Day: December 5, 2022

Ghana Premier League giants, Asante Kotoko have announced the appointment of coach Orlando Wellington as the club’s new first-team assistant coach.

This has been confirmed in an official statement on the club’s social media today, Monday, December 5.

“We are delighted to welcome on board Coach ORLANDO WELLINGTON as first team assistant coach,” the statement by Asante Kotoko said.

Coach Orlando Wellington formerly was the Ghana U20 head coach and also worked as head coach for Heart of Lions in the past.

He is now set to deputise Asante Kotoko head coach Seydou Zerbo.

He begins work this week where he will be helping the coaches at the club to prepare the team for the resumption of the Ghana Premier League later this month.

Source: Modern Ghana

Brighton and Hove Albion forward, Danny Welbeck, has revealed that there was no approach by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) over a possible nationality switch from England to Ghana.

The former Arsenal and Manchester United forward was born in the UK to Ghanaian parents and made.

Welbeck made his debut for the Three Lions as a substitute against Ghana in an international friendly at Wembley Stadium in 2011.

The 42-capped Englishman revealed choosing to play for his country of birth was not a difficult decision to make.

“There wasn’t like an official approach from Ghana to come and play for them or anything like that, so it wasn’t as hard as a decision like people would have thought,” he told the YouTube channel, Michael Dapaah, in an interview.

“It was natural for me because I’ve been playing for England since I was 14 so it’s like a natural progression to try and reach that next step.

“You know you want to get to the next stage group, 19, 21, and the senior team.”

He also revealed that making his senior England debut against the country his parents is a memory he will always keep with him.

“I remember this game because I made my debut against Ghana,” Welbeck added.

“It was like my family, not in the England section, and they are like boo; they were booing along as well, so it was a mad moment, but one that is definitely a highlight.”

Source: Modern Ghana

Black Stars Management Committee member, Samuel Osei Kuffuor has called on the media to profess solutions to the problems confronting the team and not to take a swipe at the players.

The former Ghana defender was addressing the media in Doha on Saturday following the team’s exit from the ongoing FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals.

Ghana, who were making their fourth appearance at the Mundial exited the tournament on Friday after an excruciating 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in their final Group H game at Al Janoub stadium.

“We all agree that this is not what we expected. But we believe in our team so I will plead with you not to point accusing fingers at any player for what happened here yesterday,” the former Bayern star said in a press briefing in Doha on Saturday.

“I still insist we should find solutions to our problem and not point accusing fingers at any player. We all know that we wanted to go far but that did not happen. Look at what we saw in the stadium and the people who traveled here to watch the matches.

“It shows the kind of love that people have for the team, we did not take it for granted at all. But it’s unfortunate we lost and exited the tournament. I am someone who can take pressure but it’s not every player who has the heart to take the pressure.

“These are young players, they need our support, not unguarded criticisms. When I was playing in Germany there was a lot of pressure but I am strong so I took that in good faith and performed.

“We don’t have to dampen the spirit of the players. We have to encourage the players to do better for our country in future competitions. We need to look at avenues to get better results from here and not blame anyone, that’s my humble appeal to all of you,” he added.

Source: Modern Ghana

Former Ghana coach, Otto Addo has expressed appreciation to the President of the Ghana Football Association [GFA], Kurt Okraku, and his technical staff for letting him do his work.

The Borussia Dortmund talent coach who worked for Ghana in an interim capacity will vacate his post at the end of December when his six-month contract comes to an end.

Addo qualified the Black Stars to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals but exited at the group stage following two defeats and one win – to finish at the bottom of Group H with three points.

“We have to thank the Almighty God for giving us this opportunity and for giving us a team like this. I am very, very proud of the boys, they gave their all. Sometimes it’s bad luck, this is also part of football,” Addo said in a press briefing in Doha.

“It’s the ugly side of football, sometimes you are lucky, sometimes you are not lucky. But they did all they can and sometimes it’s not in your hands.

“I want to thank the President Kurt Okraku for giving me this chance and for letting me do my work the way I wanted, I really appreciate this. This was the best circumstance I would like to work.

“I would like to thank the whole technical staff for supporting me in the best way they could. This was a really solid and loyal unit, everybody worked a lot, and nobody sees this. There was a lot of work behind the scenes preparing for this World Cup and also preparing for the qualification,” Otto added.

The Black Stars began the tournament with a 3-2 loss to Portugal but came back to beat South Korea 3-2 before bowing out of the competition after a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay on Friday, December 2, 2022.

Source: Modern Ghana

The Volta NDC Rebirth Group has pledged their support for Ofosu Ampofo to become the national chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The group is made up of youths, women and some carders drawn from Oti and Volta Region. They made the pledge in a statement issued to the press in Ho.

Their solidarity message came in few days to the national congress.

The group led by former TEIN Executive, Delanyo Agbe said among those aspiring for the national chairmanship of the party, “ Chairman Ofosu Ampofo towers above them all because of his ability to carry everyone along and his level-headedness”.

According to Delanyo, Mr Ampofo has performed creditably as a National Chairman using his position to touch the lives of the ordinary people within and outside the Party.

“Mr Ofosu Ampofo has been able to build bridges of friendship across the length and breadth of this country, he is one person that is accessible and communicates with everyone easily.

“Chairman Ampofo is the only person that can further unite all the groups in our party and lead our party to victory in the 2024 general elections,” the group said while soliciting the support of all stakeholders.

“We have also commenced Phone Banking of delegates and also prayers in mosques and churches across the region to seek spiritual blessing for the Ofosu Ampofo chairmanship project,” Delanyo said, adding that the prayers will be held regularly till “we achieve success”.

The group therefore charge Mr Ampofo to reinstate members who were expelled by the General Secretary within 50 days in Office.

The group, however, urged Party Delegates across the country not to hesitate in voting for the national chairmanship of the party to someone who has never disrespected its party founder Jerry John Rawlings, saying: “doing this will attract the support of the people of the region who are hardcore Rawlingsist to the party and translate to votes for the NDC in future elections”.

The organizer Comrade Delanyo said, “we are mobilizing support and to ensure that no stone will be left unturned to ensure victory in the national Congress.”

Source: Modern Ghana

Otto Addo has revealed the reason behind his decision to leave his position as Coach of the Black Stars, saying the decision is not only in his hands.

The 47 year old who took over the leadership of the team in March this year, will leave the job at the end of December when his six-month contract ends.

“The decision is not only in my hands before I even started working with the GFA, everybody knew I had a contract with Dortmund, and to even come here was very difficult and the GFA put a lot of effort to get me released,” he said in a press briefing in Qatar on Saturday following Ghana’s exit from the World Cup.

“What you have to know is the position I have as a talent coach is very crucial to Dortmund. We produce a lot of big talents. It is a crucial position for the club’’.

“Normally they won’t have to let me go but because I want to help the country and the GFA went there and had good talks, they released me for six months,” he added.

Addo won four games during his time with the Black Stars, beating Madagascar and South Korea in competitive games with the other victories coming against Nicaragua and Switzerland in friendlies.

Ghana qualified for the World Cup at the expense of Nigeria on a 1-1 aggregate following a goalless draw in Kumasi and 1-1 in Abuja on March 29, 2022.

The Black Stars lost to Brazil and Uruguay and grabbed a 1-1 draw against the Central African Republic in the other games under Otto Addo.

Ghana crashed out of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament after finishing bottom of Group H with three points.

The team suffered two defeats to Portugal (3-2) and Uruguay (2-0) and defeated South Korea 3-2 in the other Group match.

Source: Modern Ghana