Day: December 6, 2022

Accra, Dec. 6, GNA – The Atlas Lions of Morocco became the fourth African country to reach the quarterfinal of the FIFA World Cup after their 3-0 win on penalties against Spain at the Education City Stadium.

The North African side joins the likes of Cameroon (1990), Ghana (2010), and Senegal (2002) who have reached the last eight of the biggest football event in the world.

The Moroccans, who reached the last 16 back in 1986, displayed a high level of determination to keep the game scoreless after regulation time.

Both sides had chances to win it in extra time but couldn’t take capitalise.

Moroccan goalkeeper Bono made three saves to deny the Spanish during the penalty shootouts.

Interestingly, Morocco becomes the first African side to win a penalty shootout at the World Cup.

Morocco, the only African team left in the competition, awaits the winner of the Portugal-Switzerland clash later in the day.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Dec. 6, GNA – Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Klottey Korle has donated three thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 3000.00) to Go Getdem Wheelchair Racing Club.

The MP made the donation when she joined the physical challenged wheelchair basketball and racing team to observe the World Disability Day on Saturday December 3, at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Speaking to the media, she said “our brothers and sisters need opportunities to achieve their aim and we would do whatever we can to support them to make their dreams possible.

“People always want to decide for the disabled which does not help. It’s about time we allow them to decide for themselves.”

She urged Ghanaians to also show interest in the Para Sports as it was one of the sports that could earn income for the development of the country.

“I’m encouraging people to give para sports more support and , to help them to develop.”

Mr. Raphael Botsyo Nkegbe Founder of Go Getdem Club said he was impressed with the number of participants in this year’s wheelchair basketball and racing tournament as compared to last year.

He said, “this year, there were massive improvement in the number of participants, as compared to last year which recorded 15 athletes”.

Go Getdem Foundation is a sporting club purposely for the disabled youth in rural communities.

It is also aimed at creating opportunities and empowering change in public perception about disabled

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Dec. 6, GNA – The Ghana Deaf Sports Federation (GDSF) held a fruitful Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Media Center in the Accra Sports Stadium, where issues of mutual interest and concern towards the development of the federation were discussed.

It was also an end of year meeting for executives and stakeholders of deaf sports fraternity to meet and decide on the way forward for the deaf community.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Setumte Dodzi Ametewee Vice Chairman of Deaf Athletics said the leadership must come together to ensure unity and stability for the development of the sports.

He said, “as a federation we must work together as a team to fast-track development and I urge members to be ready for the task ahead”.

He said the move was to enable the federation to put in place an appropriate and effective mechanism aimed at ensuring an all-inclusive participation of the grassroot, free, fair and transparent election.

The AGM validated a one-year period for election after Deaflympics games in Tokyo, Japan.

The AGM also admitted new leaders from Deaf Tennis, Deaf Basketball, Deaf Rugby, Deaf Swimming and Deaf Golf to the sports fraternity within GDSF.

In attendance were representatives from all the 13 member of the association including Deaf Volleyball, Deaf Handball, Deaf Cycling, Deaf Athletics, Deaf Basketball, Deaf Lawn Tennis, Deaf Golf, Deaf Rugby, Deaf Bowling, Deaf Cricket, Taekwondo, Judo and Wresting. The only affiliate absent is Ghana Deaf Football Association (GDFA) among others.

The AGM meeting was sponsored by Eximia Development limited.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Former President John Dramani Mahama is raising funds to help the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) upcoming 10th National Delegates Congress.

The NDC’s 10th National Delegates Congress comes off on the 17th of December 2022 where the NDC will elect a new set of National Executives for the party.

Mr Mahama in a Facebook post said “in all, about 9,000 constituencies, regional and national executives who are the accredited delegates to the Congress will be transported to Accra and accommodated.

“The party needs your support to fund this Congress.”

Mr Mahama is, therefore, inviting 500,000 willing Ghanaians, NDC supporters, sympathisers and friends to donate a minimum of GHS10 each to help the NDC fund the congress.

“You don’t have to be a member of the NDC to donate,” he added.

Donors have been urged to donate via MoMo number 059 860 4199 or pay into the NDC Congress Account at the GCB Bank. Account Number: 13-9113-00-00-837.

Mr Mahama also noted that “If you want to arrange other forms of support, please send me an email- [email protected] ”

Source: Modern Ghana

Doha (Qatar), Dec.6, GNA – The Atlas Lions of Morocco produced a masterclass performance to beat Spain 3-0 on penalties to book first quarterfinal slot in the FIFA World Cup. 

After a thrilling 120 minutes of action, Morocco, the only African country left in the 2022 FIFA World Cup showed resilience, class and positive attitude to continue their unbeaten streak when they humbled the 2010 champions in a penalty shootout at the Education City Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Tuesday night. 

The early minutes of the game saw the Atlas lions defending their lines, hoping not to concede from the Spanish, who were solid upfront with the pairing of Marco Asensio and Ferran Torres.

Moroccan winger, Sofiane Boufal kept the attack of the African giants busy giving his marker, Marcos Llorente a tough time to give his side the lead in the first half of the game.

The men in blue and white, Spain were halted infront of the 18-yard box of the Moroccans who were left with no choice than to try their long shots beyond the box, but their efforts were not enough to get them ahead of their opponents.

The tactical formation by the Moroccan Coach, Walid Regragui, saw all ten players run back to cover their lines anytime they gave the ball away.

After a solid first half with few chances created, the game was still barren as Morocco kept the hopes of Africa high.

After recess, Luis Henrique introduced Nico Williams and Alvaro Morata who were difficult for their opponents to handle at the right side, making sure all crosses went into the opponent’s 18-yard box, but the Moroccans defence was calm to take charge of the game.

The connection between Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech was one to easily break the defence of Spain,as they looked dangerous anytime they approached the defense of the European team. 

Spain on the other hand kept on sharing passes, recording a total of 800 passes as they hoped to penetrate the defense of the Moroccans who had built a block infront of their goalkeeper who was very well composed in between the sticks.

After all efforts to get the long balls into the space of the Africans, Spain were unfruitful as the first 90 minutes of the game ended goalless.

The extra time was a moment for Morocco to take the lead in the game as Walid Cheddira bottled two crucial chances which could have seen the Atlas Lions ahead by two goals.

The frustration on the fans of the Moroccan fans was one to keep their players going to give their all for their nation.

Coach Walid Regragui kept on motivating his boys to get into the game as his opponents were approaching. 

Spains Pablo Sarabia, was denied by the crossbar in the dying minutes as the game ended barren after 120 minutes of play. 

Moroccan goalkeeper, Bono was the hero of the day as he saved all three penalties to send his side to the quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Morroco would now join Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana as the only African sides to have made it to the quarterfinals in the history of the FIFA World Cup.

Regragui’s charges would face either Portugal or Switzerland in the quarterfinals hoping to make it to the semi finals as the only African country to have achieved that height.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Defender Daniel Amartey has apologized to Ghanaians for the Black Stars’ early exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Ghana needed at least a draw to cruise to the round of 16, however, the Black Stars succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay; a game skipper Andre Ayew missed a crucial penalty.

Speaking to the GNA Sports, the Leicester player was hopeful the Black Stars would qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be staged in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

“I know everybody is disappointed because in this game we needed at least a draw. If we had won against Uruguay and failed to go through it, I think Ghanaians would have been happy a lot because of what happened in 2010. So what I have to say is we are very sorry and thank you to all of them for their support back home and here.

“We are grateful and we hope to qualify for the next World Cup,” he said.

On the game against Uruguay, he said the penalty miss in the early stage of the game changed the momentum of their play, which led to Ghana’s defeat.

“We came into the game with a win-or-draw mentality to go through. When we got the penalty, you saw what happened, when we missed it, everything changed, and they came hard, and they got a goal.

“It’s football, they have a lot of mature players, if we had scored the penalty, they would have gone down but with this, we went a little down and they came harder and scored the two goals, and it was difficult for us to come back.”

Ghana crashed out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after picking three points in three games to miss out on the round of 16 stages of the competition.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Minority in Parliament have expressed disappointment in the governing New Patriotic Party MPs for abandoning the 2023 budget debate for Qatar to watch the ongoing World Cup.

According to the Minority, the action of the cabinet ministers who double as MPs is a show of disrespect to Ghanaians.

During the budget debate, MPs like Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh were spotted in Qatar enjoying the World Cup.

Majority of the NPP MPs were also missing on the floor of the house leaving the budget debate for the Minority MPs.

Reacting to this, the Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, at a press conference in Accra on Monday, 6 December 2022, said despite the fact that the 2023 budget statement was completely devoid of any convincing plan to get the country out of the economic mess and turmoil “we have been utterly shocked at the show of disrespect and disinterest in the budget process by the very government that presented it.”

Mr Iddrisu said the Minority has “been left dumbfounded as Cabinet Ministers who double as MPs and who form part of the government that has superintended over the greatest economic crisis of our time abandoned the important budget debate and approval process only to be seen in Qatar making merry and taking selfies during the world cup.”

“Never in our history has a government exhibited such poor judgement and they have by this singular act placed beyond any doubt, that they have no respect for the people of Ghana, or the mandate bestowed on them to govern,” he added.

Mr Iddrisu noted that the Minority was particularly stunned that President Akufo-Addo allowed this to happen.

Source: Modern Ghana

Former Ghana coach, Otto Addo has advised the Black Stars to pick valuable lessons from the defeat to Uruguay last Friday.

The four-time African champions suffered a 2-0 defeat against the South American side in their final Group H game at the Al Janoub Stadium.

Speaking to the media after the defeat, the 47-year-old challenged the players to believe in themselves and be ready for anything.

He explained that while the Uruguayans were quick to defend the rebound from the penalty, the Black Stars players were nowhere near the box.

“There are some small things we can learn from the Uruguayans, and that includes mentality.

“If you take the penalty for instance, and if you watched it closely, you’d realize about six or seven Uruguay players came to defend the second ball (rebound), but with us, nobody was there to take the chance (after goalkeeper Sergio Rochet saved the ball and spilled it back into play).

“First, we’ve got to believe in ourselves and be ready for anything. This is what the young players must learn. And with all the talents available, we have to build our mindset,” said the coach.

The Black Stars exited the tournament with three points after three games. Ghana recorded two defeats and one win.

Meanwhile, Otto Addo has resigned from his role as the head coach of the team following the elimination.

Source: Modern Ghana