next step to take.

He said at the moment, it was obvious that using e-motorbikes could impact positively on the business, and efforts to increase the numbers would be pursued.

Source: Ghana Web

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has signed a one-year contract extension with the club.

The 27-year-old, who joined in January 2020 for an initial £47m, is now under contract until 2026 and this new deal includes an option for a further one-year extension.

Fernandes has scored 49 goals in 117 matches in all competitions for United.

“There’s so much more I want to achieve here, and that’s the same for the rest of the squad and staff,” he said.

“More than anything, we want to give the fans the success that they deserve,” added Fernandes, who has also contributed 39 assists.

“We have shared some great moments, but the best is yet to come from myself and this team.”

Manchester United football director John Murtough said Fernandes was the “ultimate professional” and praised the Portugal international for performing “remarkably consistently” since his arrival.

“Bruno, like everyone across the football club, remains hugely ambitious and determined to deliver sustained success on the pitch to get us back to challenging for titles,” Murtough added.

Fernandes was deemed a key signing upon arriving and won the club’s Matt Busby Player of the Year award despite only joining midway through the season and also took it last season.

No player has created more goals for the club since he joined and he was the club’s top scorer with 28 goals in all competitions last season.

However, his form this season has drawn some scrutiny and United have slipped to sixth in the Premier League table in a turbulent campaign that has seen manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked and Ralf Rangnick take charge as interim head coach.

Source: Modern Ghana

A second half strike from Daniel Kwame Awuni proved crucial for Accra Lions as they edged Bibiani Gold Stars in a match-week 22 encounter of 2021/22 Ghana Premier League played at the Accra Sports Stadium.

It was a crucial win for Accra Lions as the leapfrogged Bibiani Gold Stars into 14th position on the league table and are now seven points away from the relegation zone.

It was a dominant start for Accra Lions in the early stages of the first half and attacking midfielder Hagan Frimpong came close on the quarter-hour mark, but his effort was well saved by Gold Stars goalkeeper Yaw Ansah Fufro.

The game was free flowing football with excellent passing displays from both sides but it was the home side who were creating the decent chances with Mensah Jacob Amoh coming close on the half hour mark.

Bibiani Gold Stars finished the second half the much stronger side with Prince Kwabena Owusu testing Accra Lions goalkeeper Frederick Asare who was having a quiet afternoon in post.

The first half ended scoreless.

Bibiani Gold Stars started the second half more purposeful as they searched for the lead displaying some good attacking intent.

But it was the home side who took the lead against the runoff play in the 61st minute through Awuni who struck from close range after a well taken corner kick from Abdul Rashid Abubakar.

The chances kept falling for the home side and playmaker Abdul Rashid Abubakar missed a glorious opportunity having skied his effort with the goal at his mercy.

Gold Stars pressed the defence of the home side for the equalizer in the latter stages of the game and substitute Godfred Kyei should have pulled parity but shockingly missed from close range to the despair of their coach Micheal Osei.

Accra Lions held on firmly to their lead as they secured three points at the end of the match.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Mar.31.GNA- The World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) 2030 project was on Thursday launched in Accra to aid the development and implementation of a national tobacco strategy in Ghana.

The framework, which would be implemented in one year, is also expected to ensure the enforcement of a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising and depiction in the entertainment media.

It is funded by the governments of Australia, Norway and the United Kingdom, with technical assistance from the WHO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Mr Kwaku Agyeman- Manu, the Minister for Health, who launched the framework, said the burden of disease and death that tobacco smoking imposes on public health was extensive.

“In Ghana, more than 500,000 adults are estimated to smoke cigarettes and other tobacco products on a daily basis,” he said.

He stated that the Global Tobacco Survey had estimated that smoking tobacco was prevalent among young people and about 75 men die every week from smoking cigarettes.

He said presently, Ghana was faced with a dual burden of disease with the upsurge of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and a wide array of cancers and the project was timely for the eradication of emerging tobacco control challenges.

Mr Agyeman-Manu said Ghana had, however, made significant strides in the control of tobacco use with the inclusion of tobacco-specific provisions in the Public Health act 2012, the passage of the tobacco control regulations in 2016 and the introduction of graphic health warnings.

“Despite this success, Ghana still has a long way to go in the pursuit of attaining a tobacco-free country, key amongst the tobacco control challenges is the absence of a comprehensive smoke-free policy, weak interagency coordination and difficulties in implementing a total ban on tobacco products advertising,” he said.

Dr Francis Kasolo, the WHO representative to Ghana, said the use of tobacco had contributed to ill health in many countries and accounted for seven million deaths each year.

He congratulated Ghana for being selected to be part of the WHO FCTC project, adding that the effective control of tobacco through the project, would require leadership, coordination and multistakeholder involvement.

Mrs Delese Mimi Darko, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), said there was an urgent need to fight against tobacco smoking now more than ever, considering the prevailing circumstances of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

She said the launch of the FCTC would provide the needed support for the implementation of a tobacco-free environment in the country.

“This set the right agenda in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 in a middle-income country like Ghana,” Mrs Darko said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Asafoatsengua Dabra V, the Senior Divisional Chief and Warlord of Kabiawe Kponor Clan in the Ada Traditional Area, has called for tranquillity, unity, teamwork, and peaceful coexistence to fast-track the development of the area.

He said the residents and leaders must put all their differences aside and work together to attract development to the Traditional Area.

“As citizens, we must endeavour to continue to be law-abiding, embrace the peace that would enable sound ambience to enhance the development of our own traditional area,” he said.

Asafoatsengua Dabra said this during a Town Hall Meeting at Big Ada, organised by the Ada East District Assembly with support from the Media Foundation for West Africa.

“A traditional area that is full of disturbances, acrimony and other disputes does not promote development. We the citizens of the Ada Traditional Area from time immemorial have been peaceful and loving so why the resort to disputes and unnecessary agitation now,” he asked.

He said Ada had a lot of tourists attraction cites so the area only needed a united front to accelerate development for residents and generations yet unborn.

“As a Senior Divisional Chief of Kabiawe Kponor Clan, speaking as a traditional council member, I would not deviate from the good work my predecessors did but to surely continue from where they left off and ensure that the legacy of peace and harmony they left behind are maintained and improved,” he added.

He said Ada was where the Volta River meets the Atlantic Ocean (estuary) and that alone made the area historic but without peace, the area would not accrue the full benefits of its resources.

The Chief said the Traditional Council was ready to welcome all ideas to support the developmental agenda and urged residents to approach their leaders and share ideas with them.

He said the Council was ready to offer its support to the District Assembly to enhance development.

“We would maintain the highest level of discipline to promote peace and development in the district,” he said.

Mr Fred Bubune Kpodo, the District Coordinating Director, encouraged the residents to pay their taxes to help the Assembly execute developmental projects.

Ms Sarah Dugbakie Pobee, the Ada East Chief Executive, explained that the Town Hall meeting was to account for the people and solicit their input in the development process.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Interim Black Stars assistant coach, George Boateng says the decision to remain as a member of the technical team solely lies in the hands of his club Aston Villa.

Boateng, who is Villa’s U-23 was named alongside former Asante Kotoko coach, Mas-ud Didi Dramani as the first team assistant coaches with Chris Hughton as the technical advisor.

Boateng says while he will like to stay on with the national team, the decision is not solely his to make despite steering the Black Stars to secure a place in the 2022 World Cup.

“It’s Aston Villa that will decide whether I am allowed to be part of the technical team or not,” he told Citi Sports.

“I think by now everybody knows that the willingness to help my nation is there and I am open to help if I am asked to,

“But it’s now up to me since I am in a full time employment and my contract has not ended.”

The draw for the 2022 Qatar World Cup will take place on Friday, April 1, 2022, in Doha Qatar and Ghana have been drawn in Pot 4.

The draw will take place at 16:00GMT.

Source: Modern Ghana

Akatsi (VR), April 01, GNA- Over four cases have been referred from the Akatsi Municipal Hospital to other hospitals since the hospital’s main theatre has been razed by fire.

The situation according to management is adversely affecting healthcare delivery, especially some surgical cases.

The main theatre was razed down by fire last Saturday, March 26, 2022.

Dr Karikari Bonsu, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital who is also a surgeon specialist during a visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to the facility said the non functioning of the theatre could affect emergencies and other critical cases.

“As of Monday, March 29, about four cases have been referred,” he said.

Meanwhile, records available to the GNA from the hospital show it that the facility recorded a 91.1 per cent increase in surgeries conducted over the period.

A total of 1,808 surgeries were conducted in 2021 against 946 in 2020 and 564 in 2019 respectively.

The situation according to management, if not given the needed attention, could distort the provision of quality and effective healthcare.

Some patients the GNA interacted with appealed to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area to intervene.

On his part, Mr Kofitsey Martin Nyahe, the MCE for the area, has assured management of the hospital that efforts would be put in place to rescue the situation.

The main theatre of the Akatsi Municipal Hospital was razed down by fire on Saturday at about 1100 hours which the fire service at Akatsi revealed was as a result of an electrical fault.

Source: Ghana News Agency